This gallery contains 24 photos.
Today was the last day of the trip – a day at leisure and for own explorations around Funchal. I left the hotel (in the hotel zone) and made my way to port and on to the Forte de São … Continue reading
This gallery contains 20 photos.
We started the day with a visit of a vegetable and fruit farm in the Eastern part of Funchal – from here we made it on to an orchid nursery, to get an introduction to the plants and a tour … Continue reading
We left Porto Santo on the evening ferry, leaving shortly before sunset – with the arrival to Madeira obviously in the dark – and some good nighttime views of Funchal.
This gallery contains 20 photos.
We had close to another full day on Porto Santo, i.e. until our pick-up for the evening ferry at 17:00. I decided, to go out and have a bit of hike up to some higher elevation for some good views. … Continue reading
Today the weather got us once more – it was raining and raining hard (supposedly the previous proper rain had been back in April – so, imagine our chances here).
We nevertheless were picked up for a morning tour of the island. First heading out for the Pico Castelo Viewpoint (with the visibility bad enough, that most did not even bother leaving the bus). From here we continued the trip around Pico do Facho to the Mirodouro da Portela. We were now in moderate rain – with OK views of town (the wind nevertheless killed my umbrella).
The next stop was in Vila Baleira – the island capital – itself, where we did proceed by foot – looking at the statues, hearing explorer stories, checking out the church (which was open for a church event some time later) – and culminating in a visit of the house of Christopher Columbus (well – his vacation home, he supposedly stayed in for some weeks – to use the island’s climate for the benefit of his sick wife).
We left town for a visit of a weird combination of bird zoo and park – the Quinta das Palmeiras. En-route we had a stop, to check out one of the traditional windmills on the islands – Moinho das Lombas.
A trip around the golf course and the Pico de Ana Ferreira got us to Ponta da Calheta (the South-Western most end of the island, I had already been to yesterday) – before making it back to the hotel.
The rest of the day was at leisure – without big activities for me – except for a quick bath in the Atlantic ocean (water temperature: ~21°C; air temperature: ~19°C).
We made it from the small port straight to the hotel – with the rest of day at leisure. I made it immediately out for a walk along the beach to the the South-Western most point of the island – Ponta da Calheta. From here it was back and on to Vila Baleira, the island’s capital for a walk around town.
By now we had explored Madeira quiet a bit – it was about time for a change. That change was to come – by ferry.
We left Calheta in the early morning, to make our way back to Funchal and to the Porto Santo ferry – for the 2.5 hour / ~80km trip to Porto Santo.
The way out was a bit of a review of some parts of the trip so far – Funchal, the Christ statue, the airport and of course Ponta de São Lourenço (now from a different angle).
This gallery contains 20 photos.
The sun was out today and the sky blue – a perfect day for another hike. A short drive got us from Calheta to Prazeres, where we started our hike along the Levada Faja. The hike here was an easy … Continue reading
Today we left Santana and Madeira’s North-East behind and made our way South-West. After a quick stop at a supermarket, we made it up to the Western highlands and to the trailhead for the Levada das 25 Fontes hike
That hike is often referred to as the most popular hike on Madeira – and despite November being off-season (at least in normal years) the trail turned out quiet busy with several bigger groups being squeezed through.
The weather was not on our side today – we started in light drizzle, with the rain getting worse over time – until we eventually got to a constant stream of steady rain.
At one point I decided, to put all gear into my backpack (which is now proven to be waterproof) – this included camera and phone (so only few photos here). The decision turned out a wise one, as I eventually was drenched to the underwear (as were most people in the group).
The hike itself – to me – felt pretty pointless … but then I was cold, wet and felt miserable – plus, the trail was super-busy and it all just took too long. Well – in fairness, I can understand, why this is a popular hike – I am sure, there are some fantastic views to be had here – and the waterfall and pond are probably nice places to be as well …
Needless to say, I was happy, when we were back on the bus and making our way down to the coast and the town of Calheta for a nice hot shower – and a change into dry clothes.
This gallery contains 20 photos.
Today we were heading out for Madeira’s Far East – to the Ponta de São Lourenço (Saint Lawrence Point) – and into a world very different from the green and lush Madeira, we had experienced so far. The terrain here … Continue reading