Portugal Travel Guide: 8 Days in Madeira and Algarve Coast

This trip was a few years in the making - our original destination had actually been Morocco. Since it was too expensive to fly straight into Marrakech from San Francisco, we booked flights to Lisbon instead, with smaller flights in between the two cities. Just as we were getting closer to our trip date, Morocco closed its borders. Scrambling to figure out a backup plan, we weren't sure if we wanted to go or postpone for another time given all the travel restrictions. After a few days and nights of nonstop research, I stumbled upon the island of Madeira. It had a variety of landscapes that got us excited for our trip again - epic mountain views, beautiful coastlines, and lush waterfalls. We decided to still go on the trip and spent most of our time on the island of Madeira, while still hitting up the iconic sights of the Algarve Coast and Sintra castles on mainland Portugal. Check out our 8-day itinerary in Portugal!

Day 1

• Fly into Madeira Airport
• Watch the sunset at Pico do Areeiro, where the clouds sit below the mountains

Day 2

• Watch the sunrise at Ponta do Rosto
• Hike up along the ridge line at Ponta de São Lourenço
  
• See to the edge of the cliff at Miradouro do Guindaste

Day 3

• Hike 7.3 miles along a flat trail following the levada (irrigation aqueduct) and walk under waterfalls and through caves to Caldeirão Verde
• Hike 3.5 miles to watch the sunset at Pico Ruivo

Day 4

• See the waterfall into the ocean at Miradouro do Seu da Noiva
• Walk along the black sand beach to see why Madeira is called the Hawaii of Europe at Praia do Porto do Seixal
• Drive along the mountain road for views in all directions at Bica da Cana
  

Day 5

• Fly from Madeira to mainland Portugal

Day 6

• See all the beautiful beaches of the Algarve Coast: Praia do Camilo, Praia Dona Ana, and Marinha Beach
• (If going in the summer) Take a boat trip to the famous Benagil Caves

Day 7

• Wake up early to see the colorful Pena Palace shrouded in fog
• Transport back in time at the Moorish Castle
• Walk down the spiral staircase of Quinta da Regaleira
• See the beautiful architecture at the Park and Palace of Monserrate​

Day 8

• Don't leave Lisbon without trying the famous pastéis de nata at Pasteis de Belem
• Take a lunch break at the steps of the Belem Tower
• Walk under the preserved medieval Carmo Convent that was hit by the 1755 earthquake