Discovering the island of eternal spring for 8 days - Madeira

I admit that by 2021, I knew little to nothing about Madeira, because it wasn't so much advertised and we didn't extend our hiking search that far either, we were still newbies. With the pandemic and the normalization of remote jobs, it seems to me that Madeira has gained a lot of attention among travellers and so we ended up putting it on our list too. And here it is, it's coming sooner than we thought.

SPOILER ALERT: it was a very active vacation with many trails followed because as soon as we see a mountain, we go to the top!

Some interesting facts about Europe's Hawaii

The archipelago of Madeira, which belongs to Portugal, is formed by volcanic activity, like the Hawaiian Islands, hence the striking resemblance. Temperatures are constant throughout the year and it has a subtropical climate, making it a popular destination with many tourists whatever the season.

The scenery is spectacular, with very sharp mountain ridges, even Pico Ruivo is Portugal's third highest peak. Due to its lush vegetation, the island is also known as the "Floating Garden" or "Flower Island."

Holiday organization

The period we chose was between September 28 - October 6 and the weather was perfect: pleasant summer temperatures, 30-32 degrees, the evenings were cooler, it was perfect and I recommend this period to visit the islands of Atlantic ocean.Exactly the same period we chose for Tenerife and we had more or less the same temperatures.

I recommend these two sites where we got our correct information about the hikes and about the weather..

FLIGHT

The flight was a real adventure until we managed to find something that suited us and even then, I'm still not 100% satisfied with what we found. Our route was Bucharest-Rome on September 28 and on September 29 Rome-Funchal.And the return was on October 6, Funchal-Rome, where we stayed 6 hours, and in the evening we took off to Bucharest. We left with WizzAir, all tickets were bought separately, as it is a low cost airline. The price for two people with one backpack and one carry-on bag was 980 euro (approximate price), and the purchase was made 6 months in advance. Maybe you'll find a better price or a maybe charter with HiSky would suit you.

RENTED CAR

We were 4 people on this vacation and we split the cost of both car rental and accommodation. We rented the car using RentalCars which we've been using for a couple years and so far so good. We chose a small, automatic car from the company OkMobility which was about 50 euro/day, but prices vary enormously depending on the period and the car model. I would still recommend an automatic, but a powerful one because the roads are steep and narrow, and with a car you will have more freedom to visit the island anyway.

ACCOMMODATION

We felt like the prices in Funchal are a bit high, so we extended our research and we reached the small village of Arco da Calheta, 30 minutes from Funchal. There we found a gorgeous two bedroom cottage in a complex of 4 cottages with access to a shared pool. You can find it on Booking. The view was the icing on the cake: being on the hillside you could see the banana plantations, the Atlantic Ocean and the rest of the small town. The sunsets here were a dream!

What did we have in our luggage?

First of all, you should know that Madeira is an exotic island and has several micro climates. It can be extremely hot in the south and rainy in the north. In fact, it rains quite a lot and that's why its vegetation is so green and lush. So make sure you have both summer and spring/fall clothes. Of course the inevitable hat and sunscreen.

If you know you're going to be hiking, it's a good idea to have non-slip sneakers that are more or less suitable for the activity. We have a pair of Hoka which are for trails as well as trail running. They've been a great help to us here, we've tested them on flat as well as sandy terrain and they've coped brilliantly.

8 days itinerary

In the following I will present you the itinerary that we have made and recommend. We have also made a map to make it easier to follow the route, and to see the points on the map, click on Afișați harta marită. Pentru fiecare traseu făcut, voi face mici mențiuni în acest articol, detaliile mai tehnice le poți găsi here., în articolul dedicat.

Day 1 - wandering around Rome

As mentioned above, our combination flight involved a day and a night in Rome, but we didn't mind at all. We were actually looking forward to doing a 24h city break through Italy. I think it's been on our bucket list, but without realizing it so much.

We landed at the airport in Fiumicino and the hotel we found to be very close was B&B Hotel Roma Fiumicino Aeroporto Fiera 1. In the next morning at 4am we had shuttle back to the airport which was 6 euro/person. A bit expensive, but it was the only option for the next day's flight so early, and in 30 minutes by train we arrived in the centre of Rome.

All we did was wander around the historic center and enjoy the vibe of Rome without running out to see all the sights, and eat lots of good food. Below in the list of recommended restaurants, I'll leave a few in Rome.

Day 2 - actually first day of Madeira

As soon as we landed, a car from OkMobility came to pick up all the passengers who had reservations, as they are based outside the airport. The formalities took an extremely long time, we spent almost an hour and a half in the queue and that's because there were a lot of tourists but few people to take care of all of us, the company being very small. But overall the experience was ok and the car behaved very well and the prices were the lowest we found.

