When I mentioned to friends and colleagues that I was heading to Madeira for my fall “holiday”, most had never heard of it…..
This under the radar island is called “the Hawaii of Europe” and a wonderful alternative to the hustle & bustle of the European mainland. And seeing that there are direct flights from Newark, you can even save 2+ hours in the air along with a cheaper price tag.
With over 100 miles of aqueducts built into the dramatic cliff sides, there are more than ample trekking paths to get lost in. Did you know the highest cliff in all of Europe is located on Madeira? It’s called the Cabo Girau cliffs towering over the sea at 1932 feet.
Be ready for a heart pounding adventure, as you will be destined to be sucking wind along the endless amounts of stairs that will be staring you down. Our travel group set out to tackle 4 of the laundry list of recommended trails on this oasis.
The quaint town of Santana was our launching point along the north coast, as we conquered the 6.75 mile Larano trail weaving high above. The weather and views were spectacular as we easily slid into full-on vacation mode. Ending in the beach town of Ponta de Sao Jorge, it was a no brainer to take advantage of one of the rare black sand beaches in the world.
Day 2 was a brutal test. The “Pico to Pico” trek is bucket list worthy, as this 6.8 mile path connects Ruivo & Areeiro peaks through an equally inspiring & daunting maze of tunnels, cliffsides, valleys and the steepest steps you will encounter in your life. (For reference, I clocked 125 floors ascended & another 100 floors descended.) And they are seemingly never ending! The dense fog comes & goes in waves keeping you guessing what is around the next bend.
Next we focused on the easternmost point and traversing the “Dragon’s Tail” – 7 miles along the Sao Laurenco trail and another hidden swimming hole. The striking colors of the rippled cliffs were carved from the thrashing of the ocean waves, and truly one of the top 10 landscapes I’ve ever seen.
We ended with an easy 5 mile jaunt along the most important waterway on the island, Levada do Norte, which carries water high up in the mountains of the north to the more populated southern shores. And finishing at Cabo Girau was a sweet ending to cap off another unique trekking adventure!
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