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Hiking holidays Around Madeira

Hiking holidays
8 Days / 7 Nights
Self-guided tour
moderate
from
909.- CHF
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Unique coastal hikes and blooming gardens.

Cloud forests, dark lava rocks and sunlit banana plantations. Sounds like a different holiday destination? No! The island of Madeira, not far from Lisbon in the Atlantic, offers a colourful variety for botanists, hikers and pleasure seekers. Over eight days you will explore from Porto da Cruz to the capital Funchal. You will walk through the plateau of Paul da Serra, looking for shade in the laurel forests and take a relaxing bath in the black lava rock.

Hiking in Maderia calls for packing multipurpose clothing. In the north, surrounded by barren mountains and wet plateaus, it is cool. The sunny south impresses with flowers, eucalyptus trees and diverse cultures. The island with its 235.000 inhabitants leaves plenty of room for romantic and idyllic hikes. One of the most beautiful villages in Madeira is Prazeres. Here you can experience the original life of the islanders. Fancy something extraordinary for the grand finale? Grab a toboggan and start the fast ride down. It starts above the Funchal in Monte.

 

Hiking holidays Around Madeira
moderate
Hiking holidays
8 Days / 7 Nights
Self-guided tour
from
909.- CHF
Calculate price
Book now Book

Itinerary

Today you can relax on the black sandy beach in the small fishing village Porto da Cruz. You can visit one of the last remaining sugar mills where you can try the well-known “Poncha”, which is a local drink made from sugar cane liquor, honey and freshly squeezed orange juice.

After a short transfer to Machico, you will walk along the impressive north coast on one of the old supply routes, which was previously used to cultivate the vineyards. Today one of the nicest footpaths runs along this route to Porto da Cruz. Enjoy the breath-taking views.

In the traditional village of Santana, known for its typical houses, your day's stage starts. Marvel at the traditional houses with their thatched roofs and stroll through the town, which is well worth seeing, before you continue to the start of the hike. The wonderful Levada do Rei leads you through primeval forest-like vegetation to the waterfall and the springs of Ribeiro Bonito. Through short tunnels you will reach an almost magical place at the head of the river valley. Finally, enjoy one of the famous drinks and cakes in the inviting bar Quinta do Levada.

Transfer to the mountains or more specifically to the Paul da Serra high plateau. Today’s walk brings you closer to Madeira’s green mountains. You will walk along high-altitude paths rich in spectacular views, through shady laurel forests, which are partially an UNESCO world cultural heritage site. An amazing hiking trail takes you through colorful blooming broom bushes to Fanal, a fairytale-like wood forest and pasture area: crooked trees, green meadows and grazing highland cattle create a very special mystical atmosphere. In the afternoon you reach the coastal village of Porto Moniz with its wonderful views at the blue sea. This charming place is well-known for its natural swimming pools, which were formed by the ocean from black lava rock.

Today you will walk along the south west coastline via green hills, which steeply drop into the sea after a while. In this part of the island you will discover the original way of life of its habitants, especially Prazeres is known as one of the loveliest villages of Madeira island. On your walk through fragrant eucalyptus forests, you will keep seeing Callas, Amarryllis and Agapanthus growing wildly. You will stay overnight in the lively coastal village, Calheta. It has a fine sandy beach and an elegant marina.

Short transfer along the southern coast before you set off up to Levada do Norte where you get amazing views from. It is also the longest and widest Levada in the south. You will walk through typical farmed terraces and discover a vast variety of fruits. Along small villages like Quinta Grande and Campanario to the Cabo Girao, which is the highest steep cliff in Europe. From there you will get a fantastic view of the terraced fields below you and of the coastline until the capital, Funchal.

You reach the pilgimage site Monte by cable car, situated high above Funchal. After a visit to the church Nossa Senhora do Monte you can marvel at the dynamic wicker basket sledgers before embarking on your final stage. With a marvellous view onto the coast from Funchal the route leads you once again across subtropical island vegetation and back into the capital. We highly recommend you visit the amazing botanical garden giving you an understanding of the exotic flora of the island on an area of 35 000 square metres.

Day
8
Departure or extension

Tour character

Daily routes along well-built and very diverse paths, which can however sometimes be on narrow paths. Lots of paths run along the coastline and also along Levadas (irrigation canals), where a head for heights and sure-footnedness are essential in some sections. You will need a good level of fitness for this waking holiday where the walks may take max. 5 hours.

moderate

 

Prices & dates

Category: 4* hotels, 2x lovely 2* hotel (Porto da Cruz)

Prices per person in CHF

Services & Information

Included:

  • Accommodation as mentioned incl. breakfast 
  • Daily luggage transfer
  • Welcome briefing (German, English)
  • Transfers according to programme
  • 1 Bus ride from Cabo Girao to Funchal
  • 1 Uphill cable car journey to Monte/Funchal
  • Carefully elaborated route 
  • Detailed travel documents 1x per room (German, English, French)
  • App for Navigaion and GPS data
  • Service hotline

Note:

  • Tourist tax, if due, is not included in the price
  • Reservation fee of CHF 20.- per adult (incl. legally required customer money protection) 
     

Optional:

  • Half-board evening meal (mostly multi-course, sometimes outside the property, payable with voucher)

Arrival/Departure:

  • Funchal airport. By bus it takes about 30 minutes to get to Porto da Cruz or you can take a short taxi ride costing about CHF 35.- per journey. 
  • The return journey to Funchal airport from Funchal takes about 1 hour. The taxi costs about CHF 35.- and takes about 30 minutes.

Other important information: 

  • The distance travelled is approximate and may differ from the actual distance.  
  • Travel cancellation insurance, including travel interruption insurance is recommended. 

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