Laurisilva of Madeira is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures – wet forests from sea level to the highest mountains,. They need an ecosystem of high humidity, such as cloud forests, with abundant rainfall throughout the year usually on tropical or subtropical mountains. Laurel forests are typically multi-species, and diverse in both the number of species and the genera and families represented. Species diversity generally increases towards the tropics. In this sense, the laurel forest is a transitional type between temperate forests and tropical rainforests.
The trees reach up to 40 metres (130 ft) in height. Some species belong to the true laurel family, but many have similar foliage to the Lauraceae due to convergent evolution and adapt to high rainfall and humidity – leaves that repel water due to a generous layer of wax, making them glossy in appearance, and a narrow, pointed oval shape with an apical mucro or “drip tip”, which permits the leaves to shed water despite the humidity, allowing perspiration and respiration.
Mature laurel forests typically have a dense tree canopy and low light levels at the forest floor.
Origin. Laurel forests are composed of vascular plants that evolved millions of years ago including the southern beech. They covered an ancient supercontinent of Gondwana but some survived as relict species in the milder, moister climate of coastal areas and on islands. Thus Tasmania and New Caledonia share related species extinct on the Australian mainland, and the same case occurs on the Macaronesia islands of the Atlantic and on the Taiwan, Hainan, Jeju, Shikoku, Kyūshū, and Ryūkyū Islands of the Pacific.
Isolation gave rise to Laurus azorica in the Azores Islands, Laurus nobilis on the mainland, and Laurus novocanariensis in the Canary Islands.
Sites of Globalization. Tentative WHS.
Levadas of Madeira Island. Tentative WHS. A levada is an irrigation channel or aqueduct specific to Madeira where they originated out of the necessity of bringing large amounts of water from the west and northwest of the island to the drier southeast, which is more conducive to habitation and agriculture, such as sugar cane production. They were used in the past also by women to wash clothes in areas where running water to homes was not available. The idea of this style of water channel was brought to Portugal by the Moors during the time of al-Andalus. Similar examples can still be found in Iberia, such as some Acequias in Spain.
In the sixteenth century the Portuguese started building levadas to carry water to the agricultural regions. The most recent were made in the 1940s. Madeira is very mountainous, and building the levadas was often difficult. Many are cut into the sides of mountains, and it was also necessary to dig 25 kilometres (16 mi) of tunnels.Today the levadas not only supply water to the southern parts of the island, they also provide hydroelectric power. Hiking. There are more than 1,350 miles (2,170 km) of levadas and they provide a remarkable network of walking paths. Some provide easy and relaxing walks through beautiful countryside, but others are narrow, crumbling ledges where a slip could result in serious injury or death.
Levada do Caldeirão Verde (continues as the Levada Caldeirão do Inferno). Altogether it is about 23 miles (37 km) long. Several tunnels require flashlights and helmets
Levada do Caniçal. Much easier, it is 7.1 miles (11.4 km) from Maroços to the Caniçal Tunnel. It is known as the mimosa levada because acacias (commonly misnamed mimosas) are found all along the route.
Levada da Ribeira da Janela, a 13km hike out of Porto Moniz (need light for tunnels)
Madeira is known for its stunning coastline, a dramatic mountainous interior and bountiful Portuguese charm. It is a hiker’s paradise. After 1 long day in Funchal, rent a car for a 4-5 day road trip to circumnavigate the island. There are a wealth of trails to hike, mountains to climb. Then another day to see Porto Santo and maybe a last day in Funchal and it would be easy to spend more than 7 days.
Day 1 – Explore Funchal and Monte.
Island capital and largest city in Madeira, home to tourist resorts, gorgeous panoramas, and local colour.
At harbour catch the cable car (€11 one way) up to the scenic Monte district.
Wicker toboggan (€25/€30/€45 1/2/3 per cart) down the steep hill to the Livramento district. Walk 2km downhill to the centre of Funchal.
Madeira Story Centre (€5 history of Madeira). The Cidade Velha (old town) is a charming section of the city with cobbled streets, the Capela do Corpo Santo, the yellow painted Sao Tiago fort, Museu de Baleia (NM)
Commercial heart of Funchal: city hall, Igreja do Colégio, ancient Se cathedral and then along the Avenida Arriaga with its classic Portuguese architecture. Fortaleza do Pico is a steep uphill walk with good views. Cristiano Ronaldo museum (€5) close to the cruise ship terminal. A glass of Poncha (a sweet but strong alcoholic cocktail) is perfect after a long day of sightseeing.
Mercado dos Lavradores market – experience normal Portuguese daily life.
NM Museums: Henrique and Francisco Franco Museum, Madeira Optics Museum, Madeira Story Centre, Military Museum, Museu A Cidade do Açúcar, Museu Cristiano Ronaldo (Museu CR7), Museu do Brinquedo, Museu de Historia Natural do Funchal, Quinta das Cruzes Museum, Museu do Bordado, Museu do Brinquedo, Quinta das Cruzes Museum, Sacred Art Museum, Universo de Memorias. Outside Funchal: Museu de Baleia
NM House Museum: Casa Museu Frederico de Freitas
NM Religious Temples: Jesuit’s College (Church of Saint John the Evangelist), Sé Catedral
NM Hospitality Legend: Belmond Reid’s Palace Hotel
Cabo Girão Cliffs and Skywalk*. 5h 6km. Walk along the winding Cabo Girão trails and take in beautiful panoramic views of the sea. At the trail’s end, find the skywalk, jutting out of the cliffs at over 580m above sea level, one of the world’s highest ocean cliffs.
