Madeira's off-the-beaten-track side splits into three groups. In the air: tandem paragliding from Arco da Calheta or the Ponta do Sol ridges (roughly €120–180 for 15–25 minutes, with AltitudeX offering €120/€140/€180 packages) and hang gliding with the same schools. On rock and water: the staffed giant swing and 1.6 km panoramic zipline above Porto Moniz (€39 for the swing, €69 for the zipline, €89 combined), canyoning in the Ribeiro Frio, Rabaçal and Ribeira das Cales ravines (about €65–120, with Madeira Adventure Kingdom running Level 1–3 trips), coasteering on the north coast, the lava tubes at São Vicente, shorter ziplines around Calheta and Santana, shore diving in the protected Garajau Marine Reserve, and surfing at Porto da Cruz, Paul do Mar and Jardim do Mar. Slow and creative: the unofficial cliff-edge swings (baloiços) at north and west viewpoints, wicker weaving in Camacha, Madeira embroidery in Funchal, painting and ceramic workshops, poncha and bolo do caco classes, and Madeira wine blending in the city lodges.
In the air
Madeira's cliffs and thermals make it one of Europe's better winter flying islands — and you don't need experience for any of this.
Tandem paragliding
Arco da Calheta, Ponta do Sol, Prazeres and the Santo da Serra side — plus north-coast launches above Porto da Cruz, depending on wind
Strapped to an instructor, a few running steps off a grass launch and then 15–25 minutes over banana terraces and open Atlantic. West-coast schools fly the Arco da Calheta escarpment and land on the beach at Madalena do Mar; north-coast operators take off above Porto da Cruz for a roughly one-hour session over the cliffs. Schools move launch sites daily to follow the wind, so pick a date, not a spot. AltitudeX Madeira is one of the newer operators: certified tandem pilot, 5.0 Google rating, and a three-tier menu — Basic flight, Premium with GoPro video, and Full Experience with GoPro MAX 360° footage plus photos.
Roughly €120–180 depending on operator and package. AltitudeX Madeira: Basic €120, Premium €140 (GoPro video), Full Experience €180 (360° video + photos + possible extension). Quad-bike + paragliding combo days from about €280
Hang gliding
Same west-coast launch sites, with fewer operators
Rarer than paragliding and usually run on request by the same schools. Longer, faster and flatter than a paraglider flight.
Roughly €150+
Helicopter and scenic flights
Funchal and Madeira Airport
Short charter flights along the south coast and around Cabo Girão. Expensive, weather-dependent, and genuinely spectacular for the cliffs.
From roughly €100 per person for a short loop
Ziplines, swings and photo perches
The Instagram side of the island — some of it is properly run, some of it is a plank on a rope at the edge of a 400 m drop. Treat unstaffed swings with respect.
Cliff-edge swings (baloiços)
Viewpoints on the north and west of the island; several have appeared near Ponta do Sol, Prazeres, Achadas da Cruz and the Fanal road
Simple wooden swings placed at miradouros so you can be photographed apparently swinging out over the ocean. Most are unofficial and unmaintained: check the rope and frame yourself, don't use them in wind, and never let children on unaccompanied.
Usually free, sometimes a €1–2 honesty box
Giant swing over the Atlantic, Porto Moniz
Caminho da Fajã do Barro, Levada Grande, above Porto Moniz on the north-west coast
The island's one properly engineered big swing: you clip in on a cliff platform 250 m above the sea for a 20-metre jump and pendulum, with a 360-degree view of the Atlantic, staff, kit and a safety briefing. Nothing like the unstaffed wooden baloiços.
€39 per adult, €29 for children up to 12
Ziplines
Porto Moniz (a 1.6 km panoramic line above the coast), plus shorter operator lines around Calheta and Santana and the family line inside Parque Temático da Madeira
The Porto Moniz line is the long one — 1.6 km at up to 110 km/h and up to 320 m above the ground, reached by a Pinzgauer 6x6 ride to the launch ramp, and usually sold with the giant swing as a combo. The rest are short cable runs over ravines and forest, often bundled with canyoning or a jeep day.
Porto Moniz: €69 per adult (€49 children up to 12), or €89 combined with the giant swing (€69 children). Short lines elsewhere roughly €25–60.
Via ferrata and rock scrambling
Run by mountain guides on the central massif
Cabled climbing routes on rock faces, always guided and always with kit supplied. Good half day if you like exposure but not technical climbing.
Roughly €70–100
Monte wicker toboggan
Monte, above Funchal
The famous one — two carreiros in straw hats push a wicker sled 2 km down the hill on greased runners. Touristy and short, but it is genuinely 19th-century transport.
Around €35 for two people
Water, rock and underground
Volcanic geology means gorges, lava tubes and warm clear water with almost no coral-reef crowding.
