Itinerary Expand allMachico to Funchal Day 1 Start Machico.We start at our hotel in Machico which overlooks the beach of Machico Bay and is close to the picturesque historic fishing village.Overnight in Machico. Fly to Funchal; transfer to Machico.Fly to Funchal and transfer (approx. 15 minutes) to our hotel in Machico, which overlooks the beach of Machico Bay and is close to the picturesque historic fishing village.Overnight in Machico. Day 2 Walk to the easternmost point of the island, Ponta de São Lourenço, a rocky peninsula with ocean views for miles.Today we walk the classic route along the Ponta de Sao Lourenco. Although challenging, this path takes us through some fantastic scenery as we admire wallflowers, stalwarts and many other tiny plants that resist this windy environment and manage to grow in soils with high levels of salinity. Rocks, sculptured by nature, have a great diversity of colours ranging from black to red, and are in stark contrast to the blue of the ocean. Madeira's Nature Park rangers watch over the plants and animals that belong to this eastern extremity of the island, around Casa do Sardinha. We return to our hotel in Machico in the afternoon, and there is some free time to explore the village or relax at the beach.Overnight in Machico. Meals included: Breakfast Day 3 Spectacular walk along the north coast path to the fishing village of Porto da Cruz.This morning we will walk a scenic route along a cliff trail along the north coast. After catching the public bus, we set off along the little Levada do Caniçal, more modest and quieter than yesterday's path, then begin a gradual climb up to the crest of the cliffs at Boca do Risco where we enjoy some amazing views along the north coast. We then head west along the coastal path: a spectacular route, in many places cut right into the cliff. We finally descend to Porto da Cruz, once a bustling port but now a sleepy, picturesque village. Time permitting (and if open), we will have a short look around a rum factory that has been producing Madeira rum for several centuries. Later, we transfer to Santana for the night.Overnight in Santana. Meals included: Breakfast Day 4 Transfer to Queimadas; walk along Levada do Caldeirão Verde to the remote village of Ilha.After a quick stop to admire the famous thatched-roof houses of Santana, we take a short transfer inland to Queimadas Natural Park, where we will walk along the Levada do Caldeirão Verde. This route has many waterfalls and we may need to pass under some to continue the path. We will use our torches to walk through tunnels carved into the mountains. We finish the walk with a descent into the village of Ilha before returning to Santana for the night.Overnight in Santana. Meals included: Breakfast Day 5 Early departure for sunrise at the island's highest mountain, Pico Ruivo; continue the path to Pico Areeiro; transfer to Funchal.Today we make the most strenuous walk of the trip. We depart early to reach the island's highest mountain, Pico Ruivo (1,862m) in time for sunrise, taking the 3km path from Achado do Teixeira. Afterwards, we continue the hike to Pico Areeiro (1,818m), the third-highest peak on the island, for more fantastic views over Madeira. The path has lots of ascents and descents along the way, but the memorable scenery is ample reward. At the end of the walk, we will transfer to historic Funchal, our base for the last three nights of the trip.Overnight in Funchal.Please note: On occasion, the route to Pico Ruivo may be closed due to landslides or inclement weather. Our guide will always try to find an alternative route up to Pico Ruivo, but if this is not possible, an alternative walk from Ribeiro Frio to Portela will be offered. The route traverses Madeira's native forest and offers some wonderful coastal views. Meals included: Breakfast Day 6 Magnificent scenery along the Levada do NorteThe Levada do Norte is one of the largest and most important levadas on Madeira, and runs through much of the region. We walk a beautiful stretch beginning at Eira do Mourão in Ribeira Brava. After taking the public bus to our starting point, we will climb a steep stone staircase through the hills, leading to incredible views at an altitude of 580m over the lush landscape of Quinta Grande, Campanario and Câmara de Lobos. We're likely to see locals working the land, as well as the precious flora and fauna that make this island so memorable. Finally, the route winds down a gentle ascent to Cabo Girão viewpoint and the conclusion of the week's hiking activities. We return to Funchal for a farewell dinner (not included).Overnight in Funchal. Meals included: Breakfast Day 7 Free day to explore Funchal or join an optional whale-watching excursionOur last day is free for you to explore Funchal, the Madeira archipelago's capital. The city is easily explored on foot and sites of interest include Sé Cathedral, built between 1493 and 1514, and the imposing statue of Madeira's founder, João Gonçalves Zarco, on the Avenida Arriaga.Alternatively, take the cable car to Monte Palace and Tropical Gardens to enjoy fascinating installations and magnificent views over the city, learn about the production of Madeira's ever popular wine at Blandy's Wine Lodge, or join a whale-watching tour to catch a glimpse of some of the 28 whale and dolphin species that grace Madeira's waters throughout the year.Overnight in Funchal. Meals included: Breakfast Day 8 End Funchal.The trip ends in Funchal. Meals included: Breakfast Transfer to Funchal; fly to London.Transfer to the airport (approx. 30 minutes), fly to London.
