Funchal, Madeira tips
Discussion
Don Quay said:
We were there in February this year, and would certainly recommend a levada hike or two, some are very easy going once you get to the starting point. Funchal and the immediate vicinity is an easy place to relax, though. We didn't make it to the botanic gardens but spent a thoroughly pleasant few hours wandering around the tropical gardens at Monte.
It's worth noting that there are lots of new, fast roads that mean you can get around the island very quickly and easily by car or bus if you want to head out of Funchal for a day or two. It's true that some of the mountain roads are a bit hairy, though - our memorable experiences included twenty minutes going uphill in first gear at about 10 mph to reach the Paul de Serra (high plain in the centre of the island), to be greeted with horizontal rain and gales so strong that the car was almost bouncing off the ground, and cooking the brakes coming downhill through Monte trying to avoid walls, dogs and properly mental taxi drivers. All in a rented 1.0 Corsa with no straight panels and zero insurance excess. Great fun
That reminds me, my wife and son did a 'jeep' (looked like a Land Rover to me!) safari to some of the more rugged parts of the islands - Might be a good way to see more the island.It's worth noting that there are lots of new, fast roads that mean you can get around the island very quickly and easily by car or bus if you want to head out of Funchal for a day or two. It's true that some of the mountain roads are a bit hairy, though - our memorable experiences included twenty minutes going uphill in first gear at about 10 mph to reach the Paul de Serra (high plain in the centre of the island), to be greeted with horizontal rain and gales so strong that the car was almost bouncing off the ground, and cooking the brakes coming downhill through Monte trying to avoid walls, dogs and properly mental taxi drivers. All in a rented 1.0 Corsa with no straight panels and zero insurance excess. Great fun
M.
Went a couple of weeks back, and decided we should have gone for 2 weeks rather than 1. We'd planned to do a lot of walking but only had time for 1 decent walk.
If you're staying in the hotel district there will be loads of tourist shops selling tours, apparently some of the really cheap ones are tied in with people trying to sell you a time share, but 15-20 euro/head is sensible for tour
Definitely take a minibus tour, we went with a company "pride of madeira" on the western tour up over the mountains across the big plateau on the top right to the north west corner.
While scooters are dirt cheap to rent I'm not sure I'd fancy one with a pillion on on some of those roads (we both have full uk bike licences). But we rented a Twizy for half a day for not much more than a scooter would cost to go up to Nuns Valley, they have deals with local cafe's so you can charge the car while you have a cuppa and a wander around.
Offroad buggy tour was fun but we didn't actually end up seeing as much as I'd hoped because most of the tracks are through woodland.
We did a couple of dives via the hotel (Vidamar, another hotel a bit further along has a dive school too), and went swimming or snorkelling off the hotel pier most evenings, quite a lot of life so well worth taking a mask.
Lavada walks are the main walking trails, loads of companies do group ones but as you're following a lavada (tiny canals that bring irrigation water off the high ground) it's pretty hard to get it wrong once you're on the trail, so can be done by bus or companies that drop you off at the start and pick you up and the end.
We didn't get time to do a boat trip but other we spoke to said they'd seen plenty of dolphins on one so they look good.
If you're staying in the hotel district there will be loads of tourist shops selling tours, apparently some of the really cheap ones are tied in with people trying to sell you a time share, but 15-20 euro/head is sensible for tour
Definitely take a minibus tour, we went with a company "pride of madeira" on the western tour up over the mountains across the big plateau on the top right to the north west corner.
While scooters are dirt cheap to rent I'm not sure I'd fancy one with a pillion on on some of those roads (we both have full uk bike licences). But we rented a Twizy for half a day for not much more than a scooter would cost to go up to Nuns Valley, they have deals with local cafe's so you can charge the car while you have a cuppa and a wander around.
Offroad buggy tour was fun but we didn't actually end up seeing as much as I'd hoped because most of the tracks are through woodland.
We did a couple of dives via the hotel (Vidamar, another hotel a bit further along has a dive school too), and went swimming or snorkelling off the hotel pier most evenings, quite a lot of life so well worth taking a mask.
Lavada walks are the main walking trails, loads of companies do group ones but as you're following a lavada (tiny canals that bring irrigation water off the high ground) it's pretty hard to get it wrong once you're on the trail, so can be done by bus or companies that drop you off at the start and pick you up and the end.
