The Island of Madeira, a hikers utopia

Updated: Sep 19, 2020

The Island of Madeira

By: Jean-Paul Courville

Arrival into Madeira from Lisbon — Madeira

Madeira is a Portuguese island located 520 kilometers off the coast of Northern Africa (Morocco) with illustrious cliffs overlooking the sea, gorgeous mountain peaks, forests, waterfalls, and levadas (irrigation ditches). The island is 50 kilometers in length (31 miles) and 25 kilometers in width (15 miles).

In February 2020 I booked my tickets to Lisbon, Portugal from Dubai (UAE) and a flight to Funchal, Madeira the following day. The flight to Madeira is a comfortable 90-minute flight from Lisbon arriving into the unique landing strip on Funchal overlooking the coast. I booked a central location for accommodations in Funchal therefore I had access to the capital daily, rented a car, and I sectioned the map into Central, North, South, East, and West hiking trails as to plan my days. I would have an early breakfast then drive between 30-55 minutes in any direction to a starting point, hike a full day, then use the late afternoon to explore nearby restaurants and cafes before bedding down for the evening in Funchal. There is an application for mobile devices called “Walk Me Madeira” listing all hiking routes on the island.

Day 1: Camara De Lobos

I arrived mid-afternoon, received my rental car, drove to my accommodation late afternoon which precluded my chances to venture far from Funchal. The nearby village of Camara De Lobos (2 kilometers from my accommodations) was perfect for this time of day. The walk was along the coastline and up above the village to get a “birds eye” perspective of the inland peninsula before descending into the local fishing village. This is the first settlement in Madeira, established in the 15th century and a municipality as part of the district of Funchal. I explored the boats along the dock before making my way thru the town visiting the shops and pubs all set in a cove around the fishing village. The place had a unique feel so I organized a table outdoors at a local restaurant. I indulged in a traditional favorite called Lapas (a small oyster) only found in Madeira. It was delicious but this wasn’t the end of experiencing local flavor. The employees in the restaurant were incredibly friendly and some spoke English but I was traveling with a dear friend who took my offer at the last minute from France to meet me for this impromptu excursion. She can speak a variety of additional languages and when Portuguese seemed to be the only option she would find someone near who could speak Spanish, French, Dutch, or German and she became our communicator. Aside from Madeira wine the traditional drink is Poncha, it is made from rum, sugar cane, honey, lemon and sometimes orange juice. They are offered in two categories, traditional or the fisherman (a more potent drink to deal with returning from a hard day at sea). I am not an alcohol consumer but I gave it a try to experience the Madeira feel, it was relatively decent with a kick to brighten your day.

Day 2: Vereda Do Areeiro-Pico Ruivo (PR1)

Pico Ruivo is the highest peak on Madeira at 1861 meters (6,100 feet), and a 12.1 Kilometer hike with breathtaking views. The drive was 45 minutes from the Funchal climbing into the central mountains thru eucalyptus trees and blooming flowers. The wind was intense on the summit and starting point, the temperature was a crisp 13 degrees Celsius (55 Fahrenheit) yet the switchback trails that lead thru mountain side gave us protection. There are ladders and stairs bolted to the rocks that made it even more alluring to navigate the terrain. The sunrise slowly highlighted and accented the view on either side of the mountain towards the coast making it a spectacular day. The hike is considered difficult but I surely didn’t find it accurate, if you are uncomfortable with heights there are a few places along the route where you might be more sensitive to your surroundings and some of the ascents would make anyone breathe a little heavier, but ultimately the trails are well marked. We finished the route in the early afternoon and drove to a nearby restaurant Casa De Abrigo Do Poiso. Located in the forest down from the mountain, the smoke escaping from the top of the roofs chimney, decorated with hard wood rails, outdoor seating and a showcase of Madeira wine at the entrance made my appetite even more intense than it was. We enjoyed Portuguese pork and homemade chocolate mousse in this cozy and quaint local restaurant.

