Author's tour to Madeira. The most beautiful places on the island

We meet the whole group at the airport. We will spend all our nights in the main city of the island, Funchal. We check into the apartments, leave our things and set off to explore the city.
Funchal has an ancient history, it is a city with beautiful old palaces, authentic streets and picturesque gardens.
We will have plenty of time to slowly explore the city, try to understand its rhythm and soul.

We will definitely look at the local Mercado dos Lavradores market, where all the gifts of the island are sold, from a wide variety of fruits to marine life, for example, black swordfish. Then we will walk along the most unusual street of the city - Santa Maria, even rather not a street, but a huge open-air art gallery, where almost every wall, door, window is an object of art.

We will gradually discover Funchal, every day noticing new features and details.

We have dinner at one of the delicious local restaurants and discuss our upcoming plans :)

The Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço hike

• Distance: 7 km
• Difficulty: Easy

The Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço hike is one of the most epic hikes on the island of Madeira. This coastal path takes you along a narrow stretch of rugged coastline to the easternmost point of Madeira, well, at least the farthest point you can walk to. The hike is a leisurely seven-kilometer route with many stunning viewpoints that highlight millions of years of volcanic erosion along the entire coastline.

We will have lunch in an atmospheric oasis bar, and spend the rest of the day in a cozy enclosed lagoon, swimming and enjoying the warmth and salty ocean air. It will be a real reboot for our body and soul. In good weather, we can go kayaking and look at the lava sheer slopes from the water. Let's take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city and try to catch the very rhythm of Madeira.

In the evening we will return to Funchal.

Distance: 14.5 km
Difficulty: Easy

On this day we will make one of the most beautiful, impressive and dizzying hikes along the coast.

A fascinating, varied trail awaits us. We will see all the landscapes of the island, from valleys and rocky rises to headlands and red volcanic formations. Let's go through a real eucalyptus forest. Be sure to stop at the Boca do Risco lookout and enjoy the endless expanse of the ocean.

Being in Madeira and not passing over the ocean is not right. We will see a lot of beauty, and we will feel like real locals: part of the way passes along an old path where vines used to be delivered, before a network of tunnels was built on the island.

At the end of the hike we can swim in the ocean and watch the surfers if the weather is good. We will have dinner in a wonderful restaurant, which is loved by the locals and we also really like it, we will be able to try the most tender squids, grilled sardines, amasing poncha (the locals joke that after the third poncha everyone starts speaking Portuguese) and other delicacies of Madeira.

PICO DO ARIEIRO TO PICO RUIVO

• Distance: 11 km

Difficulty: Moderate

In the morning we leave for Santana. Triangular-shaped houses with thatched roofs, commonly known as "Casas de Santana", they are incredibly cute and photogenic. We look, we walk, we make a lot of beautiful pictures.

Next, we are waiting for the most famous hike on the island of Madeira. The route will take us along narrow paths, up and down steep stairs and through dark mountain tunnels. It is filled with incredible views of the valleys and ridges. We'll rise above the clouds and feel like we're on top of the world. This will be the highlight of our trip to Madeira.

In the evening we will go to see the waterfall Cascata dos Anjos, falling from a high cliff right onto the road.

We meet the sunset in a special place, on the observation deck - Miradouro do Cabo Girão, which is located on the highest cape in Europe, located at an altitude of 538 meters.

We will wake up early and try to make the most of this day! Heading towards the north coast.
Our first stop will be in the relict forests Fanal Pond - one of the most beautiful and mysterious places in Madeira.
After taking a lot of beautiful and atmospheric photos, we will go to relax in the natural lava pools with ocean water, which are located on the northern coast.

We will drive along the beautiful mountain road, once again looking at the island from a height. We will soon arrive in Porto Moniz, where the world-famous swimming pools are located. We swim and relax in the heated ocean water. This will be a great end to our trip.

After lunch we go to the airport.