We spend most of the year on the Atlantic off Funchal, so we're asked the same question every week: what should we actually do in Madeira? Here's the honest shortlist — the ten things worth your time.
1. See Cabo Girão from the water
Most visitors photograph Cabo Girão from the glass skywalk on top. But the cliff only makes sense from below — a sheer wall of volcanic basalt rising 580 metres straight out of the sea, one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe. From a boat, the scale is genuinely humbling. This is the single view that makes a private boat trip with Chifbay worth it on its own.
2. Swim in a hidden cove
Some of Madeira's clearest water sits in coves with no road access — you can only reach them by sea. When conditions are calm, anchoring in a quiet lava cove with a mask and snorkel is the closest thing to having the island to yourself.
3. Watch dolphins, properly
Madeira's waters are among the richest in the Atlantic for cetaceans, with over 28 species year-round. The trick is a small, quiet boat that can hold position without engine noise — that's when bottlenose and common dolphins come close.
4. Walk a levada
The levadas are Madeira's old irrigation channels, now a network of gentle (and not-so-gentle) trails through laurel forest. The Levada do Caldeirão Verde and the 25 Fontes are the classics — bring good shoes and a head for the occasional drop.
5. Stand on Pico do Arieiro at sunrise
At 1,818 metres, the island's third-highest peak sits above the clouds. Arrive before dawn and you'll watch the sun rise over a sea of cloud — one of the most photographed mornings in Portugal for good reason.
6. Wander Funchal's old town
The Zona Velha is all painted doors, cobbled lanes and small restaurants. Pair it with the Mercado dos Lavradores for fruit you've never heard of and a glass of poncha.
7. Try poncha and espetada like a local
Poncha — sugarcane rum, honey and lemon — is the island's drink. Espetada (beef skewers on a bay-laurel stick) is the dish. We keep iced poncha and local cheeses on board for exactly this reason.
8. Visit the north coast and Porto Moniz
The north is wilder and greener. Porto Moniz's natural volcanic swimming pools, fed by the Atlantic, are worth the drive across the island.
9. Catch the sunset on the Atlantic
Madeira sunsets are dramatic because of the clouds — the colour comes from light hitting them. The best seat in the house is on the water, glass in hand, as Funchal turns to gold. It's why our sunset cruise books out fastest in summer.
10. Do the whole coast in a day
If you only have time for one "big" thing, make it the full west coast by boat — Câmara de Lobos, Cabo Girão, the lagoons beyond Ribeira Brava — with lunch on board. You'll see more of Madeira in seven hours than most visitors do in three days.
The island is beautiful from the road. It's unforgettable from the water.
Whatever you choose, leave a day for the sea. It's the side of Madeira most people miss — and the one we get to call our office.