A cruise call or a short stop: the five places taxi drivers and locals name first, real distances, 2026 prices — and why you must pick a plan, not do it all.
The five places taxi drivers and locals name first: the Cabo Girão skywalk, the Curral das Freiras valley, the old town of Câmara de Lobos, Monte above Funchal, and the Mercado dos Lavradores market. They do not all fit in one day — Cabo Girão and Curral das Freiras lie in different directions and Monte takes half a day — so pick one of the two plans below.
By taxi, in one loop of about 56 km (Plan A): Funchal up to the Eira do Serrado viewpoint and down into Curral das Freiras in the morning, across to the Cabo Girão skywalk (20–30 minutes there), then down to Câmara de Lobos for lunch and a stroll through the old town and the pier, and back to Funchal early in the afternoon. With the stops it is about a 6-hour day.
| Leg | Road | Taxi time |
|---|---|---|
| Funchal → Eira do Serrado → Curral das Freiras | about 18 km | about 30 min |
| Curral das Freiras → Cabo Girão | about 22 km | about 35 min |
| Cabo Girão → Câmara de Lobos | about 6 km | about 10 min |
| Câmara de Lobos → Funchal | about 10 km | about 15 min |
Road distances from OpenStreetMap; these are mountain roads, so the times are without traffic. Back in Funchal, the Mercado dos Lavradores is open to 19:00 on weekdays and 14:00 on Saturdays (closed Sunday).
Taxi drivers quoted us about €160 for a 6-hour day out in October 2026 — an indicative figure, not a tariff. Cabo Girão, Curral das Freiras and the Funchal sights lie in different directions, so the price depends on the exact round trip you want: call a rank, describe your loop, and get a quote before you set off. Official contacts: Táxis Madeira +351 291 764 476 (online at taxismadeira.pt) and AITRAM +351 291 765 760.
Plan B stays on foot and on the cable car. Morning at the Mercado dos Lavradores (closed Sunday) and the Old Town; then the cable car up to Monte (daily 08:45–17:45, €16 one way, €22 return; ages 0–6 free, 7–14 half price), the church, and the Monte Palace garden (€18, up to 14 free; 09:00–19:00 April–September, to 18:00 in winter). Come down by cable car — or start the descent with the Carreiros do Monte wicker toboggans (Monday–Saturday 09:00–18:00), which end at Livramento, 2 km down: from there it is about half an hour on foot to the cathedral, or bus 19 to the seafront (getting back from Livramento).
The Botanical Garden honestly needs the second day: with the market, Monte and Monte Palace, the day is full. Plans A and B together are a two-day itinerary, not one — it is worked out, with times, in two days in Madeira.
For one of the two plans above, yes; for the whole top 5, no. One day covers either the viewpoints taxi loop or Funchal and Monte — not both, and not the Botanical Garden. If your ship calls for a single day, pick the plan that fits your hours ashore; with two days you do both — see two days in Madeira.
We advise against it for this day. Parking is limited at most of these places — and in central Funchal you would pay for a garage while seeing the town on foot. The taxi loop plus the cable car covers the same ground without the parking hunt. If you are set on driving, go early and have a plan B for parking.
One short mountain walk fits a port day: the out-and-back from Pico do Areeiro to the Pedra Rija viewpoint on PR1 — 1.2 km each way on the famous stairway ridge, €4.50, booked online on SIMplifica (see how to book). Check the summit first: Pico do Areeiro weather and webcams.
Plan A is sized for a port call: about 6 hours door to door from the terminal. Agree the return time with the driver when you book, and keep a margin of at least an hour before all-aboard. What's open in town today — events, lidos, last buses — is on Funchal today.
Portaria 591/2025 (JORAM) · Visit Madeira · Teleférico do Funchal · Monte Palace · Carreiros do Monte · Mercado dos Lavradores · OpenStreetMap