Ferry to Madeira what sails, and what doesn’t

No. There is no passenger service by sea between mainland Portugal and Madeira in 2026, and there will not be one in 2027: on 2 November 2026 the Portuguese government left the ferry out of the 2027 State Budget, citing doubts about its viability.

The study the government commissioned, made public at the end of August 2026, found that no scenario pays for itself from ticket income. It put the cost at around €200 million, more than €800,000 for each return sailing. In October 2026 Madeira’s regional parliament was still debating proposals for a tender.

• 2008 to 2012: Naviera Armas linked Portimão, Funchal and the Canaries with the Volcán de Tijarafe. The last sailing was on 30 January 2012; the company blamed higher port fees in Funchal. In its final year it carried 22,000 passengers and about 4,500 cars.
• Summer 2018: the same ship, chartered, ran from 2 July to 20 September. One loop a week: Tenerife, Funchal, Portimão, Funchal and Las Palmas; Funchal to Portimão took 24 hours.
• 2018 and 2019: the summer line carried about 14,000 passengers a year, with €4.2 million in revenue against €6.4 million in costs.

The Lobo Marinho, run by Porto Santo Line, crosses between Funchal and Porto Santo in about 2h 15m. It carries 1,153 passengers and 145 vehicles and leaves from the south quay of Funchal harbour.

• Timetable: in November 2026, on most days, the ferry leaves Funchal at 08:00 and returns from Porto Santo at 18:00, so a day trip works. In August the return is at 20:00.
• Breaks: the ship stops every year for maintenance (in 2026, from 6 January to 5 February) and was out of service from 14 to 22 October 2026 after a breakdown. The 2027 timetable is not out yet.
• Boarding: check in up to 30 minutes before, or 1 hour with a car, with photo ID. Tickets are non-refundable; changes within 24 hours cost €5 per person.
• By air: Binter flies twice a day each way between Funchal and Porto Santo, 25 to 30 minutes in the air.

Funchal had 331 cruise calls in 2025, its highest ever, with 746,257 passengers. The season runs from October to April: from January to April 2026 there were 41 to 44 calls a month, and from June to September, 3 to 7.

Each cruise passenger pays a €2 tourist tax per landing in Funchal, since 1 January 2025; the council has proposed €4 from 2027, not yet finally approved. What fits into a day ashore is in our guide to a Funchal cruise stop.

With no ferry from the mainland, if you want a car on Madeira you hire one on the island. The Via Rápida, the expressway along the south coast from Ribeira Brava to Machico, has no tolls. If you would rather not drive, our guide to Madeira without a car covers buses, taxis and Bolt.

You fly. Funchal has direct flights from 57 cities in 21 European countries, including 15 airports in the UK and Ireland; Lisbon alone has 81 flights a week, 1h 55m each. See every direct flight to Madeira, the UK and Ireland routes and, if you come via Portugal’s capital, Lisbon to Madeira.