Walking Subtropical Madeira in December

Madeira's southerly location in the Atlantic Ocean gives it warm weather throughout autumn and winter, making it an ideal destination for year-round active holidays. Its rugged and spectacular landscape is unique and distinctive, though as I would discover, the photos really don’t do it justice. This is a place you have to see for yourself.

I flew direct from Gatwick to Funchal with Easyjet. It’s a popular holiday destination so is well served from many UK and European airports. The airport itself is known for its interesting approach and landing, with a sharp turn just before the runway. If you enjoy flying, I’d recommend a window seat on the right-hand side of the aircraft for the best view. For nervous flyers, just take a deep breath and think about the amazing holiday you have ahead of you!

From the airport, we recommend taking a taxi to the first hotel in Porto da Cruz - there’s a taxi rank outside the terminal building. There are local buses too, but they’re infrequent so may not coincide with your flight’s arrival. It’s about a 20 minute drive, so I arrived in good time to check in to the hotel, which was right on the seafront, then have a wander around Porta da Cruz.

It’s a small town, surrounded by cliffs, popular with hikers, cyclists and surfers. Historically, its main industries were sugar cane and rum, and the Engenhos do Norte steam-powered distillery is still in operation, producing a variety of potent white rums. It’s open to the public and they offer tastings of ‘Poncha’ - rum blended with fresh fruit juice, a speciality of the island.

I didn’t sample too much though, as I had a welcome briefing to attend. A local representative explained the format of the upcoming walks and handed over the comprehensive maps and route notes that would guide me for the coming days. I had also downloaded the route maps to my phone, and so he gave me a quick run through of the dedicated app that I used in conjunction with the paper maps. The meeting was also a great opportunity to ask questions and learn a little more about Madeira itself. Then it was dinner in the hotel and off to bed ready for the 9 o’clock pickup in the morning.

The tour includes 6 walking days and takes you on a full loop of the island, combining routes along the coast, through the foothills and over the high-altitude central plateau. Much of the time, the walks are on Levadas, which are paths following the course of irrigation channels cut into the hillsides. They follow the contours of the land, meaning the gradients stay mellow, and they’re generally well-marked and maintained. At times, they have a steep drop on one side, but usually there are handrails or fences protecting any particularly precarious sections.

The first day’s walk begins from the sandy beach at Machico, a 15 minute transfer from the hotel. An initial uphill gets the legs warmed up, with views back over the town and Funchal Airport, then the route joins a levada, gently gaining altitude to Boca do Risco a stunning viewpoint overlooking the Atlantic. From there, the path is cut into the cliff high above the waves below, for an invigorating loop back to Porto da Cruz. A spectacular way to start.

The following days continue the loop in an anti-clockwise direction, firstly along the north coast taking in the traditional thatched roof village at Santana and then the famous Levada do Rei. The trail takes you up a lush green valley alongside the rushing Ribeiro Bonito stream through laurel forests which are protected as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site.

The highest walk on the route is on the island’s central plateau, Paul de Serra, at altitudes of up to 1,500 metres. The road transfer to the trailhead is spectacular, and an easy way to gain altitude! Once on the plateau, the walk itself is a slow and gentle descent through the cloud forests. Unfortunately for me, they lived up to their name and I was in clouds for much of the day. There are numerous viewpoints over the valleys along the way, but I only had the occasional glimpse of a view when the clouds parted. In good weather, it’d be breathtaking.

In Porto Moniz, the lava rockpools looked very tempting for a swim, but maybe not in early December! From there, the walking continues around to the southwestern coast which is more sheltered from the prevailing wind and so generally sees more sunshine. Here I was walking through eucalyptus trees and terraced fruit farms which felt tropical, even in mid winter. Most villages were setting up Nativity scenes which, with a backdrop of palm trees and blue skies, were a strange reminder of the season!

A final highlight before reaching Funchal was Cabo Giro, where the vertical sea cliffs reach 580 metres. There’s a great viewing platform high above the Atlantic, with views over the island’s capital and the remote Ilhas Desertas (literally, Deserted Islands) in the distance beyond. The glass-floored ‘skywalk’ shows just how high 580 metres really is, and is not recommended to anyone with a fear of heights!

The last day is a loop walk from Funchal, taking advantage of a cable car from sea level up to Monte, a high point above the town. From here it’s a leisurely, descending route through forests and outlying villages back into town. Just below the cable car station I spotted the famous toboggan run, where tourists are loaded into wicker baskets on skids and pushed down the steep and windy streets. I didn’t have a go myself, but it was fun to watch a few of them sliding around a corner barely avoiding the stone walls either side of them.

Once back down in Funchal, I wandered around the pedestrianised town centre where the nativity scenes and a Christmas market were all being set up. The central food market selling local fruit, vegetables and seafood is also well worth a visit. There are plenty of restaurants and bars in town to suit all tastes, so it’s a great place to spend a couple of nights at the end of the tour before flying home.

There are two categories of accommodation on this tour; Standard and Superior. Both options will see you staying in very comfortable hotels, often with swimming pools. In a few locations, the same hotel is used in both categories, but the Superior option gives room upgrades and a sea view wherever possible.

In Porto da Cruz we use 2* hotels which, despite the lower star rating, are located right on the seafront, with fantastic views, great restaurants and a warm welcome guaranteed.

Surrounded by thousands of miles of ocean, seafood is naturally the speciality of the island. I particularly enjoyed the fresh swordfish and tuna, as well various types of shellfish. Grilled meat is also very popular, often cooked on skewers. The traditional honey cake, sweet and covered in chopped nuts, was perfect to go in the backpack for an energy-boosting treat while walking. As mentioned earlier, the rum-based Poncha is the speciality drink, and an ice-cold Coral beer goes down very nicely after a long day walking in the hills.

• The welcome meeting is normally arranged for the arrival evening. It’s a great opportunity to ask questions. Be sure to save the local representative’s contact number in your phone in case you need assistance at any point during the trip.
• The route information booklet gives full details of each day’s walk. It’ll show where food and drink stops are available (or not) on the routes. Make sure you plan ahead and pack a picnic on days when you won’t pass restaurants. There are supermarkets in all the towns where you stay.
• Most days involve a road transfer to and from the trailhead, missing out any monotonous walking on town pavements and getting you straight to the interesting stuff.
• Your luggage is transferred between hotels, but be sure to bring a lightweight backpack with enough space to pack waterproofs, a warm layer, a picnic, a camera and anything else you might need while you’re walking.
• The walks will be anywhere between sea level and 1,500 metres altitude, so even in mid-summer, do bring appropriate clothing for walking in a range of temperatures and weather conditions.
• Sturdy walking shoes or boots are essential.
• The final day’s walk from Funchal is optional. You may prefer to take a day off to relax in your hotel or sightsee in the town itself. The ride up the gondola is definitely recommended though, and even a ride on the wicker toboggans if you’re feeling adventurous.
• If you prefer to travel on two wheels, we also offer a Madeira Bike Tour, following a similar route around the island.
• Bookings for this tour in 2022 are covered by our Freedom Promise, giving you the flexibility to postpone or change tours for any reason up to 28 days before departure.