We didn't get time to do a boat trip but other we spoke to said they'd seen plenty of dolphins on one so they look good.
RizzoTheRat said:
Went a couple of weeks back, and decided we should have gone for 2 weeks rather than 1. We'd planned to do a lot of walking but only had time for 1 decent walk.
But we rented a Twizy for half a day for not much more than a scooter would cost to go up to Nuns Valley, they have deals with local cafe's so you can charge the car while you have a cuppa and a wander around.
We did a couple of dives via the hotel (Vidamar, another hotel a bit further along has a dive school too), and went swimming or snorkelling off the hotel pier most evenings, quite a lot of life so well worth taking a mask.
Lavada walks are the main walking trails, loads of companies do group ones but as you're following a lavada (tiny canals that bring irrigation water off the high ground) it's pretty hard to get it wrong once you're on the trail, so can be done by bus or companies that drop you off at the start and pick you up and the end.
Which walk did you do out of interest? Some of the levada walks seem to have rather scary looking drops next to them.But we rented a Twizy for half a day for not much more than a scooter would cost to go up to Nuns Valley, they have deals with local cafe's so you can charge the car while you have a cuppa and a wander around.
We did a couple of dives via the hotel (Vidamar, another hotel a bit further along has a dive school too), and went swimming or snorkelling off the hotel pier most evenings, quite a lot of life so well worth taking a mask.
Lavada walks are the main walking trails, loads of companies do group ones but as you're following a lavada (tiny canals that bring irrigation water off the high ground) it's pretty hard to get it wrong once you're on the trail, so can be done by bus or companies that drop you off at the start and pick you up and the end.
Lavada dos Tornos from Monte to Camacha. Not one of the more common ones as it does have some scary bits.
Not my photo but there were a few bits like this, however a woman we spoke to on the minibus trip was scared of heights (didn't come out on the glass platform at Cabo Giro 580 meters above the sea) and she'd really enjoyed the Levada they'd done the day before with no scary drops
Not my photo but there were a few bits like this, however a woman we spoke to on the minibus trip was scared of heights (didn't come out on the glass platform at Cabo Giro 580 meters above the sea) and she'd really enjoyed the Levada they'd done the day before with no scary drops
We were there in January - OH shut her shop after christmas and we had a relaxing couple of weeks.
As for jeep tours - we tried one of the ones through our tour group - which was ok... then booked two days with this mob - brilliant http://www.upmountainmadeira.com booked one day and on the way back decided to book another day out - on old ex Portugese miltary UMM jeeps with local guides well away from the main tourist traps.
Funchal cablecar is a must do, Blandy's is worth a visit the smell of the building steeped in maderia wine is amazing and the views from the top of Pico do Arieiro are stunning as are the sea cliffs at Cabo Girao.
Lavada walks are great - but you'll need decent shoes and the undergrowth can be vicious and the sun over the summer equally so.
Loved the boat trip - but didn't see anything but the stunning island - not that unusual for our time of year.
Ww will go back...
S.
As for jeep tours - we tried one of the ones through our tour group - which was ok... then booked two days with this mob - brilliant http://www.upmountainmadeira.com booked one day and on the way back decided to book another day out - on old ex Portugese miltary UMM jeeps with local guides well away from the main tourist traps.
Funchal cablecar is a must do, Blandy's is worth a visit the smell of the building steeped in maderia wine is amazing and the views from the top of Pico do Arieiro are stunning as are the sea cliffs at Cabo Girao.
Lavada walks are great - but you'll need decent shoes and the undergrowth can be vicious and the sun over the summer equally so.
Loved the boat trip - but didn't see anything but the stunning island - not that unusual for our time of year.
Ww will go back...
S.
Bloody hell 
There'd been a few small fires when we were there, eucalyptus trees burn very well.
Our guide reckoned the 2010 floods were made a lot worse because a group of arsonists had set several massive fires the summer before, resulting in a lot more mud being washed off the mountains when they had big stores that winter. hope they don't get too bad a winter this year is the fires have been that bad.
There'd been a few small fires when we were there, eucalyptus trees burn very well.
Our guide reckoned the 2010 floods were made a lot worse because a group of arsonists had set several massive fires the summer before, resulting in a lot more mud being washed off the mountains when they had big stores that winter. hope they don't get too bad a winter this year is the fires have been that bad.
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