On Top of the World

I’ve recently come back from a few days in Madeira. I wanted to see my parents and the idea of catching up with them in sunnier climes was a much more appealing prospect than in the very soggy Blighty. So I left Rome very early one morning, took two flights, via Lisbon and was soon touching down on the Portuguese island of Madeira. This is a little green gem of an island off the northwest coast of Africa. Discovered in 1418 by the Portuguese, this volcanic island is known as the “Island of the Eternal Spring” thanks to it’s year-round mild climate. Being a mix of lush green peaks, little seaside towns and with the cultural capital Funchal it’s a destination that has something for everyone.

Exploring Funchal was a real delight, it’s the perfect place to wander aimlessly amongst it’s charmful little streets, stroll through its exotic gardens or people watch along the promenade. Of course I can highly recommend taking a tour! Mum and I booked on to a two hour walking tour of Funchal run by the Madeiran Heritage Programme. All the guides are volunteers and ours, Elea was fantastic. We learnt and saw so much. We covered everything from the first settlers on Madeira, to the meaning behind the name Funchal (it means fennel due to the vast amount of the wild herb originally found there) to perhaps most importantly the food and drink associated with Madeira! Amongst other places, we visited the Mercados dos Lavradores, the cathedral, Blandy’s Wine Lodge and Rua de Santa Maria. The latter being a beautiful, narrow, cobble-stoned street jam-packed with small shops and restaurants, which since 2010 is home to more than 200 painted doorways in an attempt to rejuvenate the rundown old town. The tour was a great way to experience this vibrant, small city.

Another high point of the trip was the obligatory famous Monte Toboggan Ride. This unique experience sees visitors jumping in to a wicker sled and whizzing down the steep streets of Monte, the uphill suburb of Funchal. The thrilling ride takes about 10 minutes and covers approximately 2 km. The traditional toboggans are guided by two carreiros, guys in white uniforms and straw hats who use their thick rubber-soled boots to brake and steer the wicker sleds. This quirky tradition dates back to around 1850 when it was introduced as a method for the locals to quickly descend from the hilly village of Monte to the streets of Funchal below. It was great fun! Whilst mostly it was a pleasant ride down the hill, there were a few hair-raising moments as we drifted round corners and came a bit too close for comfort to parked cars along the street! It was for this reason we decided to partake in a poncha at the bottom to settle our nerves. A poncha is a traditional, Madeiran drink made of sugar cane spirit, honey and lemon juice, usually enjoyed by the locals stood at the bar in the same way Italians take an espresso. One was certainly enough for us!

However, the absolute highlight of my five day Madeira jaunt was slightly more active. Madeira is famous for its hiking. Thanks to the islands extensive network of levadas, it offers walks to suit all levels of desired exertion. Levadas are little irrigation channels which transport water from the wetter, lush peaks of the north to the drier areas of the south. There’s around 3,000 km of them, travelling through lush forests, dark tunnels and dramatic waterfalls. If hiking is your main reason for visiting Madeira I’d recommend hiring a car but given that I was at the whim of public transport my options were slightly restricted. I had decided to head up to the second highest peak on the island via bus and walk along the PR1 trail to the highest peak and back. However, this plan was scuppered somewhat upon discovering that with the exception of the first kilometre and a half, the trail was closed due to wild fires. I had to rethink. I soon made a new plan and the following morning I filled my new backpack, laced up the hiking shoes and set off at 5:30 am to catch the 6 o’clock bus. It was long before daybreak and the twinkling lights of the city were dancing in the reflection of the harbour as I walked along the deserted promenade. I took the bus up to the second highest peak of the island, Pico do Arieiro, as I’d been recommended to witness the sunrise from up there. The conditions at the top were far removed from the balmy night down below. At just below 6,000 ft high the wind was whipping and whistling around the jagged peaks. Not that I could see them! It was pitch black! Having layered up and lit the torch on my phone I set off along the PR1 for as far as I could go. I’d been recommended by friends to go past the usually crowded first viewpoint and head further along the trail, which is exactly what I did. As I gingerly walked along a mix of steep stepped sections and narrow paths I had a feeling the darkness was hiding some pretty dramatic drops to either side! This was later confirmed on my return! I soon reached the point where the path was barricaded and I took shelter from the whistling wind, far from the other torchlights and distant voices and waited for sunrise.

