Travel to Madeira
The most amazing destination with the lowest costs possible, Madeira is your next European adventure.
Written by Gracie Rounds
Introduction
If you’re someone who has fallen in love with travel and wants to make seeing new places more than a once-every-couple-years kind of thing, costs associated with amazing travel destinations might seem a little daunting. In fact, after researching costs, you might start to understand why the rest of your extended family and friends just hop down to Florida every year.
That is all before you decided to research Madeira. This island has cliffs that drop from incredible heights into rugged sea-scapes. Beaches, from pebble, to crystal-clear, to nude. Mountains that stretch as far as you can see, full of opportunities for hiking, backpacking, and mountain biking. And endless locations for world-class food and wine. All of this within your budget.
You might be booking your flight already, and if not you’ll be convinced by the time you’re finished reading. Based on the month-long stay in Madeira by my sister, world-traveler Callie Rounds, see why this island is a must for your next trip to Europe.
Road Trip Madeira
To make costs even more efficient, road tripping and camping this island is the way to go. There are many towns that you could stay in for multiple nights and enjoy living the slow-life, if that’s your kind of thing, but this guide will focus more on all of the adventurous corners you can seek out.
Callie is a huge proponent of hammock camping, and she recommends this for the area 100%. Tent camping is also an obvious option for those who might find sleeping in a hammock to be the last thing they’d choose. If you have a warmer sleeping bag and tent you’ll be able to camp higher up (sometimes above the clouds) as well, but if not the lower sites are just as special.
There are tons of amazing campsites throughout this island with no need to book in advance and everywhere feels incredibly safe. She spent a lot of time camping in the Florestal Pico das Pedras, and enjoyed it thoroughly.
In addition to the Pico das Pedras, the Pico Ruivo campsite is another that she’d recommend. This one you do need to obtain a permit in advance, but it is a crazy experience to camp here high up in the mountains above the clouds and is entirely worth it.
Hikes
There are so many world-class hiking trails to choose from on the island. From coastal hikes to high mountain peak summits, you will be hard-pressed to run out of options.
For a fantastic coastal hike with stunning sea views check out Vereda do Larano. You can do this as an out-and-back and just turn around whenever you feel like it.
As a more challenging 8 mile option, the “Peak to Peak” trail in Madeira is an amazing adventure. This route will take you through many different landscapes and stunning views and will really push you to your limits while being extremely rewarding. Callie recommends dropping your car at one end or getting a taxi so that you don’t have to do this as an out-and-back. Try to start as early as possible in the morning and brings lots of snacks and water!
This isn’t really a hike at all, rather more of a walk, but the Fanal Cloud Forest is an incredible location to visit. You will want to go here when it is cloudy to get the most out of this experience.
Similarly to the previous recommendation, this viewpoint requires little to no “hiking” and is more of a walk, but the Miradouro do Guindaste is an incredible sunrise viewpoint over the ocean and cliffs that you will not want to miss and can get some amazing footage at.
Waterfalls and Beaches
According to Callie, the Waterfall of the Angels is the only place in the world where you can drive under a waterfall. Not entirely convinced of the validity of that statement, but if there are others I’m sure they are few and far between. There are no fees to do this and you can drive through amazing tunnels to get here. This can also be an epic spot for sunset.
For crystal clear waters along side stunning cliffs and a small parish, visit the beach of Calhau da Lapa. You can hike down to this lovely pebble beach easily, and depending on the season there is sometimes even a waterfall here. There is also a dock you can jump off of, and typically this beach is considered to be a bit more secluded.
Praia do Garajua is another beach you can visit and this time is a black pebble beach. As part of a marine reserve, this is a highly sought after location for snorkeling and scuba diving.
Lastly, the Piscinas Naturais do Seixal can be a pretty touristy spot to soak in natural sea pools but if you swim past the main pool you can often enjoy private pools depending on the season and day of the week.
Thrill Seeking
If you are a thrill seeker like Callie, you would not want to miss out on tandem paragliding in Madeira. This island is known as a world-class paragliding location and is known for being super safe with insane views.
Conclusion
Okay. Now your flight is booked, right? Tag us in your photos and videos, maybe we’ll see you there!