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MADEIRA
Portugal – Madeira

MADEIRA

  • 6 days
  • singles, couples, w/ kids
  • spring, summer, fall, winter

Madeira will captivate you. Beautiful nature, warm weather all year round, ideal place for hiking. In winter, it's likely to rain more often. In these six days, you will discover some truly wonderful treks. Including the beautiful trek to Pico Ruivo. You'll have the opportunity to drive through the whole island and spend a lot of time in nature. This holiday is a great opportunity for some active relaxation. And what’s more, the Madeira wine is delicious. You don't have to worry about the difficulty of the hiking trips, there are many trekking options, everyone can choose according to their physical abilities.

5 / 5
4
Day

Levada do Moinho – Levada Nova and afternoon swimming in Porto Moniz

Levada do Moinho – Levada Nova in the morning. Afternoon: Levada dos Cedros – Fanal (PR14), or swimming in Porto Moniz.

Today's full route can be found here.

Today's morning crossing is short (route). You will see the beautiful Levada do Moinho – Levada Nova. You'll need to bring a flash-light as there is one tunnel on the way – the one on your cell phone will suffice. The Levada is circular and is 8.5 km long; the elevation gain is negligible. Leave your car in the parking lot of the church at which the levada begins. Be sure to go in this direction, i.e., clockwise. Going the other way around would mean starting with an extreme uphill climb, this way you spread the altitude metres over several kilometres, so you don't feel like you are climbing at all and at the end you are just going downhill. Again, if you're here early, there will be only few people and the parking will still be available. Bring a drink and some snacks, there is nowhere to buy anything on the way. The only shop is at the end of the path, just before the church, where they will also make you coffee. A leisurely walk with coffee at the end will take you 3.5 hours.

Drive to the volcanic São Vicente Caves (route). You'll have a tour of the caves for about 30 minutes followed by a film about the formation of the island – the whole thing is interesting and good to see. Not a bad stop.

If you fancy a late lunch, stop at Restaurante A Cataplana – it's only 5 minutes from the caves, route here. Then follow the coastal road ER101 to Miradouro to Véu da Noiva (route from the restaurant here). Then drive to a very nice spot on the beach with stunning views of the ocean and cliffs – Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela (route).

And if you want to do one more beautiful levada, which is easy and 11 km long, then go here. It's the Levada dos Cedros – Fanal (PR14). There won't be many tourists there this late in the afternoon. It's a very nice trail, with one major climb about halfway up, but it's manageable. If you walk at a leisurely pace, you can do it in 3 hours. So, if you want to do this easy hike, try to save time during the day – maybe by skipping the cave tour or lunch. Once you've done the levada, you can go to Porto Moniz as described below, only you won't get to swim in the pools. They close at 7pm, but you can still make dinner at the Conchinha Bar.

If you don't feel like walking the levada, continue on to Porto Moniz (route). If it's warm, you can take a dip in the local Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools. Be sure to grab a bite at Bar Conchinha – they make really great food! And then it's just a transfer to your hotel. It's less than an hour (directions).

Alternatives: instead of the tour of São Vicente Caves you can go on an easy levada: TRIP – Levada Fajã do Rodrigues (PR16). While you are close to Porto Moniz you can go on another hike: TRIP – Levada do Moinho (PR7).

What will you visit?

Customise your route
Morning

TRIP – Levada do Moinho – Levada Nova

Beautiful 8.5 km long levada with minimal elevation gain. There is one tunnel on the way – the flashlight on your phone is enough for that. The starting point is at the church, where there is also a small parking lot. It is better to go clockwise! Bring a drink and a small snack. The destination is again at the church, there is a small shop where a very nice lady made us coffee.

3,5-4,5 hours
Afternoon

São Vicente Caves

Caves of volcanic origin, i.e., spaces where lava flowed at some point in history. It’s a bit of a tourist attraction – artificial pools, lots of colourful lights. But they have a nice model of a volcanic eruption and overall, it’s not bad. I recommend it if you’re going to be nearby.

101-199
0,75-1 hours

Restaurante "A Cataplana" – Centro Do Ouro

Restaurant at a rest area by the main road. It’s not very romantic or anything, but they have decent and relatively cheap food. It is completely fine as a short stop for lunch. Friendly staff.

1-1,5 hours

Miradouro do Véu da Noiva

A view and a waterfall. Unfortunately, at the time of our visit, the road to the waterfall was closed and it looked like a longer term closure. But from the viewpoint you can see the waterfall quite well. There are also a few souvenir shops.

0,4-0,5 hours

Ilheus da Ribeira da Janela

A wonderful place. Great view. Pebble or rocky beach. We spent almost an hour here. Nice place to take some pictures.

0,4-0,75 hours

Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools

Ponds with fresh sea water. Very cheap entrance fee – only 1,5 EUR. There are changing cabins and toilets. The pools have to be closed when the sea waves are too big. Ideal for a safe swim.

1-100
1-2,5 hours
Evening

Bar Conchinha

Have a soup and a sandwich – both were great. The sandwich was original, fresh, and really good. You can tell they think about what they are doing here. Honest little meals, plus very good prices. We had a great experience with this place and we can definitely recommend it.

1-1,5 hours

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