PortugalNo visa required for British passport holders.For further Brexit travel advice please visit https://www.abta.com/tips-and-advice/brexit-advice-for-travellers
3 and 4-star hotels Throughout your trek you will stay in good quality hotels with en suite facilities.List of hotels normally used:Machico: Hotel Dom Pedro looks out over Machico Bay and offers a range of leisure amenities, including table tennis, a pool table and an outdoor pool (open subject to good weather). There is a piano bar with occasional live music, and coffee/cake is served throughout the day in the lounge area.Santana: Hotel O Colmo is in the heart of Santana, a traditional village in Madeira's north. The hotel offers spacious rooms, an indoor pool and a reputable restaurant that attracts locals from Funchal.Funchal: Hotel do Centro offers an excellent location in the heart of Funchal's downtown area. The hotel has a small lounge area where the group can gather before heading out to dinner, and rooms have simple wooden furnishings with double-glazed windows.
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Reviewed May 2022 John TealGood walking but poor accommodation This is a pleasant walking trip. Interesting Flora and fauna and as always a good guide provided by Exodus. The down side is a poor selection of Hotels and cost cutting by the company on transport. This is the first Exodus trip I have been on where there is no company transit or bus. The group used public transport which led to delays and pressure to get certain buses and led to a rigid timetable. ( so after a long walk we had about 10 mins to buy and finish a drink because of the pressure to catch a certain bus) The Hotel in Santana was tired . It provided a poor selection of food and because there were other big groups staying there service was slow and the food not that good. As the majority of guests were walkers I was surprised that the hotel had no wet room or any facilities to dry clothes and boots. On both walking days the weather was cold and wet and no heating was available in the bedrooms. The Hotel in Funcal was small and cramped, although well located. We had 3 single beds crammed into our room and with the bags there was not much room to manoeuvre. Breakfast was poor with very little choice and the staff overworked. we ate out during our stay thereWhat was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The walking in the mountains and following Lavadas is definitely the highlight of the trip. Wonderful flowers and back dropsWhat did you think of your group leader? The group leader was very good. Funny and passionate about his island he made a real effort to engage with the group.Do you have any advice for potential travellers? The trip is not cheap and you will have to consider extra costs of eating out in restaurants that can be pricey. In Funcal try the whale watching/ Dolphin trip and go to the botanical Gardens.
Reviewed February 2022 Ian GriffithsA pleasant island It was great to get away, my first holiday abroad since the pandemic began. The tour group (10 of us) were lovely like minded people. The hotels we stayed in were okay, but breakfast at the Funchal hotel was terrible. Our tour leader was a really nice guy, open, funny, self-deprecating and patient. He was knowledgeable about local fauna and flora and introduced us to food and drink experiences. We used some public buses as well as private ones, and that wasn't a big deal. This trip wasn't good value for money. There are only 5 days spent walking, but it's 'sold' as a 7 day trip. Despite suggestions on the website that Exodus might include an airport transfer, this didn't happen.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The levada walking.What did you think of your group leader? As aboveDo you have any advice for potential travellers? January is a good month to come. It's warm enough and much quieter than at other times.
