Best of Madeira's Sunny West

Walk through Rabaçal's laurisilva to a lagoon fed by 25 springs. One of the most popular routes, go early.

Official 10.8 km route (about 4 h) from Assobiadores on the Paul da Serra plateau down through laurel forest to the Fanal forestry post, famous for its ancient til trees in the fog.

Volcanic-rock pools naturally filled by the Atlantic on Madeira's north-west tip. The signature swimming spot of the island.

Man-made golden-sand beach inside a sheltered marina. Calm water, good for families.

Sunset beats, cliffside views and immersive art: KAUĒ Chapter IV lands at the MUDAS contemporary art museum in Calheta with live drums, visual installations, dance and deep electronic sets until midnight. Tickets from about 11.89 €.

Raw genetic data reimagined as live electronic sound and generative visual art. Andriy Kyrychenko's ANATOMY OF CODE is a 23-part audiovisual journey turning human DNA into a real-time performance, at the Centro Cultural John dos Passos in Ponta do Sol. Tickets 5 €.

Long, wild levada through dense laurisilva on the north-west plateau. Multiple tunnels, headlamp required.

Unclassified two-levada circuit above Ponta do Sol linking Levada Nova and Levada do Moinho, banana terraces, two waterfalls you can walk under, and a short head-torch tunnel. Not the classified PR7 Levada do Moinho in Porto Moniz. Mostly flat concrete edge-path with steep drops; easy underfoot but exposed.

Short waterfall walk above Ponta do Sol following the Levada Nova past several cascades, including the iconic shower-through-the-waterfall section.

Pebble beach in the sunniest town in Madeira, with a long seafront promenade and cafés.

Round-stone beach known internationally as a big-wave surf break.

Long pebble beach below dramatic cliffs, popular with surfers.

UNESCO laurisilva plateau famous for its ancient til trees, otherworldly when fog rolls in.

Short, easy walk from Rabaçal to the Risco waterfall through laurel forest. Often combined with PR6 25 Fontes.

Atmospheric levada from Fanal to Curral Falso through ancient laurel forest, often shrouded in mist.

Loop link-up combining PR14 Levada dos Cedros and PR13 Vereda do Fanal, a full circuit through the ancient Fanal laurel forest, often wrapped in mist.

The PR20 drops 1.9 km down the old cliff path from Prazeres to the surf village of Jardim do Mar, through stone-walled terraces and past a restored water mill. Check the live IFCN status before planning it.

A long, remote levada walk of about 10.8 km dropping from the Fanal road (ER209) to the canal keepers' house above Lombo da Atouguia, well away from the busy Rabaçal routes. Check the live IFCN status before planning it.

A 10.5 km levada walk across the north-west corner of the island, from Ribeira da Cruz down to Junqueira, through farming terraces, tunnels and water tanks well off the tour-bus circuit. Check the live IFCN status before planning it.

Pebble beach in the centre of Ribeira Brava with a long seafront promenade and cafés.

Wild west-coast viewpoint over a 300 m waterfall that drops straight into the ocean.

Lighthouse on the western tip of Madeira, perched on a 312 m cliff with classic sunset views.

Wide, easy levada across the Paul da Serra plateau, open moorland with endemic flowers and panoramic skies.

Quiet branch off the 25 Fontes route descending steeply to a hidden waterfall and lagoon, slippery, not signposted.

Loop from Rabaçal along the rosemary-lined Levada do Alecrim with a steep descent to the Lagoa do Vento waterfall and lagoon, quieter alternative to the 25 Fontes crowds.

Tunnel-heavy levada along the wild Ribeira da Janela valley, five long tunnels, requires a headlamp and waterproofs.

Short, very steep descent (or cable-car) to a tiny farming fajã on Madeira's western tip, 450 m below the cliff.

Long, quiet pebble beach in a banana-growing village west of Ponta do Sol.

Hidden pebble cove below the cliffs of Campanário, reached by a steep, narrow trail. Almost no one comes here.

Madeira's only tidal lagoon, at Lugar de Baixo on the eastern edge of Ponta do Sol, a brackish, reed-fringed pool and long-standing birdwatching stop beside the pebble beach.