In 2024, I only had two regions left to visit in Portugal: the autonomous regions of the Azores and Madeira. I recently crossed one off this list and went to Madeira Island and Porto Santo.
Madeira was, without a doubt, a pleasant surprise, with great food, a fantastic hotel, incredible views and so much more to discover! My only regret is not having stayed here a few more days and explored the wonders of this pearl of the Atlantic - now I understand why it is so often called that.
The greatest adventure was touring Madeira by moto: I loved it and would do it again without thinking twice! However, I won't deny that those crosswinds are a bit scary... at least we have the sea view along the way to distract ourselves.
Funchal is beautiful! We had dinner at “A Gruta” which I highly recommend and where I tried the typical limpets - I still don't like them but at least I gave them a chance, right?
The Mercado dos Lavradores is a paradise for fruit lovers, but I found it a bit artificial and designed for tourists. Maybe it lost its essence a bit? On the other hand, Cabo de São Lourenço was one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to. On the way back, I had lunch at “Maré Alta” in Machico, where the food was also delicious and the fish was super fresh, with the added bonus of the view.
Cabo Girão is what you expect - only even more impressive. It is, without a doubt, a must-see on a visit to Madeira. And this place has a funny story: before seeing what the roads were like, I had the brilliant idea of renting a scooter to go there. In the meantime, I changed to renting a moto and it's not even worth saying that it was a good thing, right? I think I was still on my way at this point... 
The waterfalls that are found on the island are also extraordinary, of mesmerizing beauty, like Cascata dos Anjos.
Porto Santo
Then, I went to Porto Santo Island. The weather didn't help the experience but I must confess that, for someone who has some of the best beaches in Europe on their doorstep, it didn't impress me. I didn't think it was as incredible as many people say, but I still think it's worth seeing but I wouldn't stay again for more than one or two nights. The highlight of Porto Santo and one that I highly recommend was the Jeep tour around the island. In one morning we got to see another side of the island besides the beach - I did this tour with Angietours.
All that's left is to visit the Azores - or at least one of the Azorean islands. Will 2025 be the year?