Reviewed October 2021 Nigel JonesHiking in Madeira This was a very different walking holiday to that I undertook in the Douro a view years ago. The walks were a lot more challenging so you need to be fit! The scenery of Madeira is lovely and a lot of the walks took place along the edge of cliffs, occasionally on both sides! On the longest walk across the mountain tops we did meet a lot of people coming the other way so you needed to take care going round bends. The hotels were of a good standard, especially in Santana and the transport arrangements worked out well, using local buses was a good idea and was good fun at times. Our group got on well and had a good time and we enjoyed the humour of Andre, our tour guide. It also helped that we had really good weather.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Seeing the sun rise at the start of our big trek and finishing the trek later in the day.What did you think of your group leader? Andre clearly loves his “job” and his island and was very knowledgable on its fauna. He had a sense of humour that we enjoyed.Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Most of the walks involved a considerable amount of climbing up steps and hills and coming down them so was hard on your knees and it often got the heart pumping as well. The walk on the last day did involve 90 minutes of a steep climb up a hill and many steps, which was tough, before a long easy walk along the levada.Is there anything else you would like to add? An excellent week, very enjoyable.
Reviewed April 2020 Myles CutlerEye Opening Views and Great Weather On the interior of the island I sometimes I felt that I as walking through a set for a prehistoric film with towering spires of solidified lava, lush vegetation, and some plants that are pot plants in the UK growing wild to giant proportions. On the coastal walks it is mesmerising to watch and hear the waves battering against the base of the cliffs. Following the levadas along vertiginous rock faces and through caves, I marvelled at how they were created using only hand tools. The Madeirans are very friendly and the service in the hotels and restaurants is second to none. The drivers were always on time and I never felt rushed to be anywhere. The weather was exceptionally sunny for the time of year and we were able to swim in the sea very comfortably. The Christmas illuminations in Funchal were amazing. I have never seen so many anywhere else. For such a short flight from the UK I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone just to see this varied and stunning island.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? We were walking high up above the clouds and came round a corner to see cloud slowly filling a valley below us to the brim. We watched as the cloud reached the top and then slowly started to flow over a ridge down into the next valley like a slow-motion waterfall. Everyone went quiet and just watched. Later on we reached the ridge and walked across it through the flowing cloud.What did you think of your group leader? Our guide, Andre, arranged a birthday cake for me which was a really nice thing to do and typical of his caring attitude. Andre knows a great deal about the fauna and flora of the island and stops the walks at intervals to point out items of interest, and to explain something of their history and ecology. it is clear that he loves the island a great deal. He sometimes played his ukulele as he walked! Andre is funny and cheerful but could be quite direct. Most people liked this and but a few didn't. Personally I think that he was very patient, cheerful, and almost inexhaustible with what was a large group in sometimes dangerous situations. On a small note I would say that Andre perhaps needs to carry flyers or written information for trips that he mentions for our free day. He kindly booked whale watching for a group of us but we didn't have a contact number or location for the company (Andre pointed to the place on Google Maps on his phone whilst we were in a bar the day before). Never the less we found it and it was a great afternoon (albeit I left my sea-legs on shore that day).Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Exodus does warn that this holiday is not for vertigo sufferers and with good reason because sometimes the paths can be very narrow with sheer drops to one side and a rock wall to the other, and occasionally you may have to very carefully pass walkers coming the other way. The paths are by no means like that all the time, and in fact some of them are wide and dressed with stone, but you can't avoid the narrow stretches. The holiday is graded as Moderate and I think that is fair but potential travellers should note that it is hard on your knees because of the very steep ascents and descents. Andre recommended walking poles to relieve the strain but I preferred not to use them because they can get caught in the cracks in the bare rock that formed some of the paths. A couple of people dropped out with sore knees but they still enjoyed themselves by visiting attractions and meeting us in the evenings.Is there anything else you would like to add? Flights arranged by Exodus tend to be London centric but Madeira is accessible from many regional airports. One or two of group weren't aware of this and their journey times just to get to the London airport (Heathrow, I think) were longer than some of the flight times from the regional airports. On several mornings prior to our walk we were taken by Andre to the nearest supermarket to buy food for our lunch. This could take some time because the supermarkets were invariably very crowded even early in the morning. At a more remote location we were offered the alternative of a bag meal by the hotel. I think that should be an option at all the hotels because it would save a lot of time in the mornings. We were scheduled to be in Funchal for the final two evenings but ended up some way out of and above the town in a beautiful but expensive hotel (it used to be the British Embassy). If this happens to you, ask about hiring a taxi to go into Funchal for the evening especially if is Christmas or New Year.
