Madeira 2022: Walks & Hikes

As promised in my first Madeira blog post, the next few posts will go into more detail about what we got up to on the island, anything that is worth noting and my personal opinion on what we did. The first of these will focus on the walks and hikes around the island. Being someone who likes the outdoors and exploring, I overall found that Madeira had a lot to offer.

Pico do Arieiro

This was for sure my favourite hike on the island. You will find yourself walking along a mountain path that was constructed over 50 years ago by the island administration and links the two highest peaks on the island: Pico Ruivo (highest, at 1862m) and Pico do Arieiro (1818m). This walk took us a whole day, with 20km of hiking done in 8 hours. The physical challenge, combined with the stunning scenery you are rewarded with makes this hike a must for anyone into their adventuring.

The walk starts at Pico do Arieiro, where there is a visitor centre and car park. To ensure you get a parking spot, try to get here as early as possible. Despite going in the off season, by the time we got there around 09:30 in the morning, we had to go and park in the overflow car park which is further away from the start point. This starting location also has a board showing the walking route, which is QR code enabled making it easy viewing on your phone.

This walk has a lot of ascent and descent - you will first descend from Pico do Arieiro, and then climb back up to Pico Ruivo. Hence, I would say that a good level of fitness is a must. This was the hardest and longest walk we did during the week, and depending on the changeable weather conditions it could become a lot harder! It was good fun doing it with my cousins, and we usually put on some music to keep the momentum up (turns out the King's/Queen's marching music keeps you going at a pretty good tempo!). On the topic of weather, whilst in Madeira make sure that you pack for all seasons, as the weather changes as you ascend into the mountains. On this particular hike, I went from wearing a hat, gloves and fleece to a t-shirt and shades, so be prepared for anything!

I think it's also useful to point out that there are some fairly long tunnel sections on this hike, so using a head torch is preferable. Phone flashlights also work fine. En route to Pico