1 week in Madeira
23-30 January 2016

Getting back to normal life, and work, in winter, after months spent cycling in the wild is hard. You look at work as a waste of life and you can only find solace in planning future trips. One rainy and dark winter day we looked for some winter break destinations and the cheapest option was Madeira. I had to check where it was and when I saw it's an island in the Atlantic I expected it to be as dry as the Canary Islands so that I was not convinced, but after seeing a few pictures it appeared the perfect trekking destination.

We found a great deal in EasyJet Holidays: flight and the hotel for 1 week for £170 each and we booked it straight away. We planned to do some trekking and cycling there but the truth is, Madeira is a different world from anything we have even been before!

What did we learn?

• Everybody speaks English and is super friendly, patient and helpful
• The words “flat” and “straight” are not in the vocabulary

Typical gradient

• If you are planning to cycle, think twice
• A 15km trek in Madeira equals a 30km trek anywhere else in the world
• You can't leave without eating the Queixada de Maracujá (Poncha do Maracujá is quite good too!)
• Everything is “pode ser”
• Nothing is impossible (i.e there is a vertical slope, why don't we build a few houses up there? Pode ser...)
• Local bus drivers must have been rally champions, or how could you drive from 1700m to sea level in 40 min in twisting and narrow roads?
• Which reminds me, don't eat before getting on a bus.

We landed in Madeira on Saturday evening, and we first suspected there was something strange when we couldn't see any land. It turns out that the airstrip is built on the ocean as there is no enough flat space all over the island...great for cycling right?

As soon as we got on the shuttle to Funchal, we then started to suspect that maybe it was not really a good cycling destination...as the main road could as well have been a coastal roller with just enough space for 2 lanes. When we finally got off the bus and our feet touched the ground, we looked at each other and though “what is this?” Welcome to Madeira!!!

We staid at the Imperatriz Aparthotel in Funchal which we strongly recommend, especially for its location. Everything we needed was within a short walk: marina walk, car hire shop, supermarket, shops, restaurants, every kind of bus stop, and most important, the best bakery in town! After a recognition walk in the surrounding area we went to sleep still trying to understand the multidimensional geography of the place.

Day 1 - 24 January

Bocas dos Namorados

The plan was to visit and trek as much of the island as possible, so that we had an early start and went to catch the 8am bus to Cabo Podão, which turned up at 8.30, with a different number. We were following the walk 35 as described in the guide Walking in Madeira by Cicerone towards Bocas dos Namorados and then continuing toward Curral das Freiras where we would take the bus back.

This is not the best walk we did, however we are glad we did it on the fist day as it gave us a good idea of the island and its interior.

Before heading off check the bus timetable as there are not many services inside the island and make sure you have enough food and warm clothes with you as it may get chilly and there are not many bars around.

When we reached the bar in Jardim da Serra I was having a chat with a few locals who told me the road to the village was fairly new, before that they had to carry everything on their shoulder, construction material inclusive, and about the track built on the mountains which made me think this people are made with a different material, probably steel.

Bocas dos Namorados

Light snack...

Day 2 - 25 January

Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço (7km x 2)

This was a nice and sunny day and we really enjoyed the easy walk to Ponta de São Lourenço and the spectacular views. Once back we enjoyed a lazy afternoon in town, stocking up vitamin D on the hotel roof and sorting out the car rental for the day after.

Add caption

Day 3 - 26 January

Pico do Aireiro toPico Ruivo (1860m)

Paul is a hero. I would never ever managed to drive those roads up to the Pico do Aireiro (1800m). To give an idea of the multidimensional geography, at some stage we got lost and checking Google we were a spot in an intersection of 4 roads: one was the road on top of us, another was the tunnel, and then other 2 roads criss crossing themselves, really??

Anyway, once on the freezing top we started the walk in bewilderment. The views were breathtaking and the path is a work of art, there are no word to describe it, in my mind it's some work from Piranesi, unreal!

Day 4 - 27 January

Encumeada to Curral das Freiras

This has been by far my favourite day. The trek was spectacular, the sun was out and the spirit was high. We were ready for kilometres of steep slopes but the path was not unforgiven as expected. We took a bus to Encumeada and walked to Curral das Freiras through the ridges, truly a pleasant walk.

Day 5 - 28 January

Porto do Sol - Lavadas

The weather today was not on our side, so that we opted for an easy walk in the lavadas in Porto do Sol, which was interrupted by a stubborn goat. We didn't mind that much as the walk was nothing really exiting, so we headed to the village enjoying the sight and strengh of the waves.

Defeated by the goat...

Porto do Sol

Funchal at night

Day 6 - 29 January

Achada da Teixeira to Pico Ruivo – failed

São Jorge costal walk

We hoped we could have gone up to Pico Ruivo from Achada da Teixera, but at the parking site we realised that it was just not the day. The rain was heavy and the clouds low, no point in getting socked for nothing, so that we drove down to Santana and had a nice coastal walk around São Jorge. 

We then drove to São Vicente and back from the centre of the island, passing through interesting roads and tunnels, Paul really loved driving there...

 

Day 7 - 30 January

Finally time to say goodbye to Madeira and its crazy roads and paths. We had an afternoon flight so that we spent the morning visiting the centre of Funchal, it's cute narrow street and the colourful Mercado.

when will we see the sun again?

 

If you have the chance do go to Madeira, it's an experience you will not find anywhere else in the world.