Updated September 25, 2025 01:26PM
Forget the Alps: Europe's Most Jaw-Dropping Hikes Are on This Remote Island.
Madeira doesn't land at the top of most hikers' life lists. But after experiencing its thick forests, quad-burning ascents, and soaring seaside hikes, we're ready to say: it should.
Not familiar with Madeira? You’re not alone. While the 309-square-mile Portuguese island is a popular getaway for Europeans, it’s lesser-known among most U.S. travelers (blame the 7-hour flight for that). For hikers, it rarely merits a place on the life-list alongside destinations like the Grand Canyon or the Alps. And that’s a shame, because while it may not have sheer prominence of some of those hotspots, it makes up for it with pure, stop-you-in-your-tracks.
As Backpacker writer Maggie Slepian discovered when she headed there in 2023, Madeira is a place where thick forest gives way to airy ridges and quad-burning ascents pay off with edge-of-forever clifftop sea views. Maggie sat down with us to explain what makes Madeira so special—and offer some tips for getting the most out of your own trip—in this video. —Adam Roy, Editor-in-Chief
Transcript
Hi there. I’m Maggie Slepian, and a few years ago, my partner and I took a three-week trip to Europe in November. We were looking for a range of warm-weather destinations that, despite the temperate climate, would still be considered off-season and therefore less expensive and hopefully less crowded. Madeira, a Portuguese island off the coast of Morocco, fit all of our criteria. It also had the bonus of some truly incredible hiking trails.
While we were not familiar with the network of trails before visiting, they’re really well-established. They have ample signage, map networks, and options for everything from short out-and-backs to multi-day treks. The terrain covers everything from dense subtropical rainforest to dramatic cliffside hikes and plains. Many of the hikes are on a numbered PR system that has corresponding signage and distance markers, so it’s pretty easy to plan out a hiking-oriented trip on this island. I will say that the hikes were harder than I anticipated, and not just because we were there in November and I was out of shape. Some of the trails don’t have any switchbacks at all and instead have steps cut right into the side of the rock or the mountainside. It was some of the coolest trail building I have ever seen.
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We hiked a lot of trails during our visit, but these are three that I would highly recommend. The first one is Dragon’s Tail, which is a 4.6-mile out-and-back along a winding coastal feature with panoramic views. It felt crowded at first, but the crowds dispersed along the way. If you get there early, you will definitely have better luck with parking than we did.
The second hike, one of the most iconic on the island, is called Pico a Pico, or “Peak to Peak.” You can do this as a point-to-point if you plan a shuttle, or as an out-and-back for part of the hike or the whole thing. This was probably the most challenging day hike we did. We dropped elevation really quickly through a combination of steep switchbacks and steps cut into the side of the mountain. There is quite a bit of exposure on this hike, with steep drop-offs and trails cut directly into the side of the peak. I never felt unsafe, but I think it’s probably good to keep in mind if you have a fear of heights or exposure.
The third hike I’d recommend to get a full range of experiences is called PR 9. This is a moderate levada route in the interior rainforest that follows a historical irrigation system, bringing water from the rainy interior to the drier outer regions. This one was the most casual hike we did, although the trailhead was quite tricky to get to in our very underpowered car. The trail itself was mostly flat, and then we climbed a few hundred feet at the end to get to a towering waterfall. This felt deep in the interior rainforest and was quite a bit different from the coastal routes we’d done.
Overall, our week on Madeira was an incredible experience, and I’d love to go back. The lodging and food were reasonably priced during our trip in November, and the weather was in the 60s and 70s and sunny almost every day. I do recommend renting a car if you’re able to. Many of the trails around the island were fairly remote, and there isn’t a ton of public transportation infrastructure. I also recommend arriving at the trailheads, especially the more popular ones, earlier than we did. We were always able to find parking, but sometimes we had to walk a little further to get to the trailhead itself.
Finally, I recommend bringing plenty of water and electrolytes, especially if you are traveling in your off-season, which means you’re probably not as accustomed to the sun and exposure. Lastly, bring a pair of hiking shoes with good grip. Some sections of the trails have quite a bit of erosion and are steep with some loose tread, so having a pair of fairly new trail runners with good traction was helpful to make sure I stayed on my feet.
