Things to Do In Madeira with Kids
Madeira is actually a great destination for kids. There’s plenty to entertain them, a sense of adventure, the food is good and the island is extremely safe.
When travelling to Madeira with kids, you’ll notice there are playgrounds everywhere and restaurants are generally relaxed about children being children, and some even offer toys. Overall, it’s a place where you can relax instead of being on edge all the time.
What to do with Kids in Funchal
If you’re staying in Funchal, here are a few activities you can do with kids:
Explore Parque de Santa Catarina
If you’re staying in Funchal, Parque de Santa Catarina is a great place to start. Imagine arriving here in the 15th century. You’re somewhere between the insurmountable mountains and the immense ocean, far removed from the world you know.
Once you put yourself in the shoes of the first settlers, your perspective will change. And then you’ll realize how one thing led to another, creating the first colony abroad. Madeira became the training ground for everything that would happen in Latin America.
But while you can muse about all of this, the kids can see the swans at the lake or hit the playground. It has a great feel to it, and you get proper views over the harbour while they play. If you’re staying nearby, take them at the end of the day to exhaust any remaining energy. The sunset from there is beautiful!
Play at Jardim Panorâmico do Lido, in Funchal
Another low effort, high reward activity in Funchal is visiting the Jardim Panorâmico do Lido, also known as the “hotel area”. The garden is built in several levels with incredible views over the ocean, and it has several tropical trees. It’s open every day from 08:00 to 22:00.
There are several entertainment areas at the garden, including a mini golf, padel courts, ping pong tables and, most importantly, an inflatable playground. These areas are not free to use, but they’re very affordable – the inflatable playground costs just 5€ an hour and it even has a monitor to look over the children.
You can sit at the bar, have a drink or eat a snack, while the children play around in a perfectly safe environment. Or you could all play together at the minigolf. Either way, this is always a win for families, especially if you’re staying nearby.
Relax at the pool in Lido
If you’re staying in Lido, your hotel probably has a pool. However, on the off chance you’re staying at an AirBnB, you can use the public pools in Lido. There are two: Piscina do Lido and Ponta Gorda.
Piscina do Lido is bigger, and it has two small children’s pools with a toboggans. Ponta Gorda is smaller, but has better access to the ocean. There’s also a children’s pool with a toboggan. Both have dressing rooms and lifeguards, apart from bars, sunbeds and umbrellas.
You can buy a card with several entrances to use on both pools. Otherwise, you can big a single-entrance card, which costs 2€ for children aged 7 to 17; and 6€ for adults.
Go up to Monte in Funchal
If you want one classic day that feels special without being complicated, go up to Monte. The cable car is basically sightseeing disguised as transport, and that’s exactly what you want with kids. (Unless your kids are afraid of heights, of course.)
I always advise people to reserve at least 2 to 3 hours to explore Monte Palace. Kids will delight with the flamingos, the Asian garden, the shady corners, the small vegetable garden, and the little trails. Then, you can come down in the famous carrinhos do Monte (the wicker sledges), ending the day on a high note.
Board the Santa Maria do Colombo
Another fun activity to do with kids in Funchal is going on Santa Maria do Colombo, which is a replica of Colombo’s boats. You almost feel like a pirate getting on board, and you’ll be even more amazed that these boats crossed the whole Atlantic.
Although this will bring a sense of adventure to your holiday, it’s up to you to decide if your kids will withstand a boat trip. Some kids get nauseated easily, so you know best. I do think it’s a cooler activity for older kids, from 10 years upwards.
Plan a small museum day
Madeira is good with kids because you can keep it flexible. You can wander and stop when you find something that catches their interest. But if you’re unlucky and catch a rainy day in Madeira, you need to have a B plan.
One of those plans is visiting an indoors museum. For children who like football, you can go to the CR7 Museum in the city centre, open every day from 10:00 to 17:00. Tickets cost 5€, although pricing may be subject to chance.
Another option is the Madeira Story Centre, which is an interactive museum by the cable car (you can combine this with your visit to Monte as well). It’s not boring, and children usually react well to it. Tickets cost 5€ for adults at 3€ for children. Open every day from 09:00 to 19:00.
