Top 10 Madeira (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides)

Left Walking along the Levada do Risco Right Madeiran bus
Walking Tips
! Give it a Go
Many walkers rate
Madeira as one of the
most rewarding European
destinations and visit the
island regularly. Find out
why walking on Madeira
can be so addictive by
trying a short walk on
your own, or by signing
up for a guided walking
tour (see p51).
Maps and Guides
@ Madeira is changing
so fast that no map or
guide is fully up-to-date.
Users of Sunflower
Books’ Madeira walking
guide are extremely good
at providing feedback on
the latest changes, which
are posted on the publisher’s
website. d www.
sunflowerbooks.co.uk
£ Mountains or
Woods
Everyone likes variety, but
there are those who opt
for mountain walks and
others who prefer a woodland
stroll. Madeira caters
to both, with steep cobbled
paths linking the
peaks of the island’s central
mountain range,
where vegetation is
sparse, and levada paths
that follow the contours
through more gentle,
domesticated landscapes.
$ Be Prepared
Check a reliable guide
to see what hazards you
can expect on the route
and prepare accordingly.
Mountain walks lack
shade and are susceptible
to sudden downpours
or chilly clouds that
obscure the way ahead.
Levada walks can be muddy
and may involve long tunnels,
waterfalls that cascade
over the path or streams
that have to be waded.
% Choosing a Base
If you have come to
Madeira just to walk,
Funchal might not be the
best place to stay. You
may prefer to choose a
hotel that is closer to a
good choice of routes,
such as the Pousada dos
Vinháticos (see p116), the
Residencial Encumeada
(see p116) or the Solar de
Boaventura (see p115).
Cars and Taxis ^ There are very few
circular walks on Madeira.
Fortunately, you can
arrange to be dropped off
and collected by taxi, or
you can call a cab once
you reach the end of your
walk. Another option is
to drive to the starting
point of your walk, and
take a taxi back to your
car at the end.
& Buses
A good walking guide
will provide details of bus
connections as well as a
timing guide, so that you
can see in advance how
long each route will take.
Madeira’s rural buses are
reliable, but on long-distance
routes across the
island there is only one
bus a day, so you might
have to get to the start of
the walk by bus and return
by taxi, or vice versa.
* Mobile Phones
Mobile phones can
be a pest, but they may
also be a life-saver when
used to call for help in an
emergency. They are also
useful simply for letting
your taxi driver know
how long you will be. If
you do not have a mobile
phone, let your hotel
know where you are
going and at what time
you are due back, so that
someone can raise the
alarm if you fail to return.
( Field Guide
Nothing can be more
annoying than not being
able to put a name to all
the flowers, ferns, succulents
and lichens that you
will see along the route.
Consider investing in a
wildlife guide, such as
Madeira’s Natural History
in a Nutshell by Peter
Sziemer, available at
most Funchal bookshops
(see p57). Rather heavier
than its title implies, it
will tell you all you need
to know about the
island’s geology, flora
and fauna.
) Picnics
Don’t forget to pack a
picnic to enjoy in a sunny
glade or at a panoramic
viewing point along your
route. Any left-over
crumbs of bread can be
fed to the birds that will
come to see what you
are up to, or to the trout
(escapees from local trout
farms) that you may spot
in some of the island’s
rivers and levadas.
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