Madeira without a car: what you can really see

Madeira’s bus numbers changed in 2026

There is a bus in Madeira that plenty of people still look for and that no longer exists. The 81, which climbed to Curral das Freiras, the Nuns Valley, became the 181 on 9 March 2026, when the whole network moved to three-digit numbers. The 139 that crossed the island to Porto Moniz is now the 340. Arrive with an old guide in your hand and you will stand at the stop waiting for a number that has stopped appearing.

The network has been called SIGA since 2024 and brings together the same three companies as ever: Horários do Funchal in the city, CAM in the east and Rodoeste in the west. Everything starts in Funchal, which is why the capital is the best base if you would rather not drive.

Within Funchal, Monte is on routes 020 and 021, and the Botanical Garden on 029 and 031. The Aerobus from the airport is route 500.

How much the buses cost

What sets the price is crossing into another municipality, not the distance. Funchal to Porto Moniz, in the far corner of the island, costs the same as Funchal to Câmara de Lobos: €2.65 on board. For what you see through the window, it is hard to pay less.

• Cash only on board. Drivers do not take bank cards: carry notes and small coins, and keep the money for the way back.
• GIRO card. It costs €0.50 and holds pre-paid trips. You buy it at SIGA sales points in Funchal, not at the airport.
• Tourist pass. It includes the Aerobus and works on every route in the network.
• Pico do Areeiro is separate. The mountain bus costs €3 on board and takes no passes.

Is the pass worth it? Do the sums for three days: the Aerobus on arrival and departure, plus two return trips outside Funchal. Paying everything on board comes to €24. The 72-hour pass costs €23. With the GIRO card, bought on the first day, and the arrival paid on board, the same three days come to €20.75. The pass only wins if you catch several buses a day.

From the airport to your hotel

Coming out of arrivals, turn right: the Aerobus stop is at the terminal door, on the ground floor, with blue signs. Route 500 crosses the city to Praia Formosa. The market (Mercado) is 22 minutes away, Avenida do Mar 24, the Lido 38 and the end of the line 50.

Almost everyone pays for the first trip on board, €6.70 (€3.30 for children), because the GIRO card is not sold at the airport. The €5.55 fare is for the way back.

A Bolt from the airport to Funchal runs to about €18 to €28 and a taxi to about €25 to €35 (indicative prices from September 2026). For two people the Aerobus still wins; for three the sums get close, and with large suitcases or a hotel far from the stop, the Bolt pulls ahead.

Uber, Bolt and taxis in Madeira

Is there Uber in Madeira? Yes, and Bolt too, whatever older guides still say: Uber was licensed here at the end of 2024. Both run under a limit few guides explain, though. TVDE licences, the permits ride-hailing drivers need, have been suspended since 12 September 2025, so the number of cars cannot grow. In January 2026 Bolt spoke of about 400 drivers in the region.

In Funchal, a short Bolt ride runs to about €4 to €8, and it is the best way back to the hotel after the last bus. Away from the city, the problem is the return: with so few cars, do not count on a pick-up in a fajã or at an isolated viewpoint. If you go somewhere like that by Bolt, Uber or taxi, arrange the return before you get out of the car.

Where the bus can take you

The 340 takes 3 h 30 because it stops for 35 minutes in Ribeira Brava and 10 in São Vicente. The return runs through the Encumeada tunnel and takes 2 h 15. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays the times change: the 341 leaves Porto Moniz at 17:30, and Santana has fewer departures.

The best trick in the network is here: routes 340 and 380 form a circle. You can go along the north in the morning on the 340 and come back along the south on the 381, which leaves Porto Moniz at 16:00 and passes Ponta do Pargo and Calheta. That is the full loop of the west of the island for €5.30.

These timetables have a date. Check the SIGA sheet for your day, especially the last bus back, because a route that runs once a day leaves no margin.

