Where to Stay in Madeira
Short answer: stay in Funchal if it's your first visit or you're bringing the family. It has the widest choice of hotels, big resort pools, the restaurants and the best bus links, and everywhere on the island is within a 90-minute drive. Choose Caniço de Baixo for a calmer couples' break with easy motorway access, Machico or Calheta to lie on a beach all day, Calheta for villa holidays, and Ponta do Sol for a beautiful, hassle-free honeymoon. Mid-range doubles run €80–200 a night in low season and €150–400 in high season (July to September). Travelling on a budget? November to March is cheapest, apart from Christmas, and flights are cheaper then too.
Explore the resorts
Tap a town on the map to see why you would stay there, or pick the kind of trip you are planning.
Funchal
Old town, marina, cable car: the classic base
The best choice for a first visit. It has the widest choice of hotels, the most restaurants and the best bus links, and everywhere on the island is within a 90-minute drive. It also suits families: the big hotels have big pools and family areas.
- Best for
- First-timers, families, food lovers, nightlife
- Worth knowing
- The steep hills above the old town are hard work if you dislike walking uphill.
- Getting there
- Airport about 20 min
Funchal
Old town, marina, cable car: the classic base
- Boutique hotels in Zona Velha
- Big seafront resorts in the Lido
- Apartments in São Martinho
Best for: First-timers, families, food lovers, nightlife
Full Funchal guide →
Caniço de Baixo
The little sister of Funchal
- Clifftop hotels
- An all-inclusive resort
- Apartments and villas
Best for: Couples, a relaxed holiday, drivers
Full Caniço guide →
Machico
Local feel and a yellow-sand beach
- Seafront hotels
- Apartments near the beach
- Guesthouses
Best for: Families with little children, beach-loving couples
Full Machico guide →
Santa Cruz
Quiet seaside town by the airport
- Holiday lets
- A couple of hotels
Best for: A quiet stay, drivers, early or late flights
Full Santa Cruz guide →
Calheta
Sunny south-west, golden sand and villas
- Villas with pools
- Marina hotels
- Rural cottages in the hills
Best for: Villa holidays, families, beach-loving couples
Full Calheta guide →
Ponta do Sol
Very beautiful and hassle-free
- Boutique hotels
- Apartments on the seafront
Best for: Honeymooners, a quiet escape
Full Ponta do Sol guide →
Câmara de Lobos
Fishing village next door to Funchal
- Harbourside apartments
- Hotels in Estreito and on the coast
Best for: Atmosphere, seafood, being close to Funchal
Full Câmara de Lobos guide →
Santana
Green north coast and the famous A-frame houses
- Rural guesthouses
- Small hotels
- Quintas
Best for: Hikers, nature, a quiet night or two
Full Santana guide →
Porto Moniz
Natural lava pools at the far north-west
- Small seafront hotels
- Guesthouses
Best for: Hikers, nature, a north coast stopover
Full Porto Moniz guide →
Porto Santo
The main beach resort, on its own island
- Beachfront hotels
- Apartments
Best for: A pure beach holiday, peace and quiet
Porto Santo beach guide →- Best all-round base
- Funchal (Sé or Zona Velha)
- Best for families
- Funchal (big hotels), Calheta (villas), Machico (little children)
- Best for couples and beach days
- Machico, Calheta, Caniço de Baixo
- Best if you're driving
- Caniço de Baixo: quick motorway access
- Best without a car
- Funchal: buses, taxis and tours all start here
- Best for hikers
- Santana, São Vicente, Porto Moniz
- Best for a honeymoon
- Ponta do Sol
- Typical mid-range price
- €80–200 low season, €150–400 high season
- Book ahead for
- Flower Festival, Carnival, August and New Year
Booking tips
- Book early for festivals. The Flower Festival (May) and New Year's fireworks fill every room in Funchal months ahead.
- Check parking. Many old-town hotels have no private parking. Funchal's street parking is paid and tight.
- North-coast stays need a car. Buses run, but once or twice a day. A rental opens up trailheads and viewpoints.
- Quintas often include breakfast. Many are half-board or serve a generous local breakfast, ask when booking.
Real common complaints by area
Aggregated from thousands of English-language reviews on Booking, Google and Tripadvisor over the last 24 months. Use this to filter listings before you book.
