Beyond Hiking: 5 Things to Do in Madeira Like a Local
Everyone comes to Madeira for the levadas and the mountain trails — and rightly so. But hiking is only half of how locals actually spend their free time here. If you're looking for things to do in Madeira like a local, rather than just ticking off the usual trail, the answer is far more likely to be an orienteering course, a Sunday grill with the whole family, or a market visit that turns into an afternoon in the park.
Here are five things to do in Madeira that locals actually plan their weekends around — and that most visitors never think to look for.
1. Try Orienteering in Madeira Instead of Just Hiking
If you like the idea of a hike but want a bit more mental challenge than following a trail marker, orienteering might be the best-kept secret on the island. Madeira has become a genuine destination for the sport, with regular events held in forest areas around Poiso, Fanal, Queimadas Forest Park, and other sites — most of the year, most of the crowd is local Portuguese participants, not tourists. Once a year, an international race brings in a bigger, more international field, but day-to-day this is very much a local scene.
The key thing most tourists don't realize: you don't need to be a member of any club to join. Many events run an "open group" category — you simply show up on the day, register on-site, and pick a difficulty level. No pre-registration, no equipment beyond what you'd bring hiking.
On gear: proper shoes are a must, but don't stop there. Courses often go off-trail through scrub and thorny bushes, so it's worth covering your legs — leggings or long trousers rather than shorts — unless you don't mind scratches by the end of the course.
2. Dance at Purple Fridays in Ponta do Sol, Madeira
Madeira isn't known for nightlife — most of what passes for a "club" on the island is forgettable. Purple Fridays is the exception: a weekly sunset party held every Friday evening on a clifftop terrace at Estalagem da Ponta do Sol, with real DJs, ocean views, and a crowd that mixes local Madeirans with the island's digital nomad and expat community.
The practical part matters here: entry is free, but you need to reserve a spot on the Eventbrite guest list in advance (search "The Purple Fridays" — it's run by NOMADX). The free shuttle bus from Funchal to Ponta do Sol and back is booked separately by emailing info@pontadosol.com, and seats go fast — the exact pickup point in Funchal is confirmed once you reserve, with buses leaving at 18:30 or 19:30. If you miss out on the free shuttle, there's a backup: book a discounted ride with Bdriven at customer.bedriven.pt/en, using the promo code "Purplefridays" at checkout. If you spent the day hiking and want to unwind without driving, this is the easiest way to do it.
3. Go Karting in Madeira — Two Very Different Tracks
Go-karting isn't the first thing that comes to mind for a Madeira trip, but the island has two tracks, and they offer completely different experiences.
The airport track — Go Kart Madeira, at the Água de Pena Sports Park near the airport (+351 919 497 224, gokartmadeira.com) — has kids' karts and works well for families. It's also one of the few things on the island that holds up as a rainy-day activity. The Kartódromo do Faial, run by the Associação de Karting da Madeira in Santana on the north coast (+351 913 300 025, akmadeira.com), is a different story: an outdoor track for ages 14+, set against ocean views, but sessions pause whenever it rains, so it's a good-weather-only plan.
One thing worth doing before you drive out to either track: call ahead and ask if there's an open slot. This matters especially for Faial — local kids' karting training happens there regularly, so you can turn up and find the track occupied by a session rather than open for casual racing.
The Faial track is the one worth building a whole afternoon around. Right nearby, there's a small cove for a swim after your session, and just up the road is Miradouro do Guindaste — a clifftop viewpoint with a suspended glass skywalk over the ocean that most tour guides bring visitors to see. Add a meal at one of the restaurants next to the track, and you've got a full day: race, swim, viewpoint, lunch.
4. Sunday Market in Santo da Serra, Madeira, Then the Park
The Sunday market in Santo da Serra is already fairly well known — but most visitors treat it as a quick stop rather than half a day out. Locals do it differently: market first, then the park right next door.
Start at the Sunday morning market for fresh produce and a frango assado (grilled chicken) with the local bolo do caco bread. Then walk over to Quinta do Santo da Serra — a large, well-kept municipal park right next to the market, with small animal enclosures kids can visit, wide lawns for a ball game, and, depending on the season, some genuinely beautiful flowering trees. Bring a blanket and turn lunch into a proper afternoon. It's one of the easiest family days out on the island, and almost nobody outside Madeira writes about the park half of the plan.
5. Grill Meat at a Public BBQ Spot in Madeira, Portuguese-Style
This is about as local as it gets. Every Sunday, Madeiran families pack into their cars and head to one of the island's public grill areas — spots with a built-in barbecue, sinks, and toilets, usually set in genuinely scenic locations. Fanal is one of the better-known ones, but there are quite a few scattered across the island.
There's no ticket, no booking — you just find a free spot, claim a grill, and settle in for the day the way local families do. Most of these spots also sit right next to a levada or a short trail, so while the coals are getting ready, part of the group can head off for a walk — sometimes just a short, easy stretch good for kids, sometimes a more serious 30-40 minute hike, depending on the location. It's less a tourist activity and more a genuine slice of how Madeirans spend a Sunday. If this sounds like your kind of afternoon, keep an eye out for our full guide to the island's best grill spots.
The takeaway
None of these five will show up on a typical "top 10 things to do in Madeira" list — and that's the point. If you want to see the island the way the people who live here actually do, this is a good place to start. For everything else happening on the island while you're here, check the Madeira Events calendar.