It is not my usual practice to Blog about holidays, but of course walking trips are a different matter entirely. Rachel and I have been fortunate to enjoy a fantastic first week of February on the Portuguese isle of Madeira, in what we gather were unseasonably warm and dry conditions. Famous in particular for its ‘levada’ rambles, whose narrow footpaths follow the contours beside the many irrigation channels, Madeira also has some fine coastal walks and the opportunity to climb mountain tracks up to the 1,862 metre high summit of Pico Ruivo. Naturally we made the most of our time and of the fine weather, managing around 65 miles altogether on some fabulous paths that combined verdant plant life with cultural interest – all set amongst the spectacular topography of this warm temperate island.
I thought I would share some of my photos of our week’s adventures on the trail, from our base in the Old Town area of the capital Funchal. Choosing from the several hundred shots has not been easy, but here follows quite a selection, firstly of Funchal and then of our various walks.
Early morning in the Old Town . . .. . . where residents are incentivised to brighten their thresholdsThe fruit and vegetable market in the centre of Funchal exhibits a host of exotic fare, mostly grown on the island . . .. . . including chillies of many shades . . .. . . whilst the fish market majors on the local scabbard fish, a staple of the Madeiran diet (often served in a fruit sauce), caught daily from the deep waters around the islandA view over the centre of Funchal . . .. . . and the gilded interior of the city’s cathedral – elaborate to the point of opulence!The Sao Joao do Pico Fortress stands imposingly over the Old TownThe docks play host to huge cruise liners . . .. . . and to some older (replica) craft . . .. . . as well as sea sculptures . . .. . . and the ‘CR7 Museum’, that features Madeira’s most famous son – he’s the one on the left, with the shiny appendages!To the west of the centre, within the ‘tourist area’ (as we called it), are sited numerous large hotels, including the renowned Reid’s PalaceOn our last day the annual festival was just getting started in Funchal, a cue for all manner of hats and musical instrumentsTrumpets!
Whilst we clocked up quite a few miles just ambling around the city, the real reason we had travelled to Madeira was for the wonderful opportunities for walking in the hills. Here are a few pictures of how we fared on the trails.
Our first trek took us out along the Sao Lourenço Peninsula from Baia d’Abra on the extreme east of the island: this area, being open and virtually treeless, is atypical of the generally forested Madeiran landscape, but provides fabulous vistas in all directionsOff the coast, an interesting sea stack . . .. . . and, looking back behind us, the spectacular views along the north coast of the island reminded us somewhat of North CornwallMuch of Madeira is composed of ancient basalts and lavas, with some striking former volcanic vents preserved within these cliffsHeading out further eastwards along the promontory – the faint outline of Porto Santo (the second largest isle on the Madeiran archipelago) is on the distant horizon to the rightMaking our way back along the ridge to the ‘mainland’ . . .. . . past some more stripey cliffs, before our bus back to the capitalNext morning, after setting out from Monte, a village above Funchal that can be reached via a gondola lift, we entered the verdant greenery for our first levada walk . . .. . . soon joining the narrow pathway that contours these slopes at around 650 metres of elevationA side channel emerging from the hillside – dry, at least for the momentA head for heights is needed here . . .. . . and is rewarded with some very fine viewsA homestead in the hills . . .. . . and a villa amongst the treesSo much colour and interest in the plants today . . .. . . at every turn . . .. . . of the pathThese, we hear, are ‘bird of paradise’ flowers . . .. . . whilst we termed this one ‘the yellow bottle-brush plant’Descending into a misty Camacha, with our walk nearly completedAnother day, this time further up into the hills, above 900 metres, on the levada path from Ribeiro Frio to PortelaWe had many ‘tame’ chaffinches for company today, along with a close-up glimpse of a Madeiran firecrest (that was far too quick for my camera)Occasional waterfalls crossed our path . . .. . . with tantalising views of the valleys to the north . . .. . . and our first levada tunnel . . .. . . quite a squeeze – at least for me!Emerging onto the highlands near Portela, as our walk finished with fine views over the north coast to Eagle Rock and the town of Porto da CruzYet another fine morning, and whilst Rachel made for Funchal’s Botanical Gardens, today I joined a group climbing the Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo trail; to the very top of Madeira, at 1,862 metres above