Day 3: Lagoa Do Vento –Rabacal Levada Das 25 Fontes E Risco (PR6)

I combined two hikes in the same area that both consisted of waterfalls, I viewed the map the night before and recognized an area where I could jump from one hike to the next making it a complete loop (my preferred type of route). The highlight wasn’t just the terrain alone it was stumbling across a newly designed five-bedroom hotel/hostel not yet open aside from their café in the mountains called the Rabacal House. It was beautifully situated in the valley not far from the waterfalls, it displayed a top-level terrace where we sat for a coffee and treated ourselves to a variety of homemade pastries. The sun was out, the weather was a warm 16 degrees, birds were singing and the wind was calm. We drove towards the coast and found a lovely restaurant overlooking the sea with an outdoor terrace called Engenho Velho, in Arco Da Calheta.

Day 4: Veredea Da Ponta De Sao Lourenco (PR8) and Vereda Da Penha De Aquia

The Veredea Da Ponta De Sao Lourenco (PR8) is located on the Eastern tip along the coast, it extends out from the island like a bone spur and it’s a 7.2 kilometer out and back hike listed as moderate. When I flew in from Lisbon I was sitting at a window with the view of this area while gazing upon those magnificent cliffs as hikers appeared like small ants along the trail. Only a 30-minute drive from the heart of Funchal we started early to beat the crowds (early bird gets the worm). The views were extraordinary, we finished before lunch then off to the town of Santana for the Vereda Da Penha De Aquia hike (strenuous/difficult) a 5.4 kilometer loop but in addition the town of Santana displays the traditional triangular shaped and colorful Madeira homes. I drove into an area where the traditional homes are located but I was one road away from the actual location but we noticed a home that fit the description. A local gentleman was there and allowed us to view the home, this wasn’t the houses tourist visit but this traditional house was owned by a local man whose grandfather built it in the 1920’s. Unaware of the error I had made he couldn’t have been more friendly, he offered us a drink of coffee but he didn’t speak English however, he had been born in Argentina then moved to Madeira as a young boy so my friend communicated with him in Spanish as he gave us the details of his home. We had a wonderful visit then made our way to the traditional homes down the street, it was a letdown after this quaint experience we had with the local man born in Argentina. Before moving to our next hike, we visited a local area restaurant (recommended by the kind gentlemen we met earlier that afternoon). This second hike of the day had much more of an incline than I anticipated, there was no one on the trail (tougher trails and isolated routes tend to deter tourist) it began to rain, the fog rolled in, then the sun came out followed by a wonderful rainbow highlighting the sea and mountains as the route curved around the coast to see the lovely town of Faial where we could see and smell the smoke from farmers burning wood as they worked in their sugar cane crops.

Day 5: Levada Da Ribeira Da Janela

The Levada Da Ribeira Da Janela is a 22.8 kilometer, mainly level terrain as it follows a levada the into the mountains while simultaneously navigating thru seven man made tunnel/caves on and out and back route. We arrived in the town just below the starting point of Porto Moniz earlier than expected so we found a local café, ordered a coffee and viewed the natural pools on the sea in Porto Moniz. We crossed thru some tunnels after an hour into the route then the tunnels were rapidly frequent, many required the need of a headlamp or mobile flashlight. We later crossed paths with a family traveling from France who shared a bothersome situation ahead. The last tunnel/cave was over a kilometer long with aggressive down pouring water resembling a waterfall (requiring a rain jacket). This doesn’t sound like a problem but once inside the depth perception can make the frantic feelings of claustrophobia set in quickly. This was a long day but quite enjoyable before taking a car ride of the northern area then descending to the town of Ponta do Pargo for a beautiful dinner at a lovely restaurant called O Forno in Calheta. Following dinner, we made our way to a light house on the coast for the most spectacular views where the sun pierced the clouds kissing the sea.

Day 6: Vereda Do Larano

The route for Vereda Do Larano is 12.1 kilometers, listed as hard, and this was my last full day. I followed the levada until it came out of a valley into an opening along the coast giving a full access to the gorgeous rocks and cliffs being pounded with white wash waves where the sounds followed me the entire route (8 KM along the sea) before reaching the port town of Porto da Cruz. We made our way back to Funchal later that afternoon to explore more food markets and local life in the capital. The outdoor cafes and cobble stone streets had that European flare experienced in so many cities within Europe. We also took in the festivities while Carnival was in full season this entire week.

My travel guidelines have been simple and always lead me to pleasurable experiences; hike nearby mountains, bike or walk in the capitals, start early, and eat local cuisine. If I hadn’t accidentally opened that recommended article on Madeira months earlier I might have never visited this beautiful island.