Hiking Trip Abroad - Island of Madeira

Week long trip to Madeira. Madeira is a Portuguese island off the coast of Africa, near the Spanish Canary Islands. It is a mountainous island that offers spectacular views, waterfalls and stunning scenery. The scenery and architecture will literally make you feel like you are in a either a Tomb Raider or Uncharted game.

Come do as many of the walks as you want. No requirement to do them all. They are all easy-moderate. Only last one is strenuous.

Itiniary (Subject to change)

Day 1 - Land in Funchal at Medeira Cristiano Ronaldo Airport. I will be hiring a car as it is the best way to explore Madeira and makes life a lot easier to get to the start point of walks. Happy to give two others a lift (will prioritise people who cannot drive though). Therefore some others will need to drive also.

Then we head to our accomodation (no requirement to all stay at the same place). Get settled in and if there is time, then go out and explore Funchal.

Day 2 - Hike #1 - 1 hour drive to then start the week off with an easy, spectacular waterfall walk. Risco Waterfall and 25 Fontes Falls Trail. It is 6.5 mi/10km long and follows Levadas (water chutes that transport water from the wetter parts of the island to the drier, south side) to numerous waterfalls. Following route PR6 to its end, backtracking and following PR6.1 to Risco Waterfall and then walking back to the car park.

Day 3 - Hike #2 - Drive to and park at Baia D'Abra for a coastal walk along Maderia's most eastern desert-like penisula. Following the PR8 route to Sardinha, loop around the end of the peniusla, retrace our steps and then veer off along red rock cliff tops before ascending up Maderia's most highest eastern mountain Pico do Furado (694m high). Then we loop back down to the car park.

Day 4 - Hike #3 - Levada do Caldeirão Verde – PR9 route. Mostly a flat walk, 12km (6-7mi) long. TORCH OR HEADTORCH IS A MUST.

One website calls this the most beautiful hike in all of Maderia. It follows levada's through the jungle, past waterfalls and through tunnels.

Day 5 - Rest Day - Probably drive around the island and visit other towns. Maybe find some activites to do if they run any off-peak season.

Day 6 - Hike #4 - The next part of hike #3, again torches required for the tunnels. We will see more stunning waterfalls and go through a spectacular canyon.

Day 7 - Saving the hardest and possibly the best to last. It is about 7-10mi (websites differ on distance) long and overall ascent is 1000m. A head for heights is a must!

This one we will start 30 minutes before sunrise. We drive to the car park near the summit of Maderia's third highest mountain, Pico do Areeiro, we walk to the summit of this mountain. Getting there just before the sun starts to rise. We then follow the PR1 trail to Maderia's second highest mountain (sounds like you don't summit this one though). The path splits in two around this mountain, we will take one and continue onto the highest mountain of Maderia, Pico Riuvo. When ready, we head back the way we came and take the other route around the second mountain, and then follow the original path back to the car park.

Day 8 - Back to Cristiano Ronaldo airport and fly home!