It’s not often I’m lost for words. Even writing this I don’t know if there’s enough superlatives to do this experience justice. I’ll try, but this really should be experienced first hand. Over the course of the next 45 minutes or so the sky changed colour from it’s inky blackness, to dark blue, deep red, bright orange and a beautiful azure. Each shade changing the whole landscape. As the sun slowly inched above the horizon, the details on the surrounding rockface became more and more clear, as though someone was increasing the clarity on a TV screen. The jagged teeth of the rocky promontories became more defined. But the most incredible part was that this whole scene was all taking place above the cloud! The fluffy layer of cloud stretched far away to the horizon, like a blanket of cotton wool protecting the world below. It was just absolutely breath taking. I really felt as though I was on top of the world. Often, in moments like that, one would think they should be shared with someone else. And yes, whilst it would have been nice to have someone there to witness it with me, to hold their hand whilst watching the natural spectacle that was unfolding, it was almost too big. Too important. Too magnified. Everything else became insignificant. Nothing else mattered in that moment. The only thing that was important was that the sun broke through that fluffy blanket and filled the mountain top with it’s warmth. I again felt at peace.

I had to eventually tear myself away from the mesmerising view as it was time to put in some effort and burn off the pasta del natas I’d enjoyed the day before. As PR1 was no longer an option, I decided to take PR3….down the mountain…..then climb back up! For the next few hours I was in seventh heaven. The crowds swarming around the peak, the cafe and parking lot soon thinned out to the point where I was completely alone on the trail. The sun by now was already a fierce ball in the sky, the bright blue stretched never endingly above me and the reassuring blanket of cloud was nestled below. I descended down to Ribeira das Cales at around 3,700 ft. The path was a wonderful mix of rocky outcrops, mossy heathland, stony canyons and shaded pine forest. The latter had the most wonderful smell as the sun’s heat created a natural pine air freshener. My thighs were quite grateful that the descent was coming to an end and the sight of the beautifully located Forest cafe nestled in a small valley was extremely welcome. After enjoying an espresso, passionfruit juice and an enormous slice of passionfruit cake I set off again. This time the calves were to get the workout! I followed the road for a little way with the intention of picking up a path alongside a levada. I soon found the levada but no sign of a path. Perhaps it was because it was too steep and a bit of clambering was involved! Nevertheless, a fan of adventure, undeterred I followed the babbling irrigation channel and after a mile or so of clambering over fallen trees, scraping my way through brambles I emerged at a road crossing where the path did become evident. Despite the accessibility I didn’t see anyone else on this stretch of levada and thoroughly enjoyed the peace and quiet. Just the chirping of birds and the trickling of water as a soundtrack. I then re-joined PR3 and made my way back up to the summit where I’d started before sunrise. I can honestly say it’s one of the best hikes I’ve ever done.

The adventure continued, as I didn’t fancy hanging around for two hours waiting for the bus back down. So I asked the milling throngs if anyone was heading down the mountain. A lovely Austrian couple took me part of the way where I then started walking with my thumb out. The first car stopped for me, making my first foray in to hitch-hiking very short-lived. This time it was a gorgeous German family who kindly took me all the way down to Funchal. Acts of random kindness like that never cease to amaze me and restores ones faith in humanity. As well as thoroughly enjoying the whole day, having covered 13 miles with a decent amount of elevation gain I also thoroughly enjoyed the delicious steak dinner with my Mum and Stepdad that night! What a day! What a trip! Thank you Madeira…..I’ve a feeling I’ll be back!

Strava Hike Link – https://strava.app.link/zAl8PI0100b