Finally, there’s the 3D Fun Art Museum with optical illusions. Located right in the city centre, it’s guaranteed to please the children. But it’s a little on the expensive side: 9€ for children aged 5 to 12, and 11€ for adults. Family tickets (2 adults, 1 child) cost 29€. Open every day from 10.00 to 19:00.
What to do in Madeira with Kids (Outside of Funchal)
But you didn’t come to Madeira to spend the whole time in Funchal, did you? So here are a few family days you can plan outside of Funchal:
Spend a day in Calheta or Machico
Kids love to play in the sand. So, if you’re coming to Madeira, I’d recommend wither the beach at Calheta or the beach in Machico. Both have artificial sand and seawalls that practically remove currents, so they’re usually safe and welcoming.
While they wait to get on the water – I’d imagine you want to wait at least an hour or two after eating – they can enjoy the boat-shaped playgrounds. There’s one in Calheta right by the beach, and another one in Machico near the fort.
If you’re travelling with kids during the holidays, this is a perfect beach day opportunity. Of course, don’t forget to check the webcams to see where the weather looks sunnier.
Explore Ribeiro Frio and the Balcões
Madeira is well-known for its levadas and hikes. Now, there are not many levadas I’d recommend to children. However, you don’t want to miss out on that, and your kids will enjoy venturing into the “jungle”, as some people describe the central mountain range.
If you only do one short walk with kids, make it Balcões. Yes, it tends to be very crowded these days, but it is the best option with kids. It will give you a little taste of what a levada is like, with small waterfalls on the side, greenery, and a great view at the end.
It’s the rare Madeira outing that delivers big scenery for very little effort. Besides, you can also see the trouts in Ribeiro Frio, have a family picnic, and call it day. Otherwise, if the kids are still energetic, you can continue on to Santana. It’s really one of the Madeira’s prettiest roads.
Have a Kid day at Parque Temático da Madeira
Okay, I’ve said before that the Parque Temático da Madeira is a little bit of a tourist trap. And it is. You can’t really explain all the rich culture and traditions in a theme park. But, if you’re travelling to Madeira with kids, they are probably going to love it.
The park has a fake ethnographic village with typical Santana houses, arts and crafts, and other outdoor attractions. In my experience, kids love to explore the little houses and get on a boat at the lake. Plus, there’s also a small train that goes around the park and a children’s playground (again, also shaped like a boat).
It’s open 10:00–18:00 and closes on Mondays, so it’s a nice weekend plan. And the best part? The garden is completely free for kids up to 14 years old. You only need to pay for specific activities (like the boat or the train, 3.5€ each) or buy an all inclusive ticket (3€ or 9€, depending of the kids’ ages).
Swim at the Porto Moniz natural pools
No holiday is complete with a splash day. And when in Madeira… you must visit the natural pools in Porto Moniz. This is one of my favourite spots on the island, and I’ve yet to meet an adult or a child who isn’t amazed by them. It’s the type of thing they’ll remember it for years.
Again, it plays to the kids’ sense of adventure. However, if you’re swimming with kids, the newer Porto Moniz pools (entrance fee 3€) are safer than the older ones, with are deeper, unsupervised, and lack dressing rooms. Another tip: bring watershoes.
Try the Seixal beach in the Summer
Listen, no holiday is complete without a North coast day. But if your kids don’t take to the pools and prefer the beach, it’s never too late to head to Seixal. Seixal is a small, charming village with a tiny black-sand beach that’s gotten really popular in the last few years.
Obviously, being the North coast, the water temperature tends to me somewhat lower. So this is a better plan in the Summer months, from June onwards. On your trip back, you can stop in São Vicente to stretch your legs. There’s a playground there with a little fort too.
Bonus: Visit Porto Santo
If you’ve got more than a week, Porto Santo can be a great kid-friendly add-on. The sea is usually calm, especially when the tide is low, there’s plenty of space to play at the beach, and it’s extremely safe. But make sure to give them some vomidrine before the trip!