After the short walk and lunch stop, we had to hurry back for the 2pm bus (to avoid a 2-hour wait and maybe the next bus being full). Plus Alec tripped among the crowds on the path, cutting his arm and twisting his ankle.
Not a good start!
Instead of our usual 'do-it-ourselves' holiday, we thought we'd try an organised trip.
We've had to reduce the running this year, so a walking holiday seemed to fit the bill.
Friends who had been to Madeira recommended its scenery, and the trip advertised by 'Exodus'
looked suitable. Guided walks each day, plus luggage transfers to the next hotel.
The walks were not particularly challenging, but promised to visit some of the best areas.
The lift to Gatwick, TAP scheduled air flight on time, and minibus transfer
to the hotel in Machico all went exactly to plan. And no hour-change to cope with.
The leader introduced the group to each other at dinner - 16 of very mixed ability did seem
rather a lot for one guide to manage.
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A short walk to Machico bus station, then a lot of waiting,
for those who needed food from the supermarket, and for the bus to Abra bay.
This popular area on the eastern tip of the island is easily accessible, and the
narrow paths were very crowded on a weekend. This didn't seem particularly well-planned.
After the short walk and lunch stop, we had to hurry back for the 2pm bus (to avoid a 2-hour wait and maybe the next bus being full). Plus Alec tripped among the crowds on the path, cutting his arm and twisting his ankle. Not a good start! |
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Another lot of hanging around for a bus to the start of the alternative
'Levada do Castelejo' walk. Very easy flat walking, but quite interesting - compact hill
farming on terraces, and lots of flowers. Even here the group tended to spread out a long way
down the paths, so some missed hearing the guide's local knowledge.
Lunch stop at a bar, then another bar stop before the steep descent into Porto da Cruz on the north coast.  |
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| Into the minibuses again for the winding mountain road along the coast to our hotel, just inland from Santana. |  |
Passing thru Santana, we saw tourist replicas of the traditional thatched houses from this area. |
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 Queimadas. | Early breakfast, for minibuses at 9am to Queimadas, for
another levada walk to Caldeirao Verde. Again a popular route, squeezing past people, and crowded at lunch stop by waterfall. | ||
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This levada was more dramatic, with steep drops alongside (but well fenced) and 4 short tunnels. We needed our torches to miss the puddles, and see where to duck overhead rocks. |  |
We retraced our steps a bit, then turned towards Ilha - much steeper here, and difficult for Alec's sprained ankle. Into minibuses yet again and back to hotel. |
 Coach-stop coastal view. |
No walk this morning. A coach trip ('free extra') along the coast to our next hotel at Sao Vicente, with 'tourist photo' stops en-route. Dropped off luggage, plus Alec, whose ankle was too sore to walk today. |  Sao Vicente. |
| Then bus took us inland to start of walk to Encumeada. Long uphill drag on wide stony forestry track, but then came out onto narrower rocky trails, with splendid mountain views, and lunch at the top. |  The central mountains (where we had expected to be walking, if they hadn't been burnt). |
 Lunch with a view. |
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We descended via the Levada da Seno, with an overhanging basalt sill, generating several waterfalls to get past - waterproofs definitely necessary. There was a steep downhill scramble to the road near Encumeada, to wait for the buses to take us the short hop, for a brief drink at a bar. Apparently we should have been in hotel here, but they overbooked, so buses back to Sao Vicente again. At least this was an 'upgrade' hotel, with a pool and jakuzi for us to use before dinner. |
 Burned hillside. |
Another lengthy minibus ride to start our walk in Fontes,
on the south side of the island.We started fairly high up, and stayed above the cloud level,
skirting the edges of the forest fire areas. There was still a lot of evidence of the devastation,
bare hillsides and burnt buildings.
A pity we had to cut short the route and descend on a wide track instead of on the ridge, as some of party were so slow and unsteady on rough paths. |
 Burned stile. |
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Optional extra 'out-and-back' for us keener ones to see spectacular view-piont over Curral des Freiras. Finished on steep road downhill to Corticeiras bar (for ice creams) then hurried down to catch local bus to Funchal. |  |
 Funchal |
Our last full day was designated 'free' to explore Funchal area, but Alec did that yesterday, so we devised our own levada walk. |  Jacaranda |
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Once we found the right bus along the coast we started from Quebradas (4 different bus companies, we nearly ended up back across the island on wrong one!). Our guidebook showed a route in the Scorridos valley up the Levada do Piornais and Levada do Curral. Starting through houses and banana plantations, these were not nearly so well-maintained as on the main tourist routes, being covered in by broken paving slabs. The noise from the rock and gravel workings in the valley made it hard to appreciate the view of the new road bridge. We eventually reached a better section in a steep river gorge, and found a lunch spot before returning. |  Bananas |
| Back into the buses for our final transfer to the airport.
Overall, we found the island delightful, but would not go again with this tour.
Some walks limited by (un)availability of transport.
Walks different and shorter than advertised.
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