After picking up our superb accommodation (see above in the ACCOMMODATION), we returned to Funchal where we took a stroll through the streets of the town, admired the architecture of the buildings and, to top it all, saw a baby seal sleeping under a bridge. On the way back to Arco da Calheta, we stopped at the first tourist point Cabo Girão. It is one of the highest coastal cliffs in Europe and the second highest in the world, at about 580 meters above sea level. It is a very popular tourist destination due to its breathtaking views of the island and glass-floored observation platform.

Day 3 - discovering the north of the island

For the next day, we set off to the north of the island, with three objectives on the list. On the way to Fanal forest, we stumbled across a panoramic point (miradouro) extremely beautiful where it was just the four of us, but which unfortunately has no location on Google Maps. However, as you walk on the forest road, there are lots of signs for trails and miradouro, so you can venture out.

Fanal Forest is said to be a magical forest located in the north-western part of the island. The mystical landscape of frequent mist surrounding the centuries-old moss-covered daffodil trees gives it this title. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its unique biodiversity.

Unfortunately or fortunately, we didn't find the Fanal Forest in the well known haze as it is portrayed on social media, but with clear skies above, full of cows and a whole different vibe than what we expected to see. It's an extremely good place for professional photographers as all the trees have some really interesting shapes and put creativity to work.

One thing we've done and I suggest you do it too, especially if it's as clear as we caught it: as soon as you're among the trees and you see the hill in front of you, climb the path made by other people. I guarantee once you're up, you won't regret it! The image of the island's lush green north coast, with the ocean and here and there a few small beaches, is the picture of the exotic. You'll also get a different perspective of the forest and the place itself, because that's the only way to realize how vast this area is.

Don't go back the same way, but go up the hillside and down the opposite side of the forest. That's where the image transported me to the National Geographic documentaries about Africa. Although there were only cows, I expected at any moment to see a giraffe or elephant approaching. I think it was better that we caught the forest without fog because we discovered an extremely beautiful place, impossible to see in other weather conditions.

The next stops were Ribeira da Janela and Miradouro da Eira da Achada. Ribeira da Janela is a beautiful village and natural attraction, famous for its spectacular rock formations in the ocean. Its name literally translates to "Window River," inspired by the unique cliffs that seem to form a natural "window" in the middle of the sea.

Next were Porto Moniz's natural pools one of Madeira's most popular tourist attractions, located in the picturesque village of Porto Moniz. These pools have formed naturally, due to the flow of solidified volcanic lava, which has created basins that fill with clear seawater carried by the waves. One thing to note is that the Atlantic Ocean water is very cold.

The last stop of the day was Seixal beach, known for its black volcanic sand and for being considered the most beautiful beach on the island. To park the car, we followed the sign to the beach, but somehow ended up in some back streets of the town and parked on the road next to other cars. To the beach, we walked for another 10 minutes or so among the beautiful houses and plumeria trees.. The beach is super beautifully positioned, next to an extremely green and imposing mountain massif. And indeed the black, volcanic sand makes it very special and beautiful.

Ziua 4 – primul traseu: PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço

The fourth day had as main goal the route to Ponta de São Lourenço at sunset, but until then, we returned to Funchal for a short visit to Mercado dos Lavradores, unde mă așteptam la altceva. Clădirea este într-adevăr frumoasă și colonială, iar combinația vie de culori dintre produse și clădirea veche oferă un aer vintage. Însă prețurile sunt exagerat de mari, toți comercianții au aceleași produse, toți vor să le cumperi marfa, dar nu par prea dornici să se târguiască. Cred că marketing-ul de pe social media și cu realitatea nu se potrivesc în acest loc. Sau nu ne-a convins pe noi.

For the next stop, Jardim Monte Palace Madeira, I recommend you to take the cable car up and not drive to the entrance, as we did. Maybe on the way down take Funchal's well known sleigh, which was their means of transportation in the 19th century on the sloping roads of the capital. The garden really is an oasis of greenery and tranquillity, and I found the Japanese gardens and the lively central area with its fountain and flamingo birds to be the most beautiful parts of it.

Despre traseu, mai multe detalii și poze găsești here., însă câteva scurte aspecte: pentru a ne bucura de lumina apusului, am pornit pe traseu la ora 16:30 și a durat 3 ore dus-întors. Nu este un traseu greu, mai ales pe drumul de dus, este chiar lejer. Ultima porțiune pentru a ajunge la capătul insulei este o urcare foarte susținută cu niște trepte săpate în pământ extrem de înalte. Chiar înainte de această urcare, este o cafenea, foarte exotică și cu o super priveliște asupra insulei, dar care din păcate se închide la ora 5pm. Ce face acest traseu și mai frumos este faptul că fix pe deasupra trec avioanele care aterizează sau decolează, aeroportul insulei fiind foarte aproape.

