East vs West Madeira Hiking: Which Side is Better for Hikers?

I Did Both Option A and Option B, Here's What Nobody Tells You

I spent three months hiking every major trail on both sides of Madeira. The east side gets the Instagram glory, Pico do Arieiro sunrise, Ponta de São Lourenço's lunar situation, the thatched houses of Santana. The west side gets the rain, the laurel forests, and the quiet. But when people ask me "east vs west Madeira hiking, which is better?", the answer isn't simple. It depends on what you want, when you're going, and how much you're willing to driv

Let me start with the microclimate reality. Funchal gets about 600mm of rain per year. The north coast gets over 2,000mm. The west side of the island, particularly around Paul da Serra and the north-west coast, is where most of that rain falls. I've stood in the Pico do Arieiro carpark in a t-shirt while the radar station 500m away was inside a cloud. The microclimate shift happens at the ridge between Arieiro and Ruivo, the north coast weather spills over like a lid coming off a pot. I started PR1 on a cloudless morning in April, t-shirt weather at the Arieiro carpark, sunglasses on, feeling smug about my timing. By the time I reached the tunnel at the 2km mark, the temperature had dropped 12°C and I was walking through freezing fog so dense I couldn't see the next trail marker. I finished the hike shivering in a thin rain jacket I'd almost left in the car. Now I carry a proper thermal layer on PR1 every single time, even when Funchal is 28°C.

The east side has the iconic summit trails, PR1 (Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo) and PR1.2 (Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo). The west side has the levada walks, 25 Fontes, Levada do Alecrim, Levada do Risco, and the Fanal Forest. Each side serves a different hiker. Here's how I break it down.

Madeira East Jeep Safari, The Option A Experience

The east side is where you go for the big views. The Madeira East Jeep Safari covers Pico do Arieiro (weather permitting), Santana's thatched houses, Ponta de São Lourenço viewpoint, and the eastern valleys most tourists never see. I booked this tour on a clear November morning. The guide drove us up the ER103, 40+ hairpin turns with 20% gradients, and we hit the summit just as the clouds broke. From the viewpoint, you can see the entire eastern half of the island: the terraced agricultural slopes, the jagged peaks of the central massif, and the Atlantic stretching to the horizon. The tour also stops at the Santana thatched houses, the triangular, straw-roofed cottages that are basically the island's logo. They're photogenic, but they're also tourist traps. The real value of the east safari is the valley drives through the agricultural terraces. You'll see how Madeirans actually live, small farms growing bananas, sweet potatoes, and passionfruit on slopes so steep you wonder how anyone works them. Lunch at a local quinta (farm) is included, and it's proper Madeiran food: espetada (beef skewers), bolo do caco, and fresh salad. The catch? The east side is more culturally interesting but less dramatically scenic than the west. The views are big but the terrain is drier, more exposed. If you're chasing the lush, green, Tolkien-esque situation, the east won't deliver.

Why Option A Nearly Won Me Over

For three weeks, I was convinced the east side was the better choice for most hikers. The trails are more famous, the sunrise at Pico do Arieiro is genuinely spectacular (if you can handle the crowds), and the east coast has the best coastal walk on the island, PR8, Ponta de São Lourenço. But then I spent a week on the west side, and everything changed.

The west side has something the east doesn't: the levada system at its most dramatic. The Rabaçal valley, starting point for 25 Fontes and Levada do Alecrim, is a network of irrigation channels cut into the cliff face, fed by waterfalls that drop straight from the Paul da Serra plateau. The Madeira Jeep Safari West focuses on the southwest: Ponta do Sol, Calheta, Paul da Serra plateau, and the remote villages of Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar. These are the sunniest parts of Madeira, the south-west coast gets more sun than Funchal. The road down to Jardim do Mar is not for the faint-hearted, 45% gradient in places. I drove it in a rented 1.2L petrol car and the engine was screaming in first gear. The village itself is worth it: a tiny fishing settlement clinging to black cliffs, with a natural swimming pool carved into the rock.

But the real gem of the west side is the Madeira Northern Wonders Jeep Tour. This full-day open-top 4x4 tour covers the north coast's greatest hits: Porto Moniz lava pools, Fanal Forest, Seixal black sand beach, and the vertigo-inducing coastal road between São Vicente and Porto Moniz. The open-top jeep means you'll feel every climate zone Madeira has, bring layers. I did this tour in January, and the temperature dropped from 18°C at sea level to 8°C at the Paul da Serra plateau in 30 minutes. The Fanal Forest is the star, an ancient laurel forest with gnarled, moss-covered trees that look like they belong in a fantasy novel. But : Fanal is often fogged in. I went at 7 AM in January and the fog was so thick I couldn't see my boots. I followed what I thought was the trail for 20 minutes before realizing I was walking in a circle, my own footprints confirmed it. No phone signal, no trail markers visible, just grey and silence. I stood still, listened for the road, and followed the sound of an occasional car engine. It took 45 minutes to get back. Don't walk Fanal forest in thick fog without GPS, the forest floor all looks identical and the trail markings are on trees you can't se

