The Pico do Maçarico hike on Porto Santo Island is a great peak for either sunrise or sunset with panoramic views of the entire island. The route is short but very steep up the rough trail. There is no official path but you will find a worn trail that makes it easy to access the …
HIKING
On the east coast of Porto Santo Island, the hike to Zimbralinho Beach and Miradouro Flores Viewpoint is a great coastal trail for sunset views. Most of the trail can be completed by car or motorbike along the roads but it’s a short coastal trail, which is great for hiking and enjoying the views. Because …
Ribeira de São Jorge to Ilha is an upstream hike and one hell of an adventure on Madeira Island. The hike begins inside the canyon and you follow the Ribeira de São Jorge for almost 10 kilometers until you make the steep ascent out of the canyon and join up with the Ilha trail to …
This is a hike on Porto Santo that I have named ‘The Three Peaks’ hike as it tours three of the top peaks on the island. The route takes you to Pico Juliana, Pico Castelo and Pico do Facho on a 9-kilometer round-trip adventure. It’s a steep trail but the panoramic views from the summit …
If you are up for a steep climb, challenge yourself to reach Pico Grande where you will have an incredible campsite, views of Pico do Arieiro & Pico Ruivo, and amazing stargazing from the summit. This 15-kilometer out-and-back route begins at Encumeada and has almost 1500 meters of vertical gain throughout the entire course. It …
The Achadas da Cruz cable car takes you down a huge cliff to an incredibly unique spot on Madeira, which is the traditional village of Fajá da Quebrada Nova. Nestled away on the north-western coast of Madeira, the small parish was once home to hundreds who tended to their livestock and agriculture. Today, many of …
The Levada da Ribeira da Janela hike runs from the coast to the mountains through an enormous canyon with scenic cliff-side levada paths throughout the journey. The 11.5-kilometer journey can be done as a point-to-point hike or doubled as a mighty 23-kilometer out and back trail. In this blog post, I’ll give you all the …
Levada Ponta Do Pargo trail is a coastal hike on the western side of Madeira Island. It’s an epic route for sunset with incredible views of sea cliffs and azure blue waters. As well as the coastal scenery, the trail leads you up into the forest as you follow the Levada through the rolling hills, …
Santo da Serra to Levada da Serra do Faial is a circular forest walk, which will take you away from busy hiking trails and provide you with a peaceful walk immersed in lush, green surroundings. This hike is far from the most epic or difficult trail on Madeira Island but it’s a fantastic stroll for …
Vereda do Fanal is one of my favorite moderate-difficulty hikes on Madeira Island because it has a bit of everything. You have viewpoints over Rabacal Valley, strenuous stair climbs, an immersive experience in the UNESCO-listed Laurisilva Forest, and a spectacular finish at the magical Fanal Forest. It ticks a lot of boxes all throughout one …
Every adventure begins with an uneasy atmosphere of naivety, expectations, and a willingness to delve into the unknown. Our journey along the ‘Royal Path’ known as Caminho Real 23 was definitely set to be a week of challenges and first-hand insight into the past and the present of Madeira Island. CAMINHO REAL 23 INFORMATION The …
Chão da Ribeira is an incredible plateau in the mountains above Seixal on the north coast of Madeira Island. It’s such an incredible valley of lush forest that it’s known to locals as ‘The Sanctuary’. As soon as I arrived after the winding drive up from the coast, I could sense it was a special …