Driving to Castelo do Mar / Driving on Madeira / rent-a-car /taxi
Please click here to open your google maps app: Castelo do Mar Madeira, Caminho do Galvao 49, 9350-406 Tabua, Ribeira Brava
To navigate we stronlgy advise using google maps. In any other navigation sistem you have to enter the old address: "Castelo do Mar, Caminho do CORUJEIRA 49, TABUA" . The new adress "Caminho do Galvao 49, Tabua, Ribeira Brava'' is unfortunately still not in google.
Parking at Castelo
The parking situation is very comfortable, we have parking places on the street. Cars can be parked on the curb in front of Castelo (see picture). In this case, there are still 3 m driving width - enough for all neighbors and the garbage truck to pass. Within 50 m range you're going to find your parking space. There is always enough space to park.
Please note guest is allowed to put their car in the garage due to damage and difficulties in the past.
Is a car necessary on Madeira?
-> We strongly recommend to rent a car on Madeira!
-> all car rental companies offer or can supply you with a car at airport or offer a shuttle service to their parking spots
- we recommend https://girassol.rent/ , they rent mostly electric cars, which come handy on an island full of uphill and downhill roads with high incline
- motorbike rental: https://7mrides.com or www.4&2wheelsrent.com
- I'm sorry to say that we STRONLGY NOT RECOMMEND to rent a car through the company SIXT on Madeira due to our and guest experiences. We also don't recommend renting a car through booking.com - if there is any kind of delay they usually cancel the contract if you don't tell them immediately your flight has delay. If you booked via booking.com the payment is gone if you don't book the new car via booking.com again if you had the first contract with booking.com. To know more more please contact me on WhatsApp.
- to check and compare good rent a car companies please visit check24.de
How to reach Castelo without a driving license?
Driving by bus on Madeira (not really recommended)
The bus system on Madeira exists in fine grid in the Funchal and its suburbs via the Horários do Funchal - Transportes Públicos, S.A.. to find on http://www.horariosdofunchal.pt/. The rest of the island is connected to the route network of Rodoeste; but that's not a fine grid:
To know where the next bus stop is, please search for "Rodoeste bus stop" or just "bus stop" on google maps. The bus stop for Funchal is a 45 min walk from Castelo (you need to walk down to Ribeira Brava).
-> Driving by bus on Madeira is an option, but only for those who can walk well and not for those arriving or departing with large luggage.
Driving by taxi on Madeira
To get a taxi the most reliable way is to make a phone call and call the driver directly. Unfortunately getting a taxi through Bolt app is not always reliable. Specially for new year holidays or summer holidays the best way to make sure you get a taxi is through calling the taxi driver on the phone.
To name some taxi companies:
https://www.vascotaxis-madeira.com/, tel.+351 967 020 359
Táxis Sónia & Armando, tel. +351 966 265 892
Horácio M. F. Abreu - Sociedade Unipessoal Lda., tel. +351 967 019 956
For the rest of the year there're several aps, trying to organize you a taxi...sometimes with more or less success...In case somebody is calling or even paying more, he or she will have priority it seems. Many tranfers have been cancelled in the past. To name some:
https://gettransfer.com (NOT recommended)
https://bolt.eu/pt-pt/cities/madeira/ (NOT recommended - new year 2022/23 it happened to guests that they cancelled the drive 1 hour before)