The island of Madeira, out in the Atlantic north of the Canaries, is served by Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, named in 2017 after the footballer born in Funchal, and previously known as Madeira or Santa Catarina airport. It lies on the island's south-east coast, in the municipality of Santa Cruz, about 16-20 kilometres from Funchal, and handles more than four million passengers a year, with flights from Lisbon, Porto and many European cities. The neighbouring island of Porto Santo has its own airport, linked with Funchal and Lisbon.
A legendary runway
Opened in 1964, the airport had a very short runway squeezed between the hills and the sea, and was famous among pilots for its difficult landings. The runway was first lengthened in the 1980s and then, between 1998 and 2000, extended to about 2,800 metres in an extraordinary feat of engineering: part of the runway rests on a platform supported by 180 concrete pillars up to 70 metres high, built over the sea and the beach, which won international awards and is one of Portugal's most famous structures. Landing is still considered demanding and pilots need special training. When the wind blows hard flights may be delayed or diverted to Porto Santo, Lisbon or the Canaries: bear this in mind when planning, especially in winter.
Getting to Funchal
A single expressway, the Via Rápida, links the airport with Funchal in about 20 minutes and with Machico in a few minutes.
- Bus: the Aerobus and regional bus lines link the airport with central Funchal and the hotel zone, as well as Machico, Caniço and Santa Cruz.
- Taxi: taxis wait outside arrivals; a ride to Funchal generally costs around 30-35 euros, with a surcharge at night and on public holidays. Machico and Caniço are closer and cheaper.
- Car hire: useful for exploring the island, but mountain roads are steep and narrow.
- Transfer: at a fixed price, convenient for hotels outside Funchal.
To discover the island see our guide to Madeira and, for the wine, the page on Madeira wine. Information on other airports is on the page on Portuguese airports.