Day 5 - second hike: Levada Nova

Din nou, mai multe detalii și poze despre traseu găsești here., însă puține informații: traseul, care mai mult este o plimbare circulară prin levade, a durat 3 ore. Ce face acest traseu cunoscut, este cascada de la jumătatea drumului și cum și-a săpat ea drum printre stânci. Recomand să începi prin Levada do Moinho and finishing with Levada Nova for great ocean views. The levadas are Madeira's traditional irrigation canals, which were built to transport water from the uplands to the meadows and plantations on the island's coasts.

Because tiredness had its say on the day, there was only one more spot to see and that was Cascata dos Anjos. It is a waterfall that falls directly on the road or if the water flow is very high, it goes straight into the ocean. Again, a beautiful place to take pictures, but don't spend more than 5 minutes here.

Day 6 - the most beautiful sunrise ever spotted: Pico do Arieiro

Probably the most awaited moment of the vacation was the sunrise at Pico do Arieiro. Because during September-October the sun rises at 8am, so our wake up time was decent at 5:30am. From Arco da Calheta we drove about an hour and 15 minutes to the parking lot, and from there we climbed another 15 minutes to the view point. I recommend getting to the parking lot quickly though because it fills up very quickly. Before choosing when to come to Madeira, also check the sunrise time.

As gorgeous and special as this sunrise was, and as much as we wished it was clear and we could actually see the perfectly round sun, we were disappointed that the most spectacular and familiar route, Pico-to-Pico, was closed due to vegetation fires. It was only open for 1,3 km at Pico do Arieiro and 3 km at Pico Ruivo. Noi am mers pe ambele și peisajele sunt de pe altă lume. Dacă și tu ești la fel de pasionat de natură și de a descoperi lumea prin prisma traseelor, îți spun că aceste trasee, chiar și făcute separat, sunt printre cele mai frumoase din lume. Mai multe detalii și poze găsești în acest article..

After such a busy day, we decided to quickly visit the village of Santana and its traditional cottages. They are one of Madeira's most iconic and emblematic attractions, a symbol of traditional Madeiran architecture. These houses, known as „casinhas de colmo”, they are built from natural materials and have a distinctive shape, with steeply pitched roofs covered in thatch or reed, giving them a picturesque and distinctive appearance.

Day 7 - it never hurts to relax

After a pretty demanding couple of days, we decided to have a day to relax so we didn't have many sights to see and no routes to follow. We decided to visit the western part of the island and ended up at Teleférico das Achadas da Cruz. This gondola actually takes you down to a former fishing village where an alley is built along the coast surrounded by extremely high mountains. Again, the scenery of the island is spectacular, and it's only with this walk in this place that I understood why they call it Europe's Hawaiiwith many similarities in the landscape. Put this place on the list because it's a hidden gem of the island.

Before returning to the accommodation, we also stopped in Ponta do Solwhich has an extremely interesting beach area: with very large stones. There is also a pontoon from where you can jump into the ocean, and the little houses are very colourful and chic, like all Madeiran towns. After enjoying the scenery, we went back to our cottage for a beautiful sunset.

Day 8 - fifth hike: PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde

Our last day on Madeira Island was spent exactly as you know us: following a route, namely Levada do Caldeirão Verde. Din nou, mai multe detalii și poze găsești here., dar pe scurt traseul a durat 4 ore și jumătate, fiind cel mai lung din cele parcurse de noi. Este un traseu ușor, extrem de popular, de-a lungul levadei, iar finalul este dat de o cascadă superbă, foarte înaltă și care te duce cu gândul la filmul Avatar. I had the same feeling on the way to Pico Ruivo.

The last little village that we visited was Câmara de Lobos, one of the most cozy of those seen here. This village is famous for its natural beauty, traditional atmosphere and its connection with the famous painter Winston Churchill, who frequently visited the area and did some works inspired by its landscape. I think I liked this one the most of them all, it had a much more relaxed vibe, it was more lively, the center was very nicely decorated.

Day 9 - the one on the way home

Madeira airport has a "waiting room" outside so you can watch the planes take off and land, so it's the only place worth arriving before boarding to have time to watch the planes. After the 4 hour flight, we arrived in Fiumicino where we had a 6 hour layover and then home for the evening.

Recommended restaurants

Conclusion

We drove around 2000 km on the island by car, there was not a corner left unexplored both on foot and by car. It's a beautiful island, a paradise of Europe full of banana plantations, very high green mountains, fabulous wild hydrangeas and diverse beaches. We loved it immensely and know for sure that we'll be back for even more spectacular trails. I hope the article has helped you in planning your next vacation to Madeira and don't forget to follow me for even more itineraries and travel ideas.