Canyoning
Ribeiro Frio, Rabaçal, Ribeira das Cales, Ribeira do Cidrão, Ribeira do Lajeado, Seixal ravines
Abseiling waterfalls, sliding rock chutes and jumping into pools inside Laurissilva laurel forest. Levels run from a gentle family canyon to genuinely committing full-day descents. Madeira Adventure Kingdom runs a clear progression: Level 1 beginner trips in Ribeira das Cales and Ribeiro Frio, Level 2 intermediate in Ribeira do Cidrão, Level 2 PLUS in Ribeira do Lajeado, and Level 3 advanced routes in Ribeira Funda and Pedra Branca (which has the highest waterfall rappels). All trips include wetsuit, helmet, harness and ICA-certified guides.
Roughly €65–120. Madeira Adventure Kingdom examples: Level 1 €65, Level 2 Ribeira do Cidrão €85, Level 2 PLUS Ribeira do Lajeado €95, Level 3 Ribeira Funda / Pedra Branca €120
Coasteering
North coast and the Porto Moniz / Seixal shoreline
Traversing the volcanic shoreline by swimming, scrambling and jumping. Swell-dependent — operators cancel more often here than anywhere else.
Roughly €60–80
Grutas de São Vicente lava caves
São Vicente, north coast
Guided walk through 890,000-year-old lava tubes, followed by a volcanism centre. Cool, dry and a solid rainy-day option with kids.
Around €10
Shore diving in the Garajau Marine Reserve
Garajau and Caniço de Baixo
Madeira's protected reserve, where large dusky groupers approach divers. Entry straight from the shingle beach — you can walk in with a guide rather than take a boat.
Roughly €45–70 for a guided dive, more for a discover-scuba session
Surfing and bodyboarding
Porto da Cruz and Machico in the north-east; Paul do Mar and Jardim do Mar in the west
Real Atlantic reef and point breaks. Beginners should stick to Machico and Porto da Cruz with a school; Jardim do Mar is a serious wave, not a lesson spot.
Lessons roughly €40–60
Kayaking, SUP and snorkelling
Machico bay, Caniçal, Ponta de São Lourenço and Calheta
Flat, sheltered water on the east and south coasts. The São Lourenço sea-cave paddle is the standout.
Roughly €35–55
Whale and dolphin watching
Funchal marina, Calheta and Machico
Resident bottlenose and spotted dolphins year-round, with pilot whales, sperm whales and occasional Bryde's whales. Choose an operator that keeps distance rules — the good ones say so up front.
Roughly €35–45
Deep-sea fishing
Funchal marina
Blue marlin, big-eye tuna and wahoo in deep water very close to shore. Mostly catch-and-release charters for marlin.
Charter, from roughly €500 for a half day split between the boat
On four wheels, two wheels and hooves
Ways to reach the parts of the island the tour coaches physically cannot get to.
4x4 jeep safari
Full-day loops to Fanal, Rabaçal, Curral das Freiras or the north-east
Old forestry tracks, misty laurel forest and stops the coaches skip. The best value guided day if you're not renting a car.
Roughly €50–70 per person
Mountain biking and enduro
Trails above Funchal, Poiso, Santo da Serra and the west
Shuttle-uplift descents on steep, technical, often wet volcanic singletrack. Madeira is a serious enduro destination — this is not a gentle bike ride.
Roughly €80–120 for a guided uplift day
E-bike tours and levada cycling
Funchal, Santo da Serra, Paul da Serra plateau
The plateau is the one place the gradients are kind. E-bikes make the coast road realistic for ordinary legs.
Roughly €40–70
Karting
Água de Pena Sports Park, Machico — just east of Cristiano Ronaldo Airport (Indoor Kart Madeira / Go Kart Madeira)
A covered 400 m track, so it runs rain or shine. The fleet is RIMO rental karts with 270cc Honda engines, and the track is lined with SAFEBLOCKS so the layout can be changed for repeat visits. Adults and teens use the 270cc karts, children can drive alone from age 7 in smaller karts, and there is a two-seater 270cc kart for an adult plus a child. Organised race formats need a minimum of five people; under-18s are not allowed in the race sessions.
€13 for 10 min, €23 for 20 min, €34 for 30 min; race packages from €22–30 per person (min 5 people)
Horse riding
Santo da Serra and the eastern hills
Forest and farmland hacks rather than beach rides. Suitable for beginners at the smaller centres.
Roughly €40–60 an hour
Buggy and quad tours
Calheta, Ribeira Brava and Santa Cruz operators
Self-drive convoys on unsurfaced roads. Noisy and dusty, but they get you to viewpoints with no bus route.
Roughly €80–130 per buggy
Creative and hands-on
The part of the island people most often miss: Madeira's crafts are still worked commercially, and most workshops will teach a visitor for an afternoon.
Painting and sketching workshops
Funchal studios and the Old Town; some guesthouses in Ponta do Sol and Jardim do Mar run residencies
Half-day watercolour and sketching sessions, usually outdoors — the harbour at Câmara de Lobos (where Churchill painted) is the classic subject. Materials included.
