The Portuguese island of Madeira, located some 320 miles off the coast of Morocco, is famous for three exports: its eponymous fortified wine, Madeira cake, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
For fans of the soccer icon, who was born in the São Pedro parish of Funchal, Madeira’s capital, a trip to the island is a must.
The beautiful isle, which boasts gorgeous landscapes overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and year-round sunshine, is a shrine to its most famous son, with murals, statues, and various other Ronaldo-themed attractions to be found on every corner.
Keep reading to learn more with Insider’s ultimate travel guide for Ronaldo fans visiting Madeira.
Getting to and around Madeira
Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. Getty/Octavio Passos
Madeira has just one airport, and it’s named after—you guessed it—Cristiano Ronaldo.
Located in the civil parish of Santa Cruz, Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport is accessible via direct flights from most major European airports. The only direct flight from the United States, however, is from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, meaning you’ll have to get a transfer should you fly from anywhere else stateside.
Once landed, the airport is just a 22-minute drive to the center of Funchal. The island’s regular and cheap bus services make this journey stress-free.
For getting around Funchal, you’ll want to walk so you can take in the sea views, colonial architecture, and Ronaldo-themed artwork. For visiting Madeira’s other coastal cities, such as the rural Santana, you’ll want to catch a bus or a taxi, or you could hire car for around $150 per day.
One site any tourist to Madeira cannot miss is Monte, which encompasses the lush foothills of the island. Catch the cable car from Funchal and you’ll be treated to a stunning panoramic view you’ll never forget.
Where to stay in Madeira
Poolside at the Pestana CR7. Insider/Barnaby Lane
There is no shortage of five-star resorts on Madeira, namely the Savoy Palace, The Cliff Bay, or The Vine.
But for fans of Cristiano Ronaldo, there is only one place to stay — his own hotel.
Part of the Pestana Hotel Group, the CR7 Lifestyle Hotel sits next to the harbour in Funchal on a square named after the Manchester United forward, Praça CR7. The hotel is not large, but has clean and comfortable rooms, a friendly staff, a great bar, a pool, and spectacular views of the city, making for a thoroughly enjoyable stay.
The four-star property is laden with tributes to Ronaldo, which are dotted everywhere around the building. There are newspaper clippings, signed shirts, and other pieces of memorabilia on the walls, while above the beds you can find illuminated sketches of the Manchester United and Portugal forward.
Most impressively, just outside the hotel’s entrance is a three meter tall, solid bronze statue of the man himself.
Stay four nights and the hotel will send you home with an official autographed ball, and all guests get complimentary admission to the CR7 museum. Ronaldo-themed things to do in Madeira
The CR7 Museu is very impressive. Getty/Artur Wida
Walk along the eastern pole
Ponta de São Lourenço is the easternmost point of the Madeira archipelago, offering views along the coast. The topography of this area consists of rocks and herbaceous plants. If it’s sunny, you can even see the island of Porto Santo from here.Photo: Shutterstock.
Swim in the natural pool
The islands in the area have many natural pools, formed from frozen lava. In the city of Porto Moniz, the northwest corner of the island has many swimming pools almost adjacent to the sea, which is a popular attraction. Photo: Shutterstock.
Stroll “in the clouds” at Cabo Girão
Cape Girão is the highest cliff in Europe. Visitors can walk on a glass bridge located at an altitude of 590 m above sea level, built over the cliffs, making you feel like you are floating in the air. From here, visitors can admire other cliffs on the island, scattered farms. Photo: VWPics/Universal Images
Visit centuries-old aqueducts
The canals in Madeira are located next to the levada trail, created in the 1500s. On the archipelago, there are about 3,000 km of irrigation canals. Following the levada trails, you will have the opportunity to admire the waterfalls and Laurissilva laurel forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Currently, there are about 25 of the most popular levada lines. Photo: Journey Era
Lost in the fairy forest at Queimadas . Park
The park, located in the north of the island, has a rich flora system and some of the largest foliage in Europe. The forest includes trails that lead to traditional Santana cottages, with chimneys and straw roofs, like they’ve stepped out of a fairy tale. Photo: Nick Fox/Shutterstock
Take the cable car to the Monte Palace tropical garden
The Funchal Cable Car will take you from Almirante Reis to Monte. The road is known as the journey connecting heaven and earth. Visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the island’s green space with the color of the sea and rich vegetation. Cable car has a length of 3.7 km, takes 15 minutes.At Monte Palace, visitors can experience viewing and learning about exotic plants from around the world. There are themed gardens, ranging from Japan to Scotland and South Africa. Walking here, you can admire the famous collection of ceramic tiles (dating from the 15th – 20th centuries), 166 terracotta glazed tiles entitled “Portuguese Adventures in Japan”. Copy”. Photo: Shutterstock
Museum
Attached to the CR7 Pestana is the Museu CR7. Opened in 2013 by Ronaldo’s brother, Hugo, the museum is home to all of Ronaldo’s team and individual trophies, some original and some replicas.
Among the 200-plus displays of hardware are his five Ballons d’Or, all five of his Champions League trophies, and the Euro 2016 trophy.
Inside you’ll also find signed jerseys from his various clubs, a wall of hat-trick balls, and even a statue made entirely of chocolate.
Art
As well as the bronze statue of Ronaldo outside his hotel and the chocolate one inside his museum, there is also a bust of the 37-year-old at the airport. The one you can see is a replacement of the original, which became the subject of international mockery when it was first unveiled in 2017.
Elsewhere on the island, there’s a small graffiti mural of Ronaldo near Funchal’s fruit market and a giant wall painting of him in Santo Antonio.
Soccer
Tucked away high in the mountains of the Choupana district is the home of Ronaldo’s boyhood soccer team, C.D. Nacional.
There, not only can you watch the team play, fixtures permitting, for as little as $11, but you can also visit another museum with numerous pieces of Ronaldo memorabilia inside, as well as the club’s academy, the Cristiano Ronaldo Campus Futebol.
What and where to eat in Madeira
Bacalhau. Getty/Stefan Irvine
Ronaldo’s favorite dish is a traditional Portuguese stew, consisting of salt cod and eggs, called Bacalhau, which is served at almost all of the local restaurants.
Not your cup of tea? Try The Snug in Funchal’s Old Town, for other tasty traditional Madeiran food; Kampo by Julio Pereira, for the finest dining experience the island has to offer; or Three House, for rooftop food and cocktails with ocean views.
If you want to eat at Ronaldo’s favorite Madeira restaurant, you’ll have to get a near three-hour ferry to Porto Santo Island, the northernmost island of the Madeira archipelago, for a table at the Casa do Velho Dragoeiro Restaurante.
