Author Topic: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?  (Read 5071 times)

gunwharfman

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10255
Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« on: 18:35:23, 15/01/20 »
I hiked across Gran Canaria last year, hiked someway across La Palma recently and am now thinking of hiking and camping (in my Hunka bivi) on Madeira for three or four days. Any hiking knowledge from Forum members would be greatly appreciated. Is it worth the cost and effort for example? If I can get a 'cheap' fare I'd like to go there and be back before Jan 31st.

jimbob

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #1 on: 19:03:04, 15/01/20 »
Walking in Madeira can be interesting. There are some sightseeing walks up into the hills  but many truly interesting hikes along the lavedas which are irrigation canals. These walks are truly enjoyable. Tiny bit of googling will give you loads of options. Climate great.
The bit I hated about that Island was the road traffic, the drivers are wild, I would avoid any road walking outside the main tourist areas unless there us a proper footpath. Food is fantastic by the way, best fruit and veg around.
Too little, too late, too bad......

Pitboot

  • Sr. Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 464
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #2 on: 09:05:02, 16/01/20 »
The bit I hated about that Island was the road traffic, the drivers are wild, I would avoid any road walking outside the main tourist areas unless there us a proper footpath. Food is fantastic by the way, best fruit and veg around.


Sounds like every Mediterranean island! ;D

Jac

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 3553
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #3 on: 10:45:18, 16/01/20 »
Spent a week there some years ago, walking the levadas and mountain trails travelling about by bus. We used the Sunflower book to get around which includes walks and bus timetables.
Enjoyable but it is a busy island
So many paths yet to walk, so little time left

gunwharfman

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10255
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #4 on: 12:53:24, 23/01/20 »
I'm not going before Jan 31st, I'm not prepared to pay the flights money asked for. I'll now wait until after that date and look properly again. Thanks for all of the information, very helpful.

mountaingal

  • Jr. Member
  • **
  • Posts: 60
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #5 on: 16:42:16, 14/02/20 »
I also used the sunflower book. walked for 2 weeks using local transport. If you organise according to bus time, you can fill 2 weeks walking every day. Buses are very reliable. I could flag down the bus between the bus stops when I went (some years ago).  I only took one organised tour where I couldn't go with public transport. Levada walks are mostly flat as they follow the water. The most difficult bit was to go down sometimes steep hill to catch a bus at the end of the walk. Also, as I stayed on the hill in Funchal, it was hard work to get down to bus station in the morning. Why do I not remember going up hill to reach the leavada being hard work???  ???  Generally speaking, I like going up hills, hate going down. Maybe that's why.
Don't forget to take your touch. Some levadas go through tunnels, which are not lit and the ground is uneven, mostly no rail between the water and the path.
I really loved the green and pleasant land with full of wild flowers.   Man made gardens were beautiful too. It was a tropic paradise  :-*

gunwharfman

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10255
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #6 on: 14:28:39, 18/02/20 »
After the last few days of wind and rain, plus today, I was really in the mood this morning to book a flight for a few days of winter sun. I looked up Madeira on Easyjet from Gatwick in the forlorn hope I might get a reasonable cost fare and lo and behold there it was directly on the screen in front of me! To and from Madeira for 4 nights of camping, £86.20, March 7th to the 11th, so I snapped it up! I'm going and crossing my fingers that the weather will be great.

I'm going to bivi and wild camp it and I'm going to try to get all of the stuff that I need into the plane cabin luggage to avoid paying extra money to be carried in the hold. If I can't manage it I will have to pay an extra £25.

Anyone else stomping around Madeira on these dates?

gunwharfman

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10255
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #7 on: 11:17:06, 22/02/20 »
How very ODD!

I have a clour blindness problem and I have been looking online to find a PDF download or an onscreen map of Maderia which I can actually see! No luck so far, each one that is offered is a blaze of colours and to my eyes are just a blur!

I'm going to look at Google maps and Openstreetmap today and hope that these will be better for me.

jimbob

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 2503
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #8 on: 11:40:16, 22/02/20 »
Pop into the Tourist info centre at the Airport, you will most probably be able to get a freebie that suits you, or you could dip into your wallet and buy an IGN map of the island. (Take care, importation of living moths may be an offence😁)
If you really want to be tight though pop into your local library and see if they have a suitable map you could borrow or photocopy.

Too little, too late, too bad......

rural roamer

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1502
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #9 on: 16:48:29, 23/02/20 »
Hope you have a great time GWM. We had a holiday in Madeira probably 6 or 7 years ago in June. I can’t offer you any specific walking routes but we also took the sunflower book of walks, although ended up using more a book of levada walks that we found in our apartment. We stayed above Arco di Calheta along the south coast and remember that we walked to the next little village, Loreto, which had a festival on what seemed to be displays of hanging vegetables. We hired a car and drove around finding different places to walk. Our least favourite day was Funchal, far too touristy! We did several levada walks but couldn’t now tell you where. Interestingly all the people we passed walking seemed to be French or German, no English. It was ok travelling along the south coast but took along time to get anywhere in the middle or north because of the terrain. We went to the highest point Pico Ruivo though we drove some of the way and our only view was a cloud inversion but still worth it!  Madeira is often covered in mist but I believe the weather can differ greatly between the north and south.

ninthace

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11821
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #10 on: 21:17:27, 23/02/20 »
https://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2267827
I don't think you will need the stockings GWM!
Solvitur Ambulando

SteamyTea

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1024
I don't use emojis, irony is better, you decide

ninthace

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 11821
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #12 on: 08:56:41, 24/02/20 »
Is Madeira being affected by the sand storm.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/world-europe-51607312/canary-island-sandstorm-flights-cancelled-due-to-saharan-sand
Cloud base 7000' Visibility 10km, Wind 040/18kts, 18C  at 0830 GMT.  All flights operating.   Vide: Flightradar24
Solvitur Ambulando

gunwharfman

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 10255
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #13 on: 10:44:48, 25/02/20 »
I've looked at the internet to try to plan my hiking route across Madeira but there doesn't seem to be one long hike that is 'oven ready' ( >:( now used a lot down the pub) for me to walk across the island. Loads of individual walks are shown but it looks like I have to try to find a way of linking them together myself. I haven't decided yet how to do this but 'Kamoot' might possibly provide me with the answer?

For those who fancy a long hike on a Canary Island this job is made easier because all you have to do is Google in 'GR131' and then choose the island you want to walk on. A bit different on Gran Canaria, they have there own system of footpaths signings but its just as easy to work out.

Percy

  • Veteran Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1652
Re: Madeira, have you ever hiked on the island?
« Reply #14 on: 11:03:35, 25/02/20 »
There’s a Cicerone book that would probably provide what you want. It does look like you’ll have to link up day walks yourself though.

 

Terms of Use     Privacy Policy