Roughly €40–70
Ceramic and tile (azulejo) painting
Funchal and Câmara de Lobos studios
Paint and glaze your own tile or bowl; pieces are fired and either posted or collected a few days later. A good indoor day for families.
Roughly €30–50
Wicker weaving in Camacha
Camacha, 20 minutes above Funchal
Camacha is the centre of Madeiran wickerwork, including the Monte toboggans. Watch the weavers and, at some workshops, try a small basket yourself.
Free to watch; workshops vary
Madeira embroidery (bordado)
Funchal — the embroidery factories and the IVBAM museum
A 150-year-old certified industry. See the pricking and stamping process, and understand why a genuine hand-embroidered piece costs what it costs.
Museum entry a few euros
Poncha and cocktail classes
Câmara de Lobos and Funchal bars
Learn the fisherman's poncha with a wooden caralhinho — aguardente de cana, honey, lemon, nothing else. Usually ends in more tasting than teaching.
Roughly €25–40
Cooking classes — bolo do caco and espetada
Funchal and rural quintas
Bread baked on a hot basalt stone, beef on a bay-laurel skewer, and a market tour at Mercado dos Lavradores beforehand at the better schools.
Roughly €60–90
Madeira wine blending and tasting
Blandy's Wine Lodge, Avenida Arriaga; Barbeito in Câmara de Lobos
Beyond the tourist tasting: guided flights across Sercial, Verdelho, Bual and Malmsey, and blending sessions at some lodges. Barbeito is where sommeliers go.
Roughly €10–45 depending on the flight
Stargazing at Pico do Areeiro
Pico do Areeiro and the Paul da Serra plateau
Above the cloud layer at 1,800 m with almost no light pollution. Take a coat — it can be 12°C colder than Funchal.
Free, or roughly €50–80 with a guided telescope tour
When to do what
Best in summer (June–September)
Coasteering, kayaking and sea caves, snorkelling, canyoning at its warmest.
Best in winter (November–March)
Paragliding in stable trade winds, surfing the big north swells, whale watching in calmer south-coast water, caves and workshops on wet days.
All year
Diving at Garajau, jeep safaris, wine and craft workshops, ziplines, the toboggan, stargazing on clear nights, and the covered kart track in Machico.
Prices are honest ballpark figures from recent local bookings, not quotations — operators change rates every season and weather cancellations are common on the north coast.
FAQ — adventure & unusual things to do
What are the off-the-beaten-track things to do in Madeira?
The cliff-edge swings at north and west viewpoints, tandem paragliding from Arco da Calheta, canyoning in the Ribeiro Frio, Rabaçal and Ribeira das Cales ravines, coasteering on the north coast, the São Vicente lava caves, shore diving in the Garajau Marine Reserve, the covered kart track in Machico, and the craft side almost nobody books — wicker weaving in Camacha, Madeira embroidery in Funchal, painting workshops and poncha classes.
Where is the famous swing in Madeira?
The staffed giant swing is above Porto Moniz on the north-west coast, where you are harnessed and swung out from a cliff platform around 250 m above the Atlantic. Separately, several unofficial wooden baloiços sit at viewpoints near Ponta do Sol, Prazeres, Achadas da Cruz and along the Fanal road — those are unmaintained, so check the rope and frame yourself and skip them in wind.
Can you go paragliding in Madeira?
Yes. Tandem flights need no experience and run year-round from grass launches at Arco da Calheta, Ponta do Sol and Prazeres, with the school choosing the site on the day based on wind. Expect roughly €120–180 for 15–25 minutes. AltitudeX Madeira, for example, charges €120 for a Basic flight, €140 with GoPro video and €180 for a Full Experience with 360° footage and photos.
Is there a zipline in Madeira?
Yes. The long one is a 1.6 km panoramic line above the coast at Porto Moniz, €69 per adult, or €89 in a combo with the giant swing. Elsewhere the lines are short: operators around Calheta and Santana run cable runs over ravines, and Parque Temático da Madeira has a family line, roughly €25–60.
Are there art or painting workshops in Madeira?
Yes — Funchal studios run half-day watercolour and sketching sessions, usually painting the harbour at Câmara de Lobos where Churchill painted, and there are ceramic and azulejo tile-painting studios in Funchal and Câmara de Lobos. Traditional craft workshops cover wicker in Camacha and embroidery in Funchal.
What can you do in Madeira when it rains?
Head to the São Vicente lava caves, the embroidery museum, a wine lodge tasting, a ceramic or cooking workshop, or drive to the south-west — Calheta and Ponta do Sol are often sunny when Funchal and the north are under cloud.
Do you need to book adventure activities in advance?
For paragliding, canyoning, diving and cooking classes, yes — small groups fill up and weather forces reshuffles. Ziplines, karting, caves and the toboggan can usually be done on the day.