Funchal Old Town (Zona Velha)
Top complaint Noise from bars & restaurants until 01:00
- Steep cobbled streets, luggage struggle
- Limited private parking; public garages €12–18/day
- Small rooms in converted 19th-century townhouses
How to filter: Look for 'double-glazed windows' and a room facing an internal courtyard.
Funchal Lido / São Martinho
Top complaint Long walk (or steep hill) into the old town
- Some 1970s-era resorts feel dated inside
- Sea views often mean street noise on Estrada Monumental
- Pool areas overcrowded on cruise-ship days
How to filter: Book a renovated block; ask for a floor above 4th for sea view without traffic noise.
Caniço de Baixo
Top complaint Very steep hills between hotel and beach
- Quiet in the evenings, you need a car for Funchal dining
- A handful of large hotels dominate the strip, book early
How to filter: If mobility is a concern, choose a hotel with its own working elevator to the ocean.
Porto Moniz
Top complaint Cloudier and rainier than the south coast
- Very quiet after 20:00, few restaurants open late
- Winter Atlantic swells can close the pools for days
- Wind noise on cliff-facing rooms
How to filter: Check the forecast, if a north-swell warning is up, swap to Calheta for that night.
Santana
Top complaint Fog rolls in most afternoons
- Cool nights year-round; some rural houses have weak heating
- Restaurants close by 21:00
- Winding roads make late arrivals stressful
How to filter: Ask if heating is central or portable, matters November–March.
Câmara de Lobos
Top complaint Fishermen start work at 04:00, harbour noise
- Steep, narrow streets and no lifts in older buildings
- Traffic into Funchal at rush hour (~30–40 min)
- Limited high-end dining, mostly local tascas
How to filter: Choose a room on the upper side of the town, away from the harbour, for quieter nights.
Machico
Top complaint Under the FNC flight path, early-morning departures
- Small dining scene compared with Funchal
- Beach is imported sand, can feel gritty
- Fewer 4–5★ hotels; mostly 3★ and apartments
How to filter: Ask for a room facing the bay, not the airport hill.
Calheta
Top complaint 35–45 min to Funchal, daily driving adds up
- Marina area quiet after 22:00
- Some hillside villas have long, single-lane access roads
- Beach is imported Moroccan sand, smaller than photos suggest
How to filter: Only book here if you have a car and want a beach base.
Santa Cruz
Top complaint Planes flying over, right next to the airport
- Many holiday lets are up steep hills
- Very quiet in the evenings
- Pebble beach rather than sand
How to filter: If you're renting a holiday let, check how steep the access road is and plan to drive.
Hotels, quintas, apartments, what you actually get
Madeira's stock is unusual for an island: almost no all-inclusive megaresorts, a long tail of small family hotels, and a strong middle of converted estate houses. Choosing the right type matters more here than the star rating, because it decides how much driving your holiday involves.
City hotels, Funchal Sé, Zona Velha, Lido
€80–150 shoulder · €150–250 August
Lifts, pools, breakfast, and everything walkable. The Lido strip is the classic package base with sea pools and the promenade; Sé and Zona Velha put you in the restaurants. Choose double glazing and a floor above the fourth.
Quintas, estate houses in gardens
€90–200
Old Madeiran manor houses with a handful of rooms, terraced gardens and long views. Usually 10–20 minutes above the coast on a steep access road, so a car is essential, and worth it for the quiet and the breakfasts.
Apartments & aparthotels
€60–120
The value option for families and for stays over a week. Caniço de Baixo, Machico and Calheta have the most, often with a pool and a kitchen, and supermarkets nearby. Check whether the 'sea view' involves 90 steps down to it.
Rural tourism on the north coast
€50–100
Small guesthouses and stone cottages around Santana, São Vicente and Porto Moniz. Cheapest beds on the island, closest to the best walking, but restaurants shut by 21:00 and heating is often portable, ask before booking November to March.
Luxury, Reid's, Savoy, cliff-edge design hotels
€300+
Funchal has genuine grande-dame hotels with terraced gardens over the bay, plus a newer wave of design properties. Worth timing for shoulder season, when the same room can cost a third less than in August.
Porto Santo
€70–160
A separate decision. Nine kilometres of golden sand, a handful of hotels and apartments, and a completely different, drier climate. Best as an add-on of two or three nights rather than a day trip.