Three days without a car that work

• Day 1, Funchal and Monte. In the morning, the Mercado dos Lavradores and the Old Town. In the afternoon, go up to Monte on the 020 or 021, or by cable car (€16 one way), and come down on foot or by wicker toboggan, which does not run on Sundays.
• Day 2, the western loop. Catch the 340 at 09:00: it passes Câmara de Lobos and Cabo Girão, crosses the mountains at Encumeada and follows the north coast to Porto Moniz. You arrive at 12:30, have lunch, swim in the natural pools and head back at 16:00 along the south, or at 17:00 through the tunnel.
• Day 3, above the clouds. Reserve a seat on the bus to Pico do Areeiro (often spelt Arieiro) by phone on +351 291 705 555, between seven and two working days ahead. It leaves the Teleférico stop at 06:00 and arrives at 06:45, in time for sunrise, which at this viewpoint comes between 07:00 and 08:10 depending on the season. It comes back at 12:15.
• If you stay longer. There is Curral das Freiras on the 181, Santana on the 801 and Ponta de São Lourenço on the 702, which drops you at the start of the PR8.

Pick one destination a day and decide your return time before you leave. That is the rule that separates a good day on the bus from an expensive taxi ride late in the afternoon.

What the bus cannot do

• The Fanal forest. There is no route to Fanal: it is about 49 km and more than an hour by road from Funchal, and the last part is all mountain road.
• 25 Fontes and Rabaçal. They have no bus to the start of the trails either.
• Walks that end elsewhere. The full PR1 finishes far from where it starts: you leave by Achada do Teixeira, and the way back has to be arranged.
• Several viewpoints in one day. A route that runs once a day waits for nobody.

This autumn there are two more mountain roads to keep in mind: the ER105 between Encumeada and Paul da Serra is closed, and the Velho Gingão forest road closed on 25 September for about 60 days.

What about hiring a car for just one day?

It is often the best answer. Out of season, a small car costs about €30 to €60 a day (indicative prices from September 2026) and sorts out Fanal and the western viewpoints in one go. Keep that day for the middle of your stay, when you know what the weather is doing and what you still want to see, and do the rest by bus: with a car on separate days only, you do not pay for parking in Funchal or take a car up the city’s steep streets.

Frequently asked questions

Can you visit Madeira without a car?

Yes, especially with Funchal as your base. The SIGA network reaches Monte, Câmara de Lobos, Cabo Girão, Curral das Freiras, Santana, Ponta de São Lourenço and Porto Moniz. Fanal and 25 Fontes are left out and need a car, a taxi or an organised day.

How much is the bus in Madeira in 2026?

On board, €2.05 within one municipality and €2.65 between municipalities, cash only. With the GIRO card (€0.50), €1.45 and €2.00. The Regional Turístico pass costs €13.75 for 24 hours and €23 for 72 hours, with the Aerobus included.

How do you get from Madeira airport to Funchal without a car?

On the Aerobus, route 500: the stop is on your right as you leave arrivals, and it costs €6.70 on board. It reaches the market in 22 minutes. A Bolt runs to about €18 to €28 and a taxi to about €25 to €35.

Is there Uber in Madeira?

Yes, there is Uber in Madeira, and Bolt too, but TVDE licences have been suspended since September 2025 and the number of cars is limited. Both work well in Funchal. Away from the city, arrange your return before you go.

Can you see the sunrise at Pico do Arieiro without a car?

Yes. The Horários do Funchal bus leaves the Teleférico stop at 06:00 and arrives at 06:45. The ticket costs €3 on board. Reserve your seat by phone on +351 291 705 555, between seven and two working days ahead.

How do you get to Porto Moniz by bus?

On route 340, every day at 09:00, arriving at 12:30, or on the 380 via Calheta, at 10:00 on weekdays. The last bus back leaves at 17:00 on weekdays and 17:30 at weekends and on public holidays.

How do you get to Fanal without a car?

There is no bus to Fanal. You can only get there by car, by taxi or on an organised day, and this autumn the route changes, because some mountain roads are closed.