Finding Your Perfect Fit: Madeira or Algarve, Portugal?

Coastal Charms Compared: Exploring Madeira and the Algarve with United Vacations 

Portugal has become one of the hottest European destinations for American travel over the past few years. But U.S. travelers are straying from the well-known cities of Lisbon and Porto and are seeking deeper dives into other regions of Portugal. Madeira and Algarve are areas that have risen to the top of many travel wish lists, and United Vacations is here to help you pick which one suits your tastes best. 

The good news is, the airline industry is accommodating this demand – specifically United Airlines. New for summer 2025 are nonstop flights from Newark, New Jersey (EWR) – which also serves New York City, Long Island, Westchester, and other parts of metro New York, as well as parts of the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and nearby cities in the tri-state area – to Faro (Algarve) and Madeira, Portugal. With these new routes, United now serves five destinations in Portugal, making it the leading U.S. carrier to the nation, and a reliable choice for travel advisors looking to book there. 

Logistics 

For those looking to get away sooner, the Newark to Faro’s Gago Coutinho International Airport (FAO) flight schedule begins May 16, 2025 with the season ending September 22, 2025 unless extended. Flights depart four times weekly and availability of routes that get visitors to major European cities in just a little over two hours makes it ideal for an easy multi-stop trip. 

The Newark to Funchal, Madeira Island route flying into Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport (formerly Santa Catarina Airport, FNC) launches June 7, 2025 and will be available with the nonstop option until September 23,2025 and departs three times a week. And with its location only an hour and a half from mainland Europe, it’s an ideal jump-off point for inland exploration, too. 

Capital Cities 

Funchal, Madeira: Located on the South Coast of Madeira, in a bay off the Atlantic Ocean, this city shaped like a natural amphitheater is the heart of the archipelago’s commerce, culture, and touristic activities. Sugar and wine trade established Funchal into a key trading point, and the latter is still one of the area’s main points of pride as many associate the land Madeira with the drink. 

Other ways to love Funchal: 

• Walks and/or hikes along levadas, or gently sloped channels of water – a UNESCO-considered cultural feature specific to Madeira
• Explore the diverse range of architecture, from churches to monuments, whose designs represent over five centuries of historic styles
• Take a deep dive into the area’s identity in museums like the Madeira wine lodge, the CR7 museum celebrating Cristiano Ronaldo, ‘Universe of Memories,’ and more
• Take a literal dive into a bathing complex, natural volcanic pool, freshwater lagoon, saltwater pool, or at the resort if staying at Dreams® Madeira Resort, Spa & Marina, part of the Hyatt Inclusive Collection 

Faro, Algarve: The capital and southernmost city of the district of the same name in the mainland in lower Portugal, it’s also the best-known destination of this storied region. It’s known as a particularly family-friendly place for its activities, venues, and climate, famous for boasting upwards of 300 sunny days per year. Plus, it’s great for culture, especially since its Portuguese character feels more local to many, despite its spectacular beaches, golf courses, high-end and chain luxury hotels, and other resort area-type amenities. 

Must adds to the itinerary: 

• Scuba diving in one of the first protected marine parks in Portugal, Pedra do Valado Marine Natural Park; the world’s largest artificial reef at Ocean Revival Underwater Park; or in an underwater exhibition, the EDP Art Reef, one of Time Magazine’s World’s Greatest Places for 2024
• Discovering the land via walking and cycling routes, nature parks and reserves, and bird-watching spots, of which there is an abundance
• Wandering through the streets to notice the Moorish influences in the architecture and local ceramics, and the different time periods represented in the church and castle designs
• Shopping for signature traditional and modern arts and crafts, including embroidery, cork jewelry, pottery, and azulejos – painted, tin-glazed tiles – throughout the local towns and villages 

To Eat, to Drink 

Madeira: Obviously, madeira wine should be at the top of any visitor’s beverage list. For food, signature dishes include laurel branch grilled skewers, black scabbardfish, and the famous limpets and snails (bolo do caco). Meats are typically marinated in wine with spices and herbs, and deftly seasoned, especially at the many traditional, historic, and contemporary restaurants scattered throughout the city. Don’t skip desserts made with sugar cane honey or regional tropical fruits. Make sure to try: 