sea levelOur summit destination, Pico Ruivo, high above us, but today mercifully free of the usual cloud coverThe jagged silhouettes of the ‘picos’ surrounded us . . .. . . as eventually we reached the final stretch of the path to the summitPrayer flags on the top . . .. . . and a happy trekker!The long descent begins . . .. . . past wizened pines, on our way back to the busA brief stop-off for views, and photos, on the Faial headland near Santana . . .. . . with our guide Eliseu and fellow trekker Sophie – it was great to meet you both, what a super day!Rachel leads the way on our final day’s walk, along the levadas around the hills to the west of Funchal; a semi-rural walk through the villages of Estreito, Garachico, Nogueira, Cabo Girao and Quinta GrandeWatch your feet, follow the path . . .. . . and stop often, to take in the views . . .. . . and the wayside flowers!Our first sea views of today . . .. . . as we passed above GarachicoLooking back over the patchwork fields and houses of Noguiera . . .. . . and forward to the hill above Cabo Girao . . .. . . although we took the cool tunnel beneath!A view down the hillside from the levada as we approached our destination . . .. . . before a prickly welcome at Quinta GrandeGlowing from a day on the trail, and time for an aperol (an ‘infused blend of high-quality fruit, herbs and roots’ – or so it says), with our new friends Linda and Ian
So concluded a fabulous week of walking, wining and dining. How fortunate we were with the weather, and also in meeting some wonderful people – particularly Ian and Linda with whom we walked on our first day and who joined us for a couple of fine evenings, swapping countless stories of travels and hikes. Escapism at its very finest! A thank you also to Headwater Holidays, who operate self-guided walking trips as part of the Exodus portfolio. Headwater arranged for us the hotel accommodation and provided detailed walking routes, maps (paper copies and via their app) and detailed bus timetables, all with support from their local agent Eduardo of MB Travel. If anyone is interested in following in our footsteps, then the Headwater trip can be found on their website titled ‘Walk the Garden Island of Madeira’.
Time to fly now, back to the English winter!
There are quite a few different songs that share the heading ‘Island in the Sun’, but the one that I have in mind as my Blog title for today (and for my playlist) is also one of the oldest and best known; Harry Belafonte’s calypso paean from 1957. Belafonte, who passed away last April aged 96, was a wonderfully versatile singer and actor, as well as being a prominent civil rights activist. Professionally he started out as an early exponent of calypso music, and his release of the album ‘Calypso’ in 1956 is credited as being the first million-selling LP album by a solo artist. ‘Island in the Sun’ was co-written by Belafonte alongside Irving ‘Lord Burgess’ Burgie (another doyen of calypso) as the soundtrack to the eponymous film about romance and race relations on the fictitious Caribbean island of Santa Marta. The song has been covered by many dozens of artists over the subsequent decades, perhaps because it captures a more general spirit of sunlit holiday isles across the globe.
Sampling the fortified wines for which Madeira is famous, in the Pereira d’Oliveira vaults in Funchal
2 thoughts on “Island In The Sun”
A wonderful write up as ever Nick. Your timing is impeccable as I was struggling to comprehend the (lack of) PR numbered routes on my new Madeira map so now have more of an idea. This only 2 days after getting inspiration by walking parts of the Worcester Beacon route you posted last year. Bravo!
A delightful dare I say it, travel writer’s quality work about a place I didn’t expect to re-visit.
Your description and photos make me want to hop on a plane – now! I found walking along the levadas (especially in the tunnels and overlooking precipitous drops) pretty scary but I was alone and unguided.
Porto Santo, only seen in the distance on your pic, I absolutely loved. So maybe next time?
Walking for Fun, Challenge and Charity! 
A wonderful write up as ever Nick. Your timing is impeccable as I was struggling to comprehend the (lack of) PR numbered routes on my new Madeira map so now have more of an idea. This only 2 days after getting inspiration by walking parts of the Worcester Beacon route you posted last year. Bravo!
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A delightful dare I say it, travel writer’s quality work about a place I didn’t expect to re-visit.
Your description and photos make me want to hop on a plane – now! I found walking along the levadas (especially in the tunnels and overlooking precipitous drops) pretty scary but I was alone and unguided.
Porto Santo, only seen in the distance on your pic, I absolutely loved. So maybe next time?
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