Reviewed December 2019 Pamela PeersGreat walking in a beautiful island This is a great week's walking with a lot of variety in the walks covered. The hotels are generally of a good standard and the food was good and varied, with plenty of fresh fish and salads.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Reaching the summit of Pico Ruivo, and looking down through the clouds through which we had walked to reach the summit.What did you think of your group leader? Andre was brilliant! A great guide and excellent company. He's clearly a very experienced guide and was diligent in ensuring that all members of our large group were comfortable with the walking pace, and provided supported when anyone needed it. He always found excellent places for us to eat and we were particularly grateful for his guidance on things to do in Funchal on our free dayDo you have any advice for potential travellers? This is a great trip ... book it!
Reviewed June 2019 Christopher SimpsonWalking in Madeira A week of varied walking and a chance to get away from the crowd. We were impressed by the stunning scenery in challenging terrain and weather conditions.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The walk Westward, along the cliffs from Machico to Porto Santo was dramatic without being too scary. The most strenuous day (5) up to Pico Ruivo was spent mostly in clouds/rain, but when the clouds lifted, we had astonishing views down into the valleys.What did you think of your group leader? André Pontes was an excellent guide, with a real passion for the mountains, and great knowledge of the often unique Madieran flora and fauna. He encouraged us through relentless ( unseasonable he said) rain and kept our spirits up. He was a very good judge of the strengths and weaknesses of our group, and offered help when needed, and kept us all safe en route.Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Conditions change rapidly in the mountains..... Take a range of good ( waterproof ) clothes and sturdy boots.Is there anything else you would like to add? We were not returning to the airport with the rest of the group, but on Monday 17th June at 18:00. You had arranged a taxi transfer for us, which André and the hotel both confirmed, but it failed to turn up at the Windsor Hotel. At all. This induced in us a minor panic. The hotel called a fresh taxi for us (this cost us 30 Euros) and we made it to be the final check-in customers for Easyjet! .........so you may wish to talk to the taxi Co. about this.
Reviewed May 2019 Margaret ProudWalking week Great holiday, good walksWhat was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Great guide who brought the island, walks and its flora aliveWhat did you think of your group leader? Excellent!!
Reviewed April 2019 S J REYNOLDSA very enjoyable trip in Madeira was had by all! Just returned from Madeira, whilst the weather was pretty miserable we still had a great time. Andre our guide had to substitute a couple of our walks due to the weather conditions. Very impressed with Madeira and the locals who very helpful, but I would suggest maybe going at a different time of the year, (Not April). Exodus planned everything from we lifted up the phone until we were left back to the airport. The hotels, the pack lunches, the walks, flights etc.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? The entire trip. Each day was very different and a great experience. The only downside was the weather. It meant that two days had to be rescheduled, but a great trip none the less.What did you think of your group leader? Andre was good, very approachable and nothing was a problem for him.Do you have any advice for potential travellers? Following the tips by Exodus and the things which you need to pack to take with you. As you have been given this list for a reason.
Reviewed March 2019 Pierre VinsotBest way to discover a beautiful island Very well organised trip in a magnificent natural place.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Hiking up in the cliffs of the northern coast.
Reviewed March 2019 Graham WilliamsA good trip An interesting and enjoyable walking tour of Madeira.What was the most inspirational moment of your trip? Dramatic cliff walks and beautiful levadas.What did you think of your group leader? Andre was excellent. We were all glad that he rearranged the walk on day 5 because of bad weather in the mountains.Do you have any advice for potential travellers? I went in March, when the climate was nice for walking but few flowers were out. Apparently late April, May or early June would be better for flowers but not too hot.Is there anything else you would like to add? The local tap water is good to drink and most of us had refillable water bottles to save unnecessary plastic waste, but both the hotels who supplied packed lunches included TWO plastic bottles per day, with no option to just have the food. The receptionists were not interested in my comments on this but it might help if Exodus had a word with the hotel managers.
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