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How to plan a walking adventure in Madeira

Our Walking in Madeira tour is an ideal option for a small group trip. As a beginner walker, fellow Explorer Fiona shares her experience as a fantastic way to discover this beautiful Portuguese island.
Written by: Fiona Yau - Pricing and Inventory Specialist at Explore Worldwide
Published: 15 January 2025

Madeira has long welcomed visitors seeking winter sun: the 'island of eternal spring' is a tempting choice for many, with temperatures hovering between 18–27°c year-round. The main island of Madeira has really come into its own in recent years, striding into the forefront as a prime walking destination.

There's ample opportunity to explore Madeira's striking volcanic landscape by foot, with the slightly cooler climates of the mountains creating ideal walking conditions. 

We caught up with Fiona, who joined our Walking in Madeira small group tour:

"Having never been on a walking adventure before, I had no idea what to expect. I enjoy walking but I’d never achieved the distances listed for this trip, nor had I been on a small group tour with people I didn’t know before. How did I know I would cope and wouldn’t hold people up? 

What I soon discovered was that these reasons meant this way of traveling, a walking small group tour, would be ideal for me..."
 

Best walking routes in Madeira:

1. Ponta de São Lourenço: Madeira is incredibly varied; on our first walk we encountered the arid, rocky landscape at Ponta de São Lourenço and then began following some of the Levadas themselves, a series of over 200 water canals which stretch nearly 3,000km (almost 2000 miles) around the island. 

Wandering through verdant forests, tunnels and villages, we had time to take all of this in as we learnt about the history of these water channels. These unique irrigation canals were built by Portuguese settlers in the 15th century, allowing the island to develop as a Portuguese outpost.
2. Levada dos Tornos: Levada dos Tornos is one of the most important levadas in Madeira, because it brings water from the north of the island to the drier southern part of the island. This ancient levada is set at a slightly lower altitude, passing along an aqueduct and through a subtropical laurel forest that's over 20 million years old!

3: Pico Ruivo: Standing at 6,106 feet, Pico Ruivo is Portugal's third highest point and offers incredible views of the surrounding valleys. By far my favorite walk took us across the peaks of Madeira, from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. 

It was the most challenging of all the walks we did; with a long winding trail of steps to reach the summit, I had to take my time on the way up but my group supported and encouraged me as I went. It was well worth it: I was rewarded with cheers from my group, as the last person to arrive, and spectacular views above the clouds.
4. Caldeirão Verde: On top of the man-made features of Madeira, we discovered beautiful natural sights. On one day we enjoyed lunch at Caldeirão Verde, the ‘Green Cauldron’, so called due to the plunging waterfall which falls into a green clearing surrounded by high trees and the tall cliff that it falls from. 

The photographers in our group used the chance to get some fantastic shots. It's also a historic spot, completed with a visit to 'Casas de Santana', which are traditional A-framed houses.

With so many walks and trails to choose from, almost every route offers breathtaking landscapes and views. Whether it's soaking up the island's central mountain range or panoramic vistas across the North Atlantic Ocean, there's always another breathtaking view just around the corner. 

On our small group tour to Madeira, we didn't just observe, we interacted with the landscapes, too, whether that was diving into the brilliant blue waters or darting beneath tremendous waterfalls.

What to eat and drink in Madeira

We tried local food delicacies such as espada, a black scabbardfish with banana, and bolo de mel, a cake made from molasses. Filipe, our Explore leader, even picked fruits and leaves off the trees as we passed by. This level of knowledge really added a special touch to the trip; it’s certainly not something I’d have known, or even thought to try, without a local.

In Funchal we visited Mercado dos Lavradores (the farmers market), where there's lots of local tropical fruit, from passionfruit to custard apples. Popular drinks in Madeira include a poncha cocktail, constructed with aguardente, lemon or orange and sugar or honey. We also tried traditional Madeira Wine, which have a sweet flavour and a true winemaking prestige, especially at the likes of Blandy's Wine Lodge in Funchal. Discover more things to eat and drink in Portugal here.

Culture in Madeira

In amongst the walking we also discovered the culture of Madeira, stopping off at cafés and bars as a way to break up the walks. On our last day, we had the chance to explore Funchal and visited a Madeiran embroidery workshop. 

We also had some free-time to do our own sight-seeing, and having heard about the views over the town, I took the cable car up to Monte Palace Tropical Garden. The gardens were beautiful with koi ponds as part of the oriental design. The best part was the trip down – a thrilling ride on a wicker toboggan! Discover more Portugal walking trip options here.

Don't just travel, Explore!

How to visit Madeira: Daily direct flights operate from various UK cities to Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport. Join our Madeira walking and discovery tours to discover the 'Pearl of the Atlantic' for yourself on our dedicated small group tours. 
View all Madeira tours

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