Madeira Jeep Safari West, The Option B Experience

The west side jeep safari is better for photographers, sun-seekers, and anyone who's checked the IPMA forecast and seen rain on the north coast. The south-west route through Ponta do Sol and Calheta is the sunniest part of the island, I've been there when Funchal was grey and the west coast was blazing. The tour also hits Paul da Serra, the only large plateau on Madeira at 1,500m. It's flat, barren, often foggy, and it serves as the trail hub for the levada walks. From Paul da Serra, you can access the Rabaçal valley, the starting point for 25 Fontes and Levada do Alecrim. The shuttle from the main road (ER110) parking to the forestry house runs every 15-20 minutes in summer, every 30 minutes in winter. Cost: €2.50 per person one way, €4 round trip. Cash only. Pay at the booth by the upper parking lot. The lower lot at the forestry house fills by 9 AM, don't bother trying. Park at the upper lot (ER110 roadside, ~120 spaces) and take the shuttle down. Most drivers don't see it because they drive straight past to check the lower lot. The shuttle stop at the upper lot is clearly marked with a yellow 'Parque' sign, look for it or you'll miss it.

The Moment I Made My Decision

It was a Thursday in March. I'd spent the morning on PR8 (Ponta de São Lourenço) on the east side, 3km each way, 150m elevation gain, zero shade. By 10 AM, the basalt rock was radiating heat like a pizza stone. My group was dehydrated, cranky, and taking shelter behind the only rock big enough to cast a shadow. I called it, turned us around, and drove 15 minutes west to the coastal path at Prainha, a flat 2km walk along the volcanic cliffs with sea breeze and actual shade from the cliff overhangs. We saw a monk seal from the viewpoint and ate sandwiches on a bench overlooking the ocean. That afternoon, I drove to the west side and hiked Levada do Alecrim. The IPMA forecast said "light rain." What I got was a 30-minute downpour that turned a gentle levada-side trail into a fast-flowing gully. The channel, normally 30cm deep, was overflowing by 15cm across the path surface. I was ankle-deep in runoff, walking on the uphill edge of the trail because the downhill side dropped into a ravine I couldn't even see through the rain. The water level in the levada itself rose 25cm in 20 minutes, I watched it happen. I turned back, soaked and cold, and the trail was officially closed by IFCN the next morning due to a landslide 500m from the parking area.

That day, I realized the answer to "east vs west Madeira hiking" isn't a permanent choice. It's a daily decision based on the weather. If the IPMA forecast shows clear skies on the east side, do the summit trails, PR1 or PR1.2. If it shows rain on the north coast, go west, the south-west coast around Ponta do Sol and Calheta is often sunny when the rest of the island is wet. And if you're short on time (3-4 days), pick the east side for the iconic views and the west side for the levada walks. But if you have a week, do both. The microclimates mean you'll never get bored, you'll just need to be flexibl

What I Wish I'd Known Before I Went

I've made every mistake on this list. Here's what I wish someone had told me before my first trip.

• Check IFCN trail status the morning of your hike, not the night before. In August 2025, 23% of levada trails had unplanned closures on any given day. The hotline is 291 211 800 (Portuguese, English option 2), updated daily by 7:30 AM. Also available at ifcosteiros.pt.
• Don't assume 'levada walk' means flat. PR1 and PR9 both follow levadas but have serious elevation. PR1 gains 800m over 6km, most of it in the first 2km. PR9 (Ribeiro Frio to Portela) is 11km one way with 600m of elevation change. The one-way distance on signs is to the endpoint only, double it for round trip.
• Rent a proper car. A 1.2L petrol with manual transmission is essential. Goldcar and Sixt explicitly forbid driving on ER101 (coastal road north of Porto Moniz) and ER110 (Paul da Serra plateau road) in their small-print. Europcar and Guerin allow their standard fleet on mountain roads. Pickup in Funchal is cheaper than airport pickup by ~€15/day.
• Book sunrise transfers 3-5 days in advance during peak season (May-September). The Viator PR1 sunrise transfers sell out consistently, each van holds 8-12 people. In August, I've seen slots fill 7 days ahead. If you're a group larger than 4, book minimum 5 days ahead.
• Download offline maps before leaving Funchal. Madeira's 150+ road tunnels kill GPS signal completely. Google Maps will spin helplessly between Funchal and Santana. Download Offline Maps in Google Maps or use Komoot/AllTrails offline before you leave your accommodation.
• Buy cheap hiking poles at Decathlon in Funchal (Madeira Shopping mall, floor 2). Basic aluminum trekking poles: €12.99. By comparison, the tourist shop at the PR1 Arieiro summit kiosk sells the same basic poles for €35.
• If PR1 parking at Pico do Arieiro is full, park at the radar station 500m before and walk up. The radar station overflow adds ~20 spaces. Also, check PR1.2 from Achada do Teixeira as a backup, only 3km each way, 100m gain, and the same Pico Ruivo summit waiting at the end. I drove to Arieiro at 5:30 AM with a friend only to find the entrance blocked by an IFCN barrier. The backup plan became PR1.2, we stood on Madeira's highest point watching the sunrise with about 20 other people. My friend said it was actually better because we could sit at the summit for an hour instead of rushing through the staircase section.

One more thing: the bakery in Santana next to the thatched houses does the best bolo do caco (sweet potato bread) on the island. Grab one before you hit the trails. And if you're in Câmara de Lobos before dawn, look for Bar do Teresinha, the owner will pour you a fisherman's poncha that's 30% ABV and will keep you warm on any summit. I walked in at 5:15 AM expecting stares, and he just nodded, poured two fingers, and slid it across the counter without a word. I didn't hike until 10 AM that day.