Winter in Madeira

January 2025

When one of your closest friends moves to Europe to start her MSc, the only option is to go visit. Portugal in January may not be the typical winter vacation, but the lack of crowds, sunny skies, and host of new birds made for an amazing trip.

After a brief stop in Lisbon, we made our way to the island of Madeira, home to a wide variety of stunning hikes and beautiful views. Daily rain showers typically ended with rainbows reaching across the ocean and waterfalls drenching the highways.

Madeira Chaffinch

Photographed below is Fanal forest, an ancient laurel grove which is typically coated in fog and home to several dozen cows.

You could spend your entire time in Madeira on the network of hiking trails across the island, ranging from levadas and waterfalls to coastal cliffs. Keep an eye out for the seagulls, they will try to steal your lunch.