Walking in Madeira

ARRIVE IN MADEIRA

On arrival in Funchal we transfer to the Santa Cruz Village Hotel, our base for the week  

Transfer Time 10 mins  

Meals Included: Dinner

LEVADA PONTA SAO LOURENCO

Visiting some of the finest cliff scenery on Madeira, this walk explores the long thin peninsula at the eastern end of the island. The trail follows São Lourenco Point, the easternmost peninsula of Madeira island, named after the ship sailed by João Goncalves de Zarco, one of the three discoverers of Madeira, who on coming near this piece of land shouted to his ship “São Lourenco, that’s enough!” We may even be lucky enough to spot the world’s rarest seal, known in Madeira as the ‘sea wolf’.

Distance of Walk 8km

Walking Time 3 ½ Hours

Walking Grade Medium

Transfer Time – 20 mins each way

Meals Included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

DAY AT LEISURE

Discover and explore the local area or perhaps take one of the optional excursions such as half day Whale and Dolphin cruise

Meals Included: Breakfast Dinner

LEVADA CALDEIRO VERDE

After breakfast we take our coach to the Queimadas Forest Park 980m above sea level.  Starting at the Queimadas guesthouse and walking along the Levada of Caldeirão Verde, we make our way westwards through an emerald green paradise. Soon after the start we see the most spectacular views of the villages far below.  A waterfall comes into view and soon after passing it, we go through some short tunnels and after a while we arrive at Caldeirão Verde, a majestic waterfall. This is a highly recommended walk where we can discover some of the most remote parts of the island. 

Distance of Walk 13km 

Walking Time 4 ½ Hours 

Walking Grade Medium 

Transfer Time 45 mins each way 

Meals Included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

RABACAL & 25 FONTES WALK

The valley of Rabacal is one of nature’s greatest celebrations. Descending from the plateau of Paúl da Serra, we arrive at the Rabacal guesthouse from where we walk to the beautiful Risco waterfall.   We then walk to the levada of 25 Fontes and after a while we reach a small lake at the bottom of a cliff which towers above us, from the cliff face, 25 natural springs cascade into the small lake.  

Distance of Walk 13km 

Walking Time 4 ½ Hours 

Walking Grade Medium 

Transfer Time 55 mins each way 

Meals Included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

LEVADA DO REI

Today we take our coach to Quebradas in Sao Jorge to start our last days walk. Our route takes us around the valley of Sao Jorge experiencing the spectacular agricultural landscapes plus we can see and learn about the herbs and medicinal plants indigenous to this area. Our route then takes us to the Laurissilva Forest, a Unesco World Heritage Site housing the biggest concentration of natural forest in the world and is said to be the best preserved. We then continue passing a delightful waterfall arriving in the beautiful, sanctuary like Ribeiro Bonito. We then retrace our steps back to Sao Jorge where we can see our route with a different perspective. 

Distance of Walk 10km 

Walking Time 3 ½ Hours 

Walking Grade Medium 

Transfer Time 40 mins each way 

Meals Included: Breakfast Lunch Dinner

DAY AT LEISURE

Meals Included: Breakfast Dinner

DEPARTURE DAY

After breakfast at the hotel and check out, we will transfer to the airport for our flight home 

Meals Included: Breakfast