The two classic sunrise spots in Madeira are Pico do Arieiro and Ponta de São Lourenço. Be there about 30 minutes before the sun comes up, and pick your spot by season: in summer the sunrise sits on the north side of the island, in winter on the south side. That last part is the bit almost nobody tells you, and it's the difference between a photo and a cold, grey car park.
My favourite thing to do in Madeira is a good sunrise. I’ve done hundreds of them, and I still love getting up early. If you’re coming to the island, get at least one sunrise into your trip. Here’s how to do it properly.
The sun moves. Your sunrise spot should too.
Fine, the sun doesn’t move, we do. But the practical point stands: the sunrise position shifts through the year. In the summer it sits more on the north side of the island. In the winter it’s on the south side. So there are sunrise spots for the winter and sunrise spots for the summer, and a spot that’s perfect in January can be pointless in July.
The other thing the postcards don’t show: clouds. On a real sunrise morning we check spots in sequence. One summer morning I took two photographer friends up to Bica da Cana: clouded in. Dropped down to Fanal: also clouded. Ended up at Ribeira da Janela on the northwest coast just in the nick of time, and it was one hell of a morning. That’s normal. Always have a plan B, and ideally a plan C.
Pico do Arieiro: still worth it?
Pico do Arieiro is the sunrise spot in Madeira, and everybody knows it now. I remember coming up for the sunrise in 2014 and there was absolutely nobody there. These days there are buses, and cars, and people walking up the road in the dark without reflectors.
So is it still worth it? Honestly, yes. Sunrise is busy but not unbearable, and it’s still one of the most beautiful things you can do on this island, especially in winter when you get the clouds below you. From about 9:00 onwards it gets a lot busier, so the early start works in your favour twice: you get the light and you skip the worst of the crowd.
A few things to know if you’re driving yourself:
- The original parking at the top was closed off to rental cars: tour companies only. Rentals get directed by the forest police to the official lot lower down, which fills up fast around sunrise, with cars overflowing onto the roadside. [JEFF: confirm the current 2026 parking and access rules at Pico do Arieiro; this was the situation in 2024 and it’s been a moving target.]
- If you park in the lot, take the trail up. Do not walk in the middle of the road in the dark. Cars can’t see you.
- Driving up in the dark can mean thick cloud. Be patient, and don’t put your full brights on when there’s a car ahead of you. I’ve been interrogated by enough modern headlights up that road.
- And no, don’t rent a scooter to get up there for sunrise. One viral video made it look easy on a perfect summer morning. It’s a risky idea and I wouldn’t advise it.
If you want to pair the sunrise with a walk, the peak-to-peak trail towards Pico Ruivo starts right there. [JEFF: the PR1 reopened in 2026 as a one-way, paid-ticket hike; confirm the one-liner and current ticket details before publish, or link the PR1 post.]
Ponta de São Lourenço: the sunrise hike
My other favourite is Ponta de São Lourenço, the peninsula on the far east of the island. Go at sunrise and you get the hike out there basically to yourself. The tour groups arrive much later.
One honest warning: it’s not a guaranteed show. In my experience only around 25 to 35% of sunrises really deliver out there. If the sky doesn’t cooperate you’ve still beaten the crowds on one of Madeira’s most popular hikes, so you lose nothing.
Timing and weather: how we actually do it
- Be at the spot about 30 minutes before sunrise. Check Google Maps the night before for the drive time from Funchal and work backwards.
- Don’t trust a single forecast. For the high mountains I use Mountain Forecast for Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo, and even that is often wrong up there. Madeira has so many microclimates that some places are sunny while others are rainy, which means there’s always somewhere with a view.
- Use the webcams. Madeira’s island webcams show you in real time what’s clear and what isn’t. Plan around what you can see, not what’s predicted.
- Never plan your whole holiday around the forecast. Plan a spot, have a plan B.
What to wear
Sunrise in the mountains is cold, even when Funchal feels warm. At those hours it can be anywhere from about 4 to 12°C up there. My sunrise kit: a beanie, a jacket that blocks cold, wind and rain, two layers underneath, long trousers and boots. Layers, always layers.
Sunrise or sunset?
The eternal question. Sunset at Pico do Arieiro has far fewer people: a photographer friend who lives here reckons you’ll see roughly 10% of the sunrise crowd. It’s one of the most underrated things in Madeira, and I’ve written a whole guide to sunsets in Madeira.
But I prefer sunrise. I’m a sunrise type of guy. I love the adventure of it, the empty roads, the start of the day. And here’s the bonus tip: when you start at sunrise, your day’s biggest highlight is done before most people finish breakfast. Go back, have a swim or a cold shower, and you’ve got the whole day left.
Or let us do the thinking
This is my favourite tour to run, and it’s the one where a local guide earns their keep most obviously: we know the winter spots and the summer spots, we check the webcams before we pick you up, and when the first choice is clouded in, the Land Rover gets us to a plan B that isn’t on anyone’s map. On our Secret Sunrise we add coffee brewed at the spot and a picnic breakfast, and I edit the morning’s photos with you right there, so they’re in your inbox before you’re back at the hotel.
[JEFF: personal opening story option: your single most memorable sunrise, one short paragraph, if you want to warm up the intro.]