Whales offshore, levadas in the hills and spring all year round
🐬Madeira
Portugal
Updated 1 July 2026
Madeira is the family island for curious kids: whales and dolphins cruise offshore all year, gentle levada paths wind through fairy-tale forest, and a wicker toboggan counts as public transport. The weather sits in eternal spring, warm enough to swim in heated pools every month. The honest catch is beaches: Madeira's are mostly pebbly, so families choose hotels with great pools, head to Calheta's golden bay, or hop to the sister island of Porto Santo for nine kilometres of soft sand.
19 to 26C
Daytime highs across the year
9 km
Golden sand on Porto Santo
80%+
Whale trips with sightings
2500 km
Levada channels to walk along
Live prices & availability
Stays near Madeira, Portugal
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Why it works with kids
- Whale and dolphin watching with sightings on most trips, all year round
- Easy levada walks where kids follow water channels through mossy forest
- The Monte wicker toboggan, a genuine street sledge ride kids talk about for years
- Natural lava pools at Porto Moniz, nature's own water park
Best areas to stay
- 1Funchal Lido: the capital's hotel zone with ocean pools, promenade and easy logistics, best all-round base
- 2Calheta: the sunniest coast and the island's golden sandy beach, ideal for classic beach-and-pool weeks
- 3Caniço de Baixo: quiet village on the Garajau marine reserve, great value and ten minutes from the airport
- 4Machico and Caniçal: the east end with a sandy town beach, whale boats and the wild Sao Lourenco peninsula
- 5Porto Santo: the sister island with 9 km of golden sand, the archipelago's true bucket-and-spade destination
Our KidProof picks
Hand-picked and scored on the eight things that matter to families.
in Madeira
VidaMar Resort Hotel Madeira
Modern rooms across two towers, nearly all with a sea-view balcony. Family rooms fit four, and the suites add a separate lounge with a sofa bed, which is the setup to ask for with two or more kids.
in Madeira
Dreams Madeira Resort Spa and Marina
A village of rooms, suites and family units spread around a private marina, many with terraces at garden level so kids can run straight out. Family suites sleep four with proper separation between parents and children.
in Madeira
Calheta Beach, Savoy Signature
Fresh, functional rooms, many with balconies over the bay. Family rooms take a cot and an extra bed, and the best trick is booking two connecting rooms, which the hotel handles well for families of five.
in Madeira
Saccharum Resort and Spa, Savoy Signature
Striking design rooms and apartments with floor-to-ceiling ocean views. The one and two bedroom apartments have kitchenettes and washing machines, a quiet superpower for family trips, and easily the best family layout on the west coast.
in Madeira
Pestana Porto Santo All Inclusive
Low-rise rooms and family bungalows in gardens leading to the dunes. Ground-floor family rooms with terraces are the ones to request: pram in the shade, kids straight out to the grass.
in Madeira
Pestana Grand Ocean Resort Hotel
Big, bright rooms by Madeira standards, most with an ocean-facing balcony. Family rooms and junior suites take a cot plus an extra bed without feeling cramped, and interconnecting rooms exist for families of five or more.
in Madeira
Suite Hotel Eden Mar, PortoBay
Every unit is a suite with a kitchenette: fridge, hob, kettle and real crockery. For families that means baby bottles, picnic prep and pasta-on-demand without restaurant negotiations, plus a separate living area for early bedtimes.
in Madeira
Four Views Oasis
Simple, spotless rooms, most with sea-view balconies, plus family rooms that take a cot and an extra bed. Nothing designer, everything practical, and the price leaves budget for boat trips and restaurants.
Compare our picks in Madeira
| Hotel | Score | Kids club | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| VidaMar Resort Hotel Madeira | 86 | ✅ Free kids club | 175€ |
| Dreams Madeira Resort Spa and Marina | 86 | ✅ Free kids club | 260€ |
| Calheta Beach, Savoy Signature | 85 | ✅ Free kids club | 190€ |
| Saccharum Resort and Spa, Savoy Signature | 85 | — | 240€ |
| Pestana Porto Santo All Inclusive | 84 | ✅ Free kids club | 185€ |
| Pestana Grand Ocean Resort Hotel | 83 | — | 140€ |
| Suite Hotel Eden Mar, PortoBay | 83 | — | 135€ |
| Four Views Oasis | 78 | — | 90€ |
Browse Madeira by what matters
Family things to do in Madeira
Whale and dolphin watching
Catamarans from Funchal and Calheta find dolphins on most trips and whales very often, a guaranteed core memory.
Easy levada walk
Levada dos Balcoes is a flat 3 km round trip to a balcony over the green Ribeiro Frio valley, with chaffinches that eat from kids' hands.
Monte cable car and wicker toboggan
Glide up over Funchal's rooftops, then slide two kilometres back down the road in a wicker basket steered by carreiros in straw hats.
Porto Moniz natural pools
Volcanic lava pools filled by the ocean on the wild north coast, safe swimming inside the rock walls with waves crashing outside.
Madeira Story Centre
An interactive museum in Funchal's old town that tells the island's history with pirates and volcanoes, a perfect rainy-hour backup.
Porto Santo beach day
The ferry from Funchal turns a beach day into a mini cruise, and nine kilometres of golden sand wait at the other end.
Parents also ask
Does Madeira have sandy beaches for kids?
A few: Calheta and Machico have golden sand brought in and kept calm by breakwaters, and Porto Santo island is one long natural sandy beach. Elsewhere, expect pebbles, lidos and great hotel pools.
When is the best time to go with children?
Any school holiday works: the climate stays mild all year. May to October gives the warmest sea, while winter offers spring-like hiking weather and heated pools.
Are the levada walks safe with young kids?
Choose the family classics: Balcoes, Queimadas or Rabacal's first section. They are wide and gentle. Skip anything described with tunnels or vertigo, and keep toddlers in a carrier rather than on foot.
Do we need a hire car on Madeira?
For a Funchal pool-and-town week, no, taxis and the cable car cover it. To reach levadas, Porto Moniz and the north coast, yes, though be ready for steep, winding (but excellent) roads.
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