• Fábrica Santo António, the first cookie and biscuit factory in the region, where you can get a taste of the Madeira Sugarcane Honey Cake as well as a wide range of handmade candies, marmalades, Madeiran broas, and more
• Il Gallo d’Oro in the five-start The Cliff Bay hotel, the only restaurant in Madeira to have received two Michelin stars for its avant garde Iberian-influenced cuisine 

Algarve: With the most Michelin Star restaurants of any part of Portugal – an impressive seven by last count – one could say that it’s hard not to eat well in this region known for its seafood, produce, and festivals that celebrate its gastronomic heritage. Try sardines, fish stew, octopus, broad beans, cherry chicken, bean stew, and cataplana. Visitors should drink wine from the area’s four DOCs: Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa, and Tavira. Those who gravitate toward white wines ought to seek out Arinto, Siria, Alicant-Branco, and Moscatel Graudo. In reds, Castelão and Tinta Negra Mol should be at the top of the lists. And more recently, new wine estates are making regional Algarve wine from national and 

international grapes such as Syrah, Aragonez, and Cabernet Sauvignon, Alvarinho, Chardonnay, and Viognier. 

• Vila Joya Restaurant has held two Michelin stars for an incredible two decades, helmed by chef Dieter Koschina – arguable the most celebrated chef in all of Portugal – to this day
• Ocean Restaurant is the only other two Michelin-starred restaurant in the Algarve, with a monthly changing menu inspired by the sea and only 30 tables available at any given time, making early reservations a must 

Outdoor Fun 

Madeira: The manmade levadas mentioned before are unmissable, but nature created the Laurissilva Forest, a 20-million-year-old area that dates back to the Tertiary Period, giving it “living fossil” status. This subtropical rainforest takes up 20% of the island, making it easy to enter this UNESCO World Heritage Site from multiple points. In fact, you can check off both levada walking and the forest visit in one outing. 

Other popular activities include general hiking, biking tours, canyoning, trail running, rock climbing, and coasteering. Golfers can take their pick of nearly a dozen great courses. 

Algarve: Experiencing this region by foot is an incredible experience. In fact, new for this year is a festival dedicated to exactly that – the Santa Barbara de Nexe Walking Festival, which debuted in February. But for years, key walking routes have included the likes of Via Algarviana, a long-distance east-west pedestrian path from Alcoutim to Cape St. Vincent and the Vicentina route from Santiago do Cacém to Sagres. However, cyclists tend to be loyal to Ecovia, a biking route that traverses 12 counties by way of the coast. 

Bird-watchers find plenty to love out on the ground, too. The Castro Marim wetlands, Ria Formosa, and Lagoa dos Salgados are hot spots for avian sightings, with many an enthusiast “flocking” to these areas for a glimpse. 

Golfers also arrive to the Algarve in droves. It’s considered among the best golfing destinations in the world, and many of its 42 golf courses have won awards for their quality and design. 

On the coast, 88 Blue Flag beaches lend themselves opportunities for water sports and outings. For example, carbon emission-free Algarve Sun Boat offers tours on electro-solar boats, kayaking day trips through grottoes and caves are popular, Raia de Rocha and Ilha de Tavira beaches are beloved for jet skiing and windsurfing, and Ria de Alvor is best for windsurfing and kite surfing. Surf spots are scattered across the western Algarve and as for diving? We mentioned a few of the best spots in the overall highlights for the region, because they’re just that good. 

Which One’s Truly the Right Fit? 

With so many differences between them yet so many great leading points, and now nonstop service with United Airlines, why can’t the answer be both? Travel advisors can easily make Madeira and the Algarve the combination of dreams, or use either as a first or last stop, or bookend for a grand European or Iberian Peninsula tour. 

Talk to your travel advisor to refine and prioritize interests, but rest assured, no matter which region you choose, you won’t be disappointed. United Vacations is ready to send you to whichever destination fits best.