Your journey to these sunny Portuguese islands starts here!
Madeira is located approximately 1,000km (621mi) from mainland Europe and just 500km (311mi) from the continent of Africa. Although the islands are fairly small (Madeira with an area of 286 mi² and Porto Santo with an area of 16mi²), there is no shortage of things to do.
The best and most convenient way to go get to Madeira is by flying to one of the region’s two airports located on either Madeira Island or Porto Santo Island. There are regular flights departing from mainland Portugal via Lisbon and Porto, and travelers coming from the East Coast of North America can also connect via Ponta Delgada in the Azores. As you arrive at Cristiano Ronaldo Airport in Funchal, named for the island’s international soccer superstar, be sure to stop by the building entrance for a photo op with Ronaldo’s world-famous bust. Travelers will be pleasantly surprised by Madeira’s clean, organized and cosmopolitan airport, which is easy to navigate and chock full of shops and cafes. Flying into Porto Santo Island, travelers will be instantly captivated by the 9km stretch of sandy coastline, stretching into golden carpet to welcome visitors and entice them to dive right into those beautiful crystal blue waters. More adventurous travelers can opt to take a cruise ship to Funchal, which is a popular port along the route of many major cruise lines.
