Madeira Hiking Trails

8 days / 7 nights

Madeira Island is famous for its excellent temperature climate, where it always seems to be spring. The sweetness of the sea water and the green vegetation, nicknamed the "Pearl of the Atlantic" or "Atlantic Garden", make Madeira a tourist destination of choice throughout the year.
The Laurissilva Forest, classified as World Natural Heritage by UNESCO, offers unique landscapes, allowing you to embark on the adventure of "levadas", irrigation channels on the mountainside, leading to the discovery of beautiful landscapes where mingle cliffs and waterfalls shaped by men over the centuries into a huge terraced garden.
It is said that the island and the archipelago will have received this name because of the density of the forest which allowed to collect a lot of wood for the ships necessary for the Portuguese maritime expansion at the time of the Portuguese discoveries which gave " new worlds in the world ".
Nowadays, the island of Madeira is modernized, while maintaining its traditional way of life and its great green charm to possess, in its 728 km2, mountain, sea, mild climate, customs and traditions always alive and graceful.

Day 1: Arrival

Arrival at the airport of Funchal in Madeira. Welcome by our English representative, transfer by coach tour to your hotel (Hotel Jardins da Ajuda ****).
Installation at the hotel.
Dinner with drinks and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast.
We offer a very pleasant walk of 7 km. Flat trail without any risk of vertigo located on the heights of Funchal. Possibility of stopping halfway. At the end of the walk, we will go to Camacha 10 km from Funchal, this is the largest basketry center on the island (about 80% of total production).
Visit the largest factory on the island where you will appreciate the work of wicker, rush, willow twigs.
Return to the hotel.
Lunch with drinks.
Free afternoon.
Dinner with drinks and accommodation at your Hotel.

Breakfast.
Departure by bus for your hike exploring the long and narrow peninsula at the end of the island. The trails are hilly. The tip of the island of Madeira is named after the caravel of João Gonçalves de Zarco, one of the three explorers who discovered the island of Madeira. This peninsula is of volcanic origin, largely basaltic. The semi-arid climate and exposure to the north winds determine the development and low vegetation and lack of trees, which diverges from the rest of the island and represents a true natural heritage. In terms of fauna, we can highlight the presence of one of the largest colonies of Leucophée gulls in the region. Along the way, it is possible to see several species of birds. On the southern skyline, the deserted islands and to the north, the island of Porto Santo.
Picnic lunch on short hiking.
Back to your hotel.
Dinner with drinks.
Accommodation.

Breakfast.
Departure by bus. Your hike will start from the Parc Forestier de Queimadas, this hike is a 'round trip' that crosses particularly steep slopes, but it is one of the best ways to enter the São Jorge on foot (bring you a flashlight for this hike through a tunnel) and follows along the Levada do Caldeirão Verde (green cauldron) located at 980 m above sea level, in the municipality of Santana. The impressive levada do Caldeirão Verde, built in the 18th century, has its source in the main bed of Ribeira do Caldeirão Verde, crossing steep slopes and mountains to carry the water that descends from the highest mountains of the island. Madeira Island, and water the agricultural lands of the locality of Faial. This levada represents an important route of entry into the deep valley of Ribeira de São Jorge and offers the hiker a spectacular and breathtaking view of the orography of the interior of the island, while allowing the crossing of tunnels dug out of the rock. In the Queimadas Forest Park you will find the Queimadas Refuge, which retains the original features of typical Santana houses, with a magnificent thatched roof. After crossing the tunnels, the Caldeirão Verde appears to the left of the levada, its lake is formed by water that projects vertically from the bed of Ribeira de São Jorge to a height of about 100 m.
Let yourself be seduced by this scenario and catch your breath for the return.
Picnic lunch on short hiking.
Back to your hotel.
Dinner with drinks.
Accommodation.

Breakfast.
Departure by bus. Passing by a spectacular waterfall, this hike begins with a gentle descent to Rabaçal.
Both courses begin on the regional road, and go down to Rabaçal refuge. They then separate to follow two parallel levadas with different ribs.
The route follows along the Risco Valley, located at an altitude of 1000 m, and leads the hiker to an impressive waterfall, which falls vertically forming a stripe in the rock.
You can visit the Lagoa das 25 Fontes (lagoon of 25 springs), formed by the waters that come down from Paul da Serra and mysteriously appear behind the wall that constitutes it, where you will count more than 25 sources. According to the legend, those who dive in this place did not come back to the surface, which was the case of an Englishman who wanted to put an end to this superstition and which was never found.
This area integrates the Madeira Laureate forest area, classified as World Natural Heritage by UNESCO, and is part of the European network of sites of Community importance - (Natura 2000 Network).
Picnic lunch on short hiking.
Back to your hotel.
Dinner with drinks.
Accommodation.

Breakfast.
Departure by bus. Start your trek on a Levada, one of the first acquired by the state to irrigate the farmland of Porto da Cruz.
This route starts in Ribeiro Frio which is located in Santana. All along the 860-meter high coast, we will follow the Levada da Serra do Faial to the water division house, then descend to the Lamaceiros area. The route ends at the portela lookout, located in the municipality of Machico.
The Levada do Furado is one of the oldest levadas owned by the state. It was acquired thanks to a contract concluded in 1822 between the first Earl of Carvalhal and the Junta Real Fazenda, to irrigate the agricultural lands of Porto da Cruz.
Throughout this levada, we can admire the many tones of green offered by the vast expanse of natural forest of the island in perfect state of conservation.
The landscape is dominated by the valley of Ribeiro Frio where the magnificent agricultural fields of Faial, São Roque do Faial and Porto da Cruz will surprise you. The spectacular rock mass of Penha de Águia protects, on the east side, Faial bay, and to the west, Ponta dos Clérigos.
It is in the locality of Lamaceiros that the waters separate and it is here that ends the Levada do Furado and that begins the descent towards the village of Portela. Crossing the forest area and Lamaceiros Forest Station, the route continues along a dirt road until you reach Levada da Portela, which runs along Lombo das Faias, to end. on the Regional Road.
Back to your hotel.
Dinner with drinks.
Accommodation.

Breakfast.
Departure by bus to the center of Madeira, inside the island where, from Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, you will discover the northern levada and a magnificent view of Funchal and Câmara de Lobos before starting your journey on the paths of land (+/- 1h30) towards Lugar de Fontes.
Beautiful road lined with flowers, eucalyptus and wild mimosa. About 40% of the total course on tracks and paths.
Return to Funchal by São João and São Paulo.
Back to your hotel.
Lunch with drinks.
Free afternoon.
Dinner with drinks in a typical restaurant in Funchal.
Accommodation.

Breakfast.
Departure transfer according to your schedules by coach tourism with French speaking. Assistance with boarding formalities.
End of our services.

INCLUDED IN THE PROGRAM:
- Accommodation in a hotel **** in Funchal,
- Full board with beverages from J1 dinner to J8 lunch,
- Lunch in typical local restaurants with drinks and coffee included,
- Coach and guide Francophone during transfers and excursions according to the program,
- Visits and entries indicated in the program,
- Cruise at sea,
- 1 tasting of Poncha
- Fruit tasting at the market,
- The decent sleigh of Osier,
- Folklore evening dinner
- The taxes.