- Madeira has three established golf venues: Palheiro Golf, Clube de Golf Santo da Serra and Porto Santo Golfe.
- The Madeira Golf Passport includes three rounds at Palheiro Golf or Clube de Golf Santo da Serra from €310 per person.
- Madeira’s Laurissilva Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Madeira’s autumn golf appeal extends from Atlantic-facing fairways to the walking trails of its volcanic interior. The Portuguese archipelago combines three established golf venues with forest walks, mountain hikes and a mild subtropical climate, giving visiting players plenty to explore between rounds.
Priced from €310 per person, Madeira’s Golf Passport provides three rounds at either Clube de Golf Santo da Serra or Palheiro Golf. The package also includes transport between the hotel and courses at no additional cost, while additional rounds and a day at Porto Santo Golfe can be added for an extra charge.
Three courses across the islands
Palheiro Golf brings the island’s botanical landscape into the golfing experience. Its 18-hole, par-72 course sits on a botanical estate nearly 500 metres above sea level, with views of Funchal and the Atlantic.
Clube de Golf Santo da Serra offers 27 holes designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. on Madeira’s eastern side. On the neighbouring island of Porto Santo, Porto Santo Golfe adds an 18-hole Seve Ballesteros design to the archipelago’s golfing options.
Santo da Serra is also due to host the Faldo Junior Tour from 16–18 October, the closing event in Madeira’s autumn tournament programme and the tour’s first visit to Portugal.
Ponta do Pargo, on the western side of Madeira, is set to become the archipelago’s fourth golf venue. The 18-hole course designed by Sir Nick Faldo is scheduled to open in 2027.
Beyond the fairways
Madeira’s volcanic landscape gives walkers a varied choice of terrain, from deep valleys and waterfalls to high mountain trails and dramatic coastal cliffs. The Laurissilva Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the island’s defining natural attractions, known for its native flora and fauna.
Madeira’s historic levadas, or water channels, cross some of the island’s best-preserved landscapes, with walking routes taking visitors through dense vegetation and past waterfalls, valleys and mountain scenery.
Hikers can choose classified routes suited to a range of abilities. Peaceful levada walks offer time in the forest, while more demanding mountain trails reach high-altitude volcanic landscapes and open up views across the Atlantic.
Madeira’s walking-route access system and applicable fees support conservation, maintenance and visitor-safety measures.
For more information on Madeira, click HERE.
Related: Santo da Serra Named Portugal’s Best Golf Course at the 2025 Golfamore Awards
Simon Bale
Simon Bale is the publisher of Golf Today. A low single-figure handicap golfer, he was previously a major shareholder and course reviewer for Top100GolfCourses.com for over a decade, starting in 2010. Through this role, he developed extensive knowledge of golf course design and architecture while playing more than 300 courses worldwide.