Following up on my post about “What to do in 2 days in Lisbon”, here is the second part of our portuguese adventure: we discovered Madeira in 4 days.
From Lisbon, we landed in Funchal, Madeira’s capital, at night and caught the Aerobus to the city center for 8 euros round trip. It took us off near our hotel, the Residencial Colombo. I liked the residence with its retro feel and a lot of wood elements.
We discovered annonas, a tropical fruit with a white and pulpy flesh that was in season at the breakfast buffet and we could not stop having it. So delicious and fresh. The hotel was a great deal for budget travelers, costing 33 euros per nigh. It was also very comfortable.
On first impression, Funchal is a pleasant city, with a tropical vibe with all of the palm trees and the thick humidity in the air.
Day 1: Day trip to Porto Moniz
Our first visit was to Porto Moniz, which is located in the northwestern part of Madeira. There are many tours available but we took a local bus, nr 139. It costs 12 Euros return trip. It stops in the city of Ribeiro. One tip: if you need to use the restroom, go to the shopping center on the same street as the bus stop.
The primary attraction of Porto Moniz is its natural swimming pools, filled with sea water and produced by volcanic lava.
The “official” ones had facilities built around (shower, changing rooms, snack bar…). Unfortunately, they don’t look so “natural” anymore. There is also an admission fee. It was closed for maintenance when we visited in January.
That was lucky for us as we discovered across, some wild natural swimming pools, much more beautiful, barely crowded and…free. No shower and no changing rooms though. After a very refreshing icy bath, we went for lunch at Salgueiro on the main square. Our bus was only scheduled twice a day and our return was planned for 4pm. We decided to eat while waiting. Note that the bus follows a different route back.
In Salgueiro, the food was simple but delicious. We ordered espada or black scabbard, a local fish. It was very tasty served with potatoes, sweet potatoes and a salad (carrot, lettuce and onions). With one drink each, the bill came at 25 euros for two. Not bad!
Once back to the city, we found a restaurant for dinner while walking around the center: Adega da Queimada. The owner was very nice and friendly. We ordered wine, the soup of the day, a dish of scabbard eggs, octopus in vinegar and two glasses of poncha – all local specialties for which we paid 29 Euros. Poncha was an item on our must eat & drink list after tasting scabbard. It is a local drink made out of sugar cane alcohol, honey, sugar, lemon rind and in this case orange juice. It is quite strong and I advise to drink it with moderation.
Day 2: Levada walk from Ribeiro Frio to Portela
I mentioned earlier a must eat & drink list. We also had a must-do list, haha. One of them was going on a levada walk, very popular on the island. A levada walk is a walk along some mini-canals built from north to south of the island to irrigate plantations. They usually go deep into the nature that is why they are so enjoyable.
There are many guided levada walks in Madeira. But we preferred to be independent so we took the bus number 56 for 3,35 euros, one way, to Ribeiro Frio, the starting point of the walk. In Ribeiro Frio, we had a coffee and cake at the main coffee shop. Many travellers were having either poncha or Madeira wine with coffee. So were we!!! We went first to the Miradouro de Balcoes, a viewpoint to the mountains but please note that most tours don’t go to there. The walk lasts 45mn and it is easy peasy! The view is panoramic.
Then we came back to the starting point of the levada walk, direction: Portela. Clear signs indicate where Portela was. Distance is 11km. Don’t forget to check the weather for the appropriate gear to wear. When we were there, it was raining. The levada walk is very narrow and can be steep and slidy. Some parts are unprotected and you really need to be careful. But the nature around is amazing: wild strawberries, endemic flora… It took us 4 hours to walk it with a sandwiches break. We ate admiring the blue mountains and the luxurious vegetation around us.
At the end of the walk, we waited for the bus with a local cake and a coffee with madeira wine at Restaurant Portela. The bus stopped across the restaurant so we might as well enjoy the vista! The bus toured the other half of the island to go back to Funchal. So with two bus trips, we saw the whole Madeira. The local bus is really really really slow though. From one of the hills, we could see impressive and modern highways linking sides of the island.
