Slow Madeira Sunsets

There are lots of places in Madeira to catch beautiful colors as the sun gets lower in the sky. Here are a few ways we enjoyed some gorgeous sunsets on the island.

Pack a Sunset Picnic

One evening we decided to pack a picnic and drive along the southern coast to reach Miradouro Trigo de Negreiros ou Moledos which is above the village of Madalena do Mar. There isn't a parking area so we just found a place on the street and pulled off as far as we could. There are two picnic tables at the overlook and it's up high so we got really panoramic views in both directions. We arrived just before golden hour and noticed a couple of paragliders. It was fun to watch them as the lighting began to dim.

The sun continued to dip lower and glowed on the mountains behind us, creating incredible colors in the sky and water.

Then the real performance began as the most amazing colors began showing up and changing by the minute.

The final act as the sun dropped below the clouds and behind the horizon was both quick & stunning.

Visit a rooftop bar

We also loved seeing the ships leaving port in the evening, from Funchal rooftops like this one at Sé Boutique Hotel with a glass of wine and nibbles. The colors from up here are just stunning as the lighting radiates across the skyline and water.

Walk to the Pier in Funchal

We loved walking out to the waterfront and out onto one of the piers where we could look back onto the mountains and watch them glow as the lighting got just right. We did this several times and it never got old. We were just surprised, every time, how quickly the sun set so giving ourselves enough time was key.