Madeira - Facts

Madeira FAQs

Pre-Arrival Boat: If coming from outside the EU (or non-EU flagged), contact the marina at your intended port of entry 24 hours in advance. See Clearance for details.
Pre-Arrival Crew: If non-EU/Schengen then generally you will need a visa. See Immigration for details.
Where can I enter? All four marinas are ports of entry: Calheta, Funchal, Quinta do Lorde and Porto Santo.
Are fees high to enter by yacht? There are no entry or exit fees, other than a 70 Euro lighthouse tax and visa fees. See fees for details.
What security concerns should I know about? Madeira is generally a safe country. See Security for more info.

Madeira Facts for Sailors

• Madeira is a Portuguese group of four islands located just off the west coast of Africa in the North Atlantic.
• Only two islands of this volcanic archipelago are inhabited, the largest, Madeira Grande, which gives its name to the whole group, and Porto Santo, 28 NM to the northeast.
• The main island of Madeira is volcanic, green and rugged, with high cliffs, pebbly beaches and settlements on deltas of the Fajã River. The smaller islands of the main group are Ilha Chao, Ilha Deserta Grande, and Ilheu de Bugio. The Madeira wine produced here is world famous.
• The population is approx. 270,000. Portuguese is the national language, but English is widely spoken.
• Madeira operates on UTC and a summertime zone of UTC +1.
• The weather is subtropical. For more details see Weather below.
• The majority of yachts arrive here during October and November on their way to the Canary Islands and the Caribbean, while some leave direct from the main port Funchal to cross the Atlantic.
• There has also been an increase in the number of American boats cruising the Atlantic circle of Bermuda, Azores, Madeira and Canary Islands during the summer, while Madeira has also become a popular port of call in the spring, for yachts returning to Europe after wintering in the Canaries.
• The Ilhas Selvagens, a small group of islands 163nm from the island of Madeira and 82NM from the Canary Islands, are a wildlife refuge administered by Madeira. Yachts wishing to visit them can now acquire a permit on site from the guards, however, the Madeira Natural Park recommends that yachts should ask for the permit prior to their arrival. The marinas in Madeira can all assist with this.
• There are only basic repair facilities in Porto Santo and for any work, it is best to sail over to Funchal. There are no facilities or provisioning on any of the other adjacent islands. For more details on yachting services see Yachting Essentials.