People ask me this almost every week: "Olena, where should we stay in Madeira?" Here's my honest answer — including how to book without platform fees.
What happens between our days together — where you sleep, what you cook for breakfast, whether you have a terrace to watch the sunset from — shapes the entire experience of the island. A beautiful day followed by an overpriced, soulless hotel room is still, in some way, a lesser trip.
The Problem with Booking Platforms
Most travellers default to Airbnb or Booking.com. But in Madeira specifically, this convenience comes at a price. Airbnb typically adds 14–16% in service fees. On a week's stay in a €150/night apartment, that's over €150 extra — essentially a whole extra night paid to a platform, not the owner.
There's also something lost in translation when you book through a platform. The personality, the story, the local tip — "go to the market on Saturday morning, not Tuesday" — that rarely survives the filter of an algorithm.
What I Recommend: Book Direct
I've been recommending madeira.rentals to my clients for a while. It's a platform built specifically for Madeira — you book directly with the local owner. No platform fee, no service charge, no invisible markup. WhatsApp contact, real response within hours.
The selection covers everything: apartments and villas, campervans, camping gear, and even SUP boards for paddleboarding.
Apartments and Villas — from €70/night
Funchal is where most visitors base themselves, and for good reason. Apartments and villas on madeira.rentals start from €70/night:
- Old Town Funchal Apartments — breakfast included, best cobblestone streets, from €174/night
- Pier House — sea views, 200m from the harbour, from €184/night
- Saudade Residence — 300m² villa, three private infinity pools, Roman spa. From €1,800/night for up to 6 guests
- Machico Beach Apartment — 1 minute from Madeira's only sandy beach, jacuzzi, from €180/night
- Panoramic Sea View Studio — hillside in São Gonçalo, stunning views, from €150/night
Campervans — the way I love Madeira most
Madeira has dozens of miradouros where you can legally park overnight and wake up to a view no hotel room can buy. Two I'd personally recommend:
- Geko campervan — rooftop tent, full kitchen, beautiful wooden interior. Sleeps 2, from €130/night
- Casa da Avó — mosaic kitchen, cosy dining, fixed bed. From €130/night. Warmer and more homely inside
If you're choosing between a week in a standard apartment and four nights in a campervan, I'd take the campervan almost every time.
Camping Gear — rent in Funchal, fly light
You don't need to check a bag full of gear — camping gear rental in Funchal via madeira.rentals:
No deposit. Pickup in Funchal. Map of all legal camping spots included.
SUP Boards — paddle the Atlantic from €10/hour
Madeira's coastline is extraordinary when you're on the water. SUP rental on madeira.rentals: €10/hour, €20 half-day, €30 full day. All equipment included, booked directly via WhatsApp.
My Honest Advice for Picking a Base
Stay in Funchal if this is your first time — best access to restaurants, cable car, the old town. Consider a campervan if you want freedom and to wake up somewhere new each day. Think about the east (Machico, Santa Cruz) if you want a beach. Look at São Gonçalo for panoramic views at reasonable prices.
When a client books a day with me, I always ask: where are you staying? Because it changes what we can do. If you're near Machico, we might add a morning SUP session before driving into the mountains.
The best Madeira trips are built from both sides: a place that feels right, and days that genuinely surprise you. For the place — madeira.rentals is where I send people first.
Olena is a licensed private guide in Madeira (RNAAT 1199/2024), offering tailor-made private experiences for small groups. Full days from €160. Visit svoyamadeira.com or send a WhatsApp to +351 964 091 424.