Madeira Poncha Route: 7 Stops Worth the Detour

Some routes are built around monuments. This one was built around good bar counters.

First, the important rule: this is not a challenge to complete in one day. Split the route, bring a designated driver, use taxis or choose alcohol-free versions. The best memory of your trip should not be a photograph of a traffic fine.

We divided the seven stops into four short outings. This gives you time to taste properly and keeps Madeira part of the experience, rather than reducing the island to the distance between two glasses.

1. East: Bar da Chupa in Machico

Bar da Chupa → stands on the ER101 beside Machico’s stream and football stadium. It is an old family grocery shop that still feels simple and local.

The choice here is passion fruit poncha: fruity, balanced and a good way to begin without immediately facing the strongest drink on the route.

Add a walk around Machico Bay and the old centre, or head up to the Pico do Facho viewpoint. Poncha is the stop; Machico is the rest of the plan.

2. Inland: Ponte de Pau in Camacha

Ponte de Pau is the kind of place where poncha naturally appears beside local snacks and conversation. It does not feel like an attraction designed for visitors — which is exactly why you should walk in.

Combine it with a wander through Camacha and, if time and weather allow, continue to Ribeiro Frio. This stop is not about declaring a winner. It shows how poncha remains part of everyday cafés and old-style local bars in Madeira’s interior.

3. Funchal: Sete Mares

Not every poncha route needs a mountain road. Sete Mares ↗, on Praça CR7, brings the drink into central Funchal with outdoor seating overlooking the harbour area.

It is the most urban stop on the list and one of the easiest without a car. Visit after walking along Avenida do Mar, exploring the market or before an evening in the city centre.

This is not Madeira’s best-kept secret. It proves that a useful route also needs a practical stop.

4. Southwest: Venda do André in Quinta Grande

Venda do André ↗ feels preserved from another time: antique cabinets, old escudo banknotes, photographs and rooms that still carry the soul of a traditional village shop. Then there is the donkey at the entrance, because apparently good poncha was not enough personality for one place.

For us, this is the best tangerine poncha in Madeira. Sweet without becoming dessert, citrusy and dangerously easy to drink.

That is a strong statement. The comments are open for a reason.

5. Southwest: Sakinhas in Campanário

Sakinhas → joins the route for something you notice before the first sip: the view. From Campanário, the valley and ocean do half the work.

This is a relaxed bar serving snacks, cocktails and house poncha — a good place to finish the southwest outing without rushing. Venda do André is memory; Sakinhas is late afternoon.

6. Serra de Água: Taverna Real da Poncha

There are few distractions at Taverna Real. The star is fishermen’s poncha, made to order with no interest in pleasing anyone looking for a gentle cocktail.

It is our choice for the best pescador on this route. Lemon, sugar and Madeira sugarcane spirit in a direct, intense and unapologetic balance. Go to taste the original drink, not to study a menu containing twenty flavours.

7. Serra de Água: Taberna da Poncha

A few minutes away, Taberna da Poncha → deserves a visit even if another glass finishes higher in your personal ranking.

Here, atmosphere counts towards the score: the former grocery shop, walls covered in business cards and memories, the movement around the counter and peanut shells on the floor. It reminds you that poncha was never just a recipe. It has always been an excuse to stay a little longer.

The route does not end here

These seven places are not a definitive list. They are seven good reasons to cross the island, discover areas ignored by many itineraries and argue about which glass truly deserved the detour.

Check each venue’s opening hours before leaving. Then open our map and ranking of Madeira’s best ponchas →: positions update automatically as new community ratings arrive.

One stop is still missing. Which bar deserves eighth place on this route — and which of these seven would you remove without mercy?

Leave your version in the comments and rate every glass on the map. A route built by people never stays closed for long.

Please drink responsibly. Never drink and drive.