Days 2-5. Road trip circumnavigating the island. Rent a car or scooters. There is very limited public transport between the smaller towns. Start on the west side.
Camping is possible for me. I will have a tent, sleeping pad and sleeping bag so can camp anywhere.
Câmara De Lobos – traditional fishing town with colourful fishing boats pulled onto the stony beaches.
?Ribeira Brava likeable resort town that provides easy access to the interior of the island, and the beautiful hiking trails around the village of Rabacal.
Paul do Mar — scenic village on the west end of the island
Sleep Porto Moniz
Porto Moniz a charming little town perched on the dramatic north western tip of Madeira, a region comprised of towering mountains. Geographically isolated and survived by specialising in whaling that continued to the 1980s.
Saltwater pools fill at high tide
Lava pools: two sets but best are the completely natural pools that overlook Ilheu Mole island
Levada da Ribeira da Janela, a 13km walk that climbs the Da Janela river valley into the beautiful forested mountains, one of the finest walks of Madeira. Starts from the small village Lamaceiros (location 32.8512, -17.1665), a challenge to get to if walking from Porto Moniz – passes along sheer drops and through tunnels so a torch is needed.
Miradouro da Santa 40 minute steep climb that switchbacks on the old road (ER101) south from Porto Moniz.
Aquario da Madeira aquarium housed in the old fort is constructed from the local basalt rocks €7.00.
Day 4-5 From Porto Moniz, continue the drive around the island. I don’t know the exact order of these sites. Put them all in Google Maps and follow the waypoints.
The interior of Madeira offers stunning natural scenery. The VE4 (Via Expresso) is the main north-south road, cutting through the mountains south of São Vicente.
Seixal a pretty town
Sao Vicente is a charming town set amidst a steep valley, further inland is the largest cave network of Madeira, the Grutas de São Vicente lava caves, volcanic caves (grutas) where you can visit lava tubes.
Ponta do Pargo is the most westerly point on Madeira and a stunning natural landscape.
Cable car of Achadas da Cruz
Ribeira da Janela pebble beach
Encumeada viewpoint
Parque Natural do Ribeiro Frio
Curral Das Freiras. This little town is hidden within a deep in a valley and is very scenic.
Câmara De Lobos is a traditional Madeira fishing town
Camacha
Ribeiro Frio
SANTANA UNESCO world heritage site of traditional thatched houses,
A-frame House. A traditional beautifully preserved, typical A-framed house in Santana, located a short walk from the hotel.
Levada do Caldeirão Verde half-day hike with panoramic views over São Jorge village. Greenest and lush. 5h10km
Pico do Arieiro* (1,818m) Summit the third highest in Madeira with stunning views. 6h 12km. If the conditions are right, find yourself above the clouds, looking down over Madeira. Hike between Pico do Arieiro and Pico Ruivo, this beautiful mountain route connects the third highest peak with the highest peak in Madeira and passes through stunning scenery.
Porto da Cruz beach village in the northeastern corner of the island with some of the most spectacular scenery of Madeira
Machico. The original settlement on the island, and the best (and only!) sandy beach in Madeira. Second biggest city on Madeira. A pleasant excursion from Machico is to the of
Santa Cruz sleepy town with a traditional sugar cane factory.
Risco Waterfall (NM).
Jardim do Mar. A NM Villages and Small Towns
Paul do Mar — scenic village on the west end of the island
Calheta — town, home to one of the only working sugarcane mills / rum distilleries on Madeira
Ponta de São Lourenço, the eastern part of Madeira is a nature reserve with wonderful panoramic views of the Atlantic and spectacular volcanic rock formations. Many unusual species of plants are found here and are best seen from the footpath, such as the Ice Plant, Everlasting, Cardoon and many more. Takes several hours. Down the cliff from the road before reaching the trailhead is a secluded beach called Prainha, the island’s only natural black sandy beach. Very popular with the locals, it’s great for swimming.
Day 6 – Porto Santo island. A delightful island with its own totally unique character, climate and charm. Has challenging hiking trails, delightful villages and demanding off-road cycling routes. Porto Santo Line ferry from Funchal is two-hour for great views of the Madeira coastline (http://www.portosantoline.pt/index.php?lang=en. €64.20 cheaper online). Interestingly, the waters between Porto Santo and Madeira are incredible deep, descending for almost 4,000m between the two extinct volcanic islands.
The ferry moors on the western side, a 2.5km walk to the centre of Vila Baleira, or 1.2km to the very western edge of the beach (not the best section). Once out of the harbour complex, the route does follow the beach, but there are much better walks on the island. Taxis into town (€5) or local bus (€1.60). A rental car (€67 per day) for a day trip is a little excessive.
