Wanderlust UK – September 2019

150 wanderlust.co.uk September 2019

POCKET GUIDES SHORT BREAK

FindyourfeetinFunchal(pictured).

FromtheharbourhittheMunicipal

Gardens,thenvisitBlandy’sWine

Lodge(blandyswinelodge.com)for

atour(€9.50/£8.50)ofMadeiran

viticultureinhistoricsurrounds.

Continuenorthtoadmiretheold

SantaClaraConvent,thenreturn

southfortheSé,Funchal’sornately

decorated16th-centurycathedral.

Walk,viaPraçadoColombo,to

MercadodosLavradores,theart

decomarket;grabapastryat

AConfeitaria(AvenidadoInfante

28)andwalkthealleywaysofthe

OldTowntoyellow-washedSão

TiagoFort.Next,soartherooftops

onthecablecartoMonte(€16/£14

return).Here,explorethetumbling

MontePalaceTropicalGardens

(montepalacemadeira.com;€12.50

/£11)tobreatheinthebloomsand

seethehistoryofPortugaltold

throughitstiles.Returndowntown

byfoot,cablecarorFunchal’s

infamousstreettoboggans.

SleepatAllegro(barcelo.com;

from€73/£65),atowerblockthat’s

beenconvertedintoasmart

adult-onlyhotel,withapanoramic

rooftopbar.Juicysteakhouse

LaVacaNegra(RuaVelhada

Ajuda12)isjustashortwalkaway.

MakeforMachico,thesandyspot

eastofFunchalwherethoseirst

explorerslanded 600 yearsago.

Forthemostdramaticentrance,

takeatour(gotrailmadeira)orbus

(sam.pt)toPortodaCruzandhike

alongtheVeredadoLarano,

aspectacularcli‘-huggingpath

thatends,12kmlater,inMachico.

GrabasnackatOCasco(Ruado

Ribeirinho2)onMachico’sseafront,

thenvisitCaniçal,aformerwhaling

basenowhometotheMuseuda

Baleia(museudabaleia.org;€10/

£9)andPontadeSãoLourenço,

theisland’seasternmostpoint.

Agoodoptionforthetime-poor

isatourwithMountainExpedition

(mountainexpedition.pt;fullday

from€45/£40),whicho‘ersset

andtailormadehigh-revving4WD

rides.Itinerariesmightinclude

ascendingPicoArieiro(pictured),

bombingdowntheseemingly

undriveablevalleysandvisiting

townssuchasprettySantana.

Toturnoceanexplorer,takea

catamarantotheDesertasIslands

(seabookings.com;€80/£72).Day

tripsleaveFunchalinthemorning

fortheuninhabitedarchipelago,

withoptionalsnorkellingand

SUPingtrips,plusachancetospot

whales,dolphinsandseabirds.

Alternatively,MadeiraOutdoor

(madeiraoutdoor.com)organises

arangeofactiveexcursions–from

climbingandcoasteeringtolevada

walksandkayaking(pictured)–

thatputpaytotheideaof‘boring

Madeira’.Thebeginner-level

canyoning(€60/£54)isagood

waytoexplorethelocalgeology:

spendhalfadayswimming,

scramblingandwaterfall-leaping

alongRibeiradasCales,inthe

EcologicalParkofFunchal.

Onyourinalevening,takeataxi

orbus(rodoeste.com.pt)west

alongthecoastfromFunchalto

CâmaradeLobos,aishingvillage

lovedbyWinstonChurchill,where

ViladoPeixe(viladopeixe.com)

servesexcellentseafood.

Day 3

Day 2

Day 1

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⊳

Population: 250,000

Time zone: GMT (GMT+1 Apr-Oct)

Currency: Euro (€), currently

€1.12 to the UK£

When to go: Year round. Madeira

has warm, dry summers and

mild winters, but microclimates

lead to wildly varying conditions,

so pack for hot, cool and wet.

Top tip: Roads can be steep and

hazardous – only the con‰ident

should hire a car. Public transport

is possible, with bus timetables

found at horariosdofunchal.pt.

Further information:

madeiraallyear.com

Need to know

1

Findancientforests

Thehighplateauof

Fanal is home to some of

Madeira’s ‰inest, UNESCO-

listed laurissilva, the

primary laurel forest that

cloaked much of southern

Europe 40 million years

ago but is exceptionally

rare. A great place for

fairytale walks among

crooked, beardy trees.

2

Eat & drink local

Must-trys include

espada (an ugly scabbard

‰ish), espetada (beef

skewers) and bolo de caco,

traditional mu•in-like

breads typically smothered

in garlic butter. To wash it

down, order Madeiran wine

or a super-sweet poncha,

a cocktail of aguardente

de cana brandy, honey,

sugar and lemon juice.

3

Hike a levada

The paths alongside

Madeira’s irrigation

channels provide fantastic

hiking routes (pictured

top). Pick up a copy of

Madeira Walks (Trailblazer,

2018), which lists 37 good

strolls for all abilities,

including details of how

to get to and from each

one by car or bus.

4

Get high & holy

Just west of Câmara

de Lobos, at Cabo Girão,

Madeira’s highest sea

cli¡s soar 580m above

the thrashing Atlantic.

Step out onto the glass-

bottomed, precipice-

jutting viewing platform

if you dare. The Chapel of

Nossa Senhora de Fátima,

one of the island’s key

pilgrimage sites, is nearby.

4

THINGS

TO DO IN

MADEIRA