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Funchal seen from Pico dos Barcelos, with houses and red roofs covering the slopes down to the Atlantic and the coastline to the east

Where to stay in Madeira

Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Places to stay in Madeira

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About Madeira

The bases in this guide line the south coast between Caniço and Calheta. The airport sits at the eastern end, about 18 km by road from Funchal and about 48 km from Calheta, so the base decides how much of each day goes to driving.

Portugal. Guide last checked .

Facts and rules

Last checked . Each fact links to its source.

Airport
Madeira Airport (FNC) at Santa Cruz, about 18 km by road from Funchal cathedral. Visit Madeira puts it around 20 minutes from Funchal. Source
Tourist tax, Funchal
EUR 2 per guest per night, 7 nights at most, since 1 October 2024. Guests aged 12 or under and Madeira residents are exempt. The council opened a review of the rate in January 2026. Source
Tourist tax, other towns
EUR 2 per guest per night for up to 7 nights in Câmara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava, Ponta do Sol, Calheta and, since 13 May 2026, São Vicente. Santa Cruz, which includes Caniço, charges its own ecotax. Source
Short-term rental rules
The national Alojamento Local law applies in Madeira (Decreto-Lei 128/2014, art. 32). An AL must show its registration number in its advertising (art. 17). Source
Guest registration
Lodging providers file a registration form for every foreign guest, EU nationals included (Lei 23/2007, art. 15), so expect to show a passport or ID card. Source
Parking with a rental car
Funchal has 1,602 metered spaces in four zones, EUR 0.56 to 1.89 an hour, with maximum stays from 61 to 364 minutes. Meters run weekdays 08:00 to 20:00 and Saturdays 08:00 to 14:00; Sundays and holidays are free. Source
Monthly stays
A month in an AL is still an AL stay, and the tax stops after 7 nights. A lease for a transitory purpose may run under a year, with a deposit of two months' rent at most (Civil Code art. 1076). Source
Emergency number
112 Source

Areas of Madeira

Two small old houses with tiled roofs and painted front doors on a cobbled street in the Zona Velha, Funchal's old quarter
Photographed in 2019. Photo: PESP/ Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Funchal centre and Zona Velha

The cathedral, the market streets and the Zona Velha, the old quarter of cobbled lanes and painted doors, all within walking distance. It suits a first visit and anyone who wants restaurants at the door in the evening. A car used every day is harder to keep here.

Madeira airport
about 17 km
Funchal cathedral
under 1 km
Praia Formosa
about 7 km

Car and parking

Central streets are metered: the yellow zone allows 61 minutes at most and the green zone 121 minutes, charged on weekdays from 08:00 to 20:00 and on Saturdays from 08:00 to 14:00. White bays marked M are for residents. For a car kept several days, ask the host for a garage or a private space.

The Lido bathing complex in Funchal, a seawater pool and sun terraces on the rocky shore, with the Gorgulho rock standing in the sea
Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Lido and São Martinho, Funchal

The hotel district west of the centre, along the Lido promenade with its seawater pools. It suits pool and sea days, families, and guests who want the city a short bus or taxi ride away rather than outside the door.

Madeira airport
about 23 km
Funchal cathedral
about 4 km
Praia Formosa
about 4 km

Car and parking

The municipal company Frente MarFunchal runs two Lido car parks with 105 spaces each, open 08:00 to 22:00. A full day costs at most EUR 6 in the surface car park and EUR 7 in the covered one, 24 hours at most EUR 14 and EUR 16, and monthly cards cost EUR 45 and EUR 55 plus EUR 10 for the card.

The coast at Reis Magos in Caniço, with dark cliffs, a seafront walkway and buildings on the headland above a blue sea
Photo: Tiia Monto, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Caniço and Caniço de Baixo

A quieter base between the airport and Funchal, with the Reis Magos seafront below the town. It suits early flights, couples and anyone who prefers to drive into the city rather than sleep in it.

Madeira airport
about 10 km
Funchal cathedral
about 11 km
Machico sand beach
about 14 km

Car and parking

The airport is about 10 km away by road and Funchal about 11 km. No municipal parking scheme for Santa Cruz could be confirmed as of September 2026, so ask the host whether a space comes with the stay.

Câmara de Lobos harbour with fishing boats pulled up on the shore and white houses climbing terraced banana plots under a cloudy sky
Photo: Dietmar Rabich, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Câmara de Lobos

A fishing town with a small harbour and terraced slopes, about 9 km by road west of Funchal cathedral. It suits travellers who want local life and a short drive to the city, and who do not need a resort pool.

Madeira airport
about 25 km
Funchal cathedral
about 9 km
Praia Formosa
about 5 km

Car and parking

No municipal parking scheme could be confirmed as of September 2026. On the street, Visit Madeira's rules apply: check the signs for paid bays, and keep off yellow lines and bays marked M, which are for residents.

Orange roofs of Ponta do Sol around the white church tower, with the harbour breakwater and the sea behind
Photo: Ximonic (Simo Räsänen), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Ponta do Sol

A small town on the south-west coast, built around its church and seafront. Startup Madeira runs a free working space here for remote workers, so it suits a longer stay as well as a slow week.

Madeira airport
about 39 km
Funchal cathedral
about 24 km
Calheta beach
about 9 km

Car and parking

The airport is about 39 km away by road. For a house on the slopes, Madeira's steep-road rule applies: where only one car fits, the car going downhill has priority, and Visit Madeira warns that a sat nav can pick impractical roads. No municipal parking scheme could be confirmed.

Calheta marina with moored boats below a steep green cliff, seen across a lawn and a paved path on a sunny day
Photo: Asurnipal, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Calheta

The far south-west, with a marina, a beach and houses on the slopes above. It suits families and villa groups who plan to drive to the west and the mountains, and it is the longest airport run of these areas.

Madeira airport
about 48 km
Funchal cathedral
about 32 km
Calheta beach
under 1 km

Car and parking

The airport is about 48 km away by road. For a villa on the slopes, ask the host about the access road: Visit Madeira advises low gears on the way down and caution with a sat nav, which can suggest impractical or steep roads. No municipal parking scheme could be confirmed.

Guides

Questions

Which part of Madeira is best for a first visit?

Funchal, either the centre and the Zona Velha for walking or the Lido for pools and sea access. Both are about 17 to 23 km from the airport by road, and the VR1 expressway runs from the city along the south coast in both directions.

How much is the tourist tax in Madeira?

EUR 2 per guest per night for up to 7 nights in Funchal, Câmara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava, Ponta do Sol, Calheta and São Vicente. Santa Cruz, which includes Caniço, charges its own ecotax. Funchal exempts guests aged 12 or under and Madeira residents.

Is parking easy in Funchal?

Street parking is metered and short: 61 minutes at most in the central yellow zone and 364 minutes in the outer brown zone, charged on weekdays and Saturday mornings. For a stay of several days, book a place with a space or use a car park such as the two at the Lido.

How can a guest tell a Madeira holiday let is licensed?

The national Alojamento Local law applies in Madeira and requires the registration number in the listing's advertising. A listing without an AL number deserves a question before paying.