I would suggest we rent a bicycle to explore the island (€12per day).
Porto Santo has deforestation and erosion. When settlers first arrived in the 15th century many of the trees were cleared for farming and heavy rains washed away the nutrient rich top soil. The poor sandy soil is all that remains today, giving the distinctive yellow appearance to the island, and is difficult to grow on. Its porous consistency quickly drains away the meagre amount of rainfall.
A guided tour is apparently the only real way to explore the whole of the island in a single day with either of two very different tour companies:
Lazermar https://www.lazermar.com/provides three types of tour: small group, 2-hour coach €20 or an Off-road jeep tour to inaccessible off-road viewpoints and lasts a bone-shaking 3.5 hours.
Vila Baleira delightful centre of white washed houses, historic buildings and Portuguese character, perfect for lunch or coffee. Igreja Matriz church
Porto Santo Beach. 7km long sandy beach that extends along the entire southern side of the island. The only natural sandy beach of the Madeira archipelago and is formed of soft golden sands.
Miradouro da Portela, to the east of the island overlooks the harbour
Pico Castelo Trail, (PR2-Castelo) climbs to one of the highest summits.
Branco e Terra Cha path (PR1-Branco) follows the remote but dramatic northeastern coast.
Calheta Beach. A small beach at the far eastern end of Porto Santo, next to the Ponta da Calheta headland, and overlooks the channel to the small uninhabited island known as Ilhéu da Cal. The unpredictable sea currents are too strong for swimming, but the setting is magical.
Ponta de Calheta beach
Casa de Cristovao Colombo, the small house that Christopher Columbus lived in between 1479 and 1484, with his wife Filipa Moniz before his epic voyage. Now a museum (€3) and includes historical artefacts and items salvaged from sea wrecks off the coast. Columbus’ time on Porto Moniz was significant to him, as it provided him his early ideas of sea currents, movements and westward travel, based on debris from winter storms.
Get In
Visa. Same as the rest of Portugal, part of the Schengen Area.
By plane. Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport (30 minutes from Funchal): TAP Portugal, Portugália, SATA, British Airways + many more.
Porto Santo Airport (PXO) is a 15-minute flight from Madeira.
By boat. Cruise ships port here. There is a car ferry between Porto Santo and Madeira, two hours one way. Ferry Service Funchal-Porto Santo
Get Around
By bus. Bus timetables are confusing. Tickets are bought from the driver.
All Rodoeste and S.A.M. buses converge in the center of Funchal.
By car. Driving in Madeira is not for the faint-hearted. A small number of main routes marked “Via Expresso” or “Via Rapida” (VE and VR on maps) are well-maintained, reasonably straight and level – thanks to a large number of tunnels, bridges and viaducts. All other roads are narrow and often steep with ceaseless-seeming hairpin bends up mountains against oncoming traffic and usually with a sheer cliff face on one. Renting via the Internet is usually cheaper than walking-in. Some smaller rental companies operate from sites near but not at the airport, and provide transport between terminal and depot.
Language. English is common. The Portuguese here tends to be heavily accented.
Connect. Internet – In some of the larger towns and cities on Madeira there is public free Wi-Fi Internet access sponsored by the Madeiran government. You’ll find a 2m tall white and blue board telling you that Wi-Fi is available. There is also free access in the airport terminal.
DO
Golf. Santo da Serra Golf, Palheiro Golf, Porto Santo Golf.
Surfing. The Atlantic offers waves for moderate to experienced surfers. Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar are the most popular surfing places.
Canyoning in Madeira is great for beginners and pro’s alike. Abseiling down high Waterfalls and jumping into crystal clear pools of fresh water is something you shouldn’t miss.
Drink. Madeira wine is a fortified wine prized equally for drinking and cooking. There are four major types. Poncha is the most traditional drink of Madeira.
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Experiences
Fado performance
Taste Cozido
Taste Francezinha
Taste Poncha
NOMAD MANIA Portugal – Madeira (Funchal, Porto Santo)
World Heritage Sites
Laurisilva of Madeira
Tentative WHS
Levadas of Madeira Island
Sites of Globalization
Borders: Madeira (sea border/port)
XL
Ilhas Desertas
Ilhas Selvagens
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Portugal Intercity Railway Experience
Islands
MADEIRA
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars: Madeira Cable Car
Museums: Madeira: Museu de Baleia
World of Nature: Madeira Natural Park
Waterfalls: Risco Waterfall
Villages and Small Towns: Jardim do Mar (Madeira)
European Cities
FUNCHAL World Cities and Popular Towns
Airports: Funchal (Madeira) (FNC)
Museums
Madeira Optics Museum
Madeira Story Centre
Museu Cristiano Ronaldo (Museu CR7)
Museu do Brinquedo
Quinta das Cruzes Museum
Universo de Memorias
Henrique and Francisco Franco Museum
Military Museum
Museu A Cidade do Açúcar
Museu de Historia Natural do Funchal
Museu do Bordado
Sacred Art Museum
Museu de Baleia
House Museums/Plantations: Casa Museu Frederico de Freitas
Religious Temples
Jesuit’s College (Church of Saint John the Evangelist)