Once back in Funchal, we shopped at the supermarket for food souvenirs. I always do that on a trip to get a feel of everyday life in the country I visit. That is how I discovered how a scabbard look like: it is a long black fish and it is pretty ugly. But the ugliest fish (like the smelliest cheese!) seem to be the tastiest…
As usual, we hunted for a local address and dined at Londres, a fish and seafood restaurant popular among locals and tourists alike. They serve you beans and olives as soon as you sit down. We drank vinho verde (Casal Garcia). After all, we are in Portugal. It was light and refreshing. Then number 3 on the must eat & drink list: Espada com banana (black scabbard with a banana) with potatoes and the usual carrot, lettuce and onions salad. The portions are huge and one dish is enough for two.
We also ordered grilled limpets (a type of sea snails) with butter and garlic, another local specialty in Madeira and a late addition to the must eat and drink list… Everything was delicious. The restaurant was super busy and turnover was quite high. The waiters were also very friendly and you could tell that they were really proud of the service they were offering. Some portuguese hospitality we got!
Day 3: Hiking from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo
On our third day, we decided to go on a guided hike to Pico Ruivo. There were no public buses doing the trip so the choice was easy. Also, the tour took us to Pico do Arieiro, the starting point and picked us up on the other side on Achada do Teixeira which simplifies very much logistics. We paid 35 euros each for the tour with Madeira Sunrise Tours.
There is an impressive paved route leaving Pico de Arieiro to Pico Ruivo. On the way, we crossed tunnels, went on very narrow paths that aren’t always protected by railings and also climbed up long and steep staircases that were quite challenging. I don’t recommend this walk with children and/or if you are not very fit. But if you think you can pull it off, go for it! The reward is huge after and during the efforts: the scenery and the views are stunning.
On the way to the top, you can stop at Casa Do Abrigo to refill water bottles and have a coffee – we had a sandwich on the way because there is nothing in between the two peaks. At the top, it is a great feeling to be above the clouds and the sight is incredible. Pico Ruivo to Achada do Teixeira is much shorter trek. We also stopped at Santana to see the traditional houses and have a proper coffee break on the way back to Funchal.
We had dinner in Londres again. This time, I tried pork in Madeira sauce. It was also delicious and the service again excellent!
Day 4: Monte and Funchal
Another “must-do” in Funchal was a toboggan run in Monte. The bus ticket cost 3,4 Euros – you also need a transport card that you then charge per trip. During a toboggan run, you climb into a two-seater wicker sledge pushed and steered by two men dressed in typical white cotton clothing and wearing a straw hat for the thrill of a 10-minute descent. The men used rubber-soled boots as brakes. Unfortunately, it was not open on Sundays despite the information we got from the tourist office so we could not do it. We got the bus back and walked along the Rua de Santa Maria.
The street of Santa Maria or Rua de Santa Maria is my favourite street in Funchal. It is located in an old part of town. It has a lot of character but the painted doors, which are part of a street art initiative are its biggest attraction. They are inventive, poetic and very colourful.
We dined at O Regional, a local recommendation. The food was average and pricey: 25 euros for an avocado starter and a tough espetada, a traditional meat skewer dish. However, we had a delightful conversation with a retired English couple seated next to us which made the lunch worth its price.
After lunch, despite the fact that we were stuffed, we had an ice cream at Gelateria Italiana do Lorenzo (Largo do Phelps 5 9000, 9050-449 Funchal, Portugal). The fact that there was a big line outside the shop which can only suggest that it was good… And we were right to wait: the scoop was e-nor-mous for 1,5 Euros and the ice cream very tasty. We were much more stuffed so we returned to the hotel for a siesta.
We went to a seafood restaurant, O barqueiro (Centro Comercial CentroMar, Rua da Ponta da Cruz, 9000-103 Funchal, Portugal) for dinner. Great address! The menu offers a wide variety of fish and seafood dishes. We were served fish cakes and crackers on the house as soon as we were seated. We shared a plate of limpets for the last time. My friend got a seafood salad and I went for my favourite scabbard with potatoes, salad, veggies and sweet potatoes. Honestly, a side of potatoes and salad are enough as the portions are really generous. We paid 45,80 Euros for two meals, one bottle of water, 1/2 bottle of white wine and a pleasant atmosphere on our last night in Funchal. Not bad, not bad at all.
Day 5. Travel back to Lisbon after visiting Madeira in 4 days
The fifth day is dedicated to returning to Lisbon. Goodbye Funchal! Bye bye Madeira! It has been wonderful spending those days here! If I ever return, I will visit the market and have an afternoon tea in Reids. Until then, I will write my post about Mardi Gras in New Orleans!
Links:
Madeira’s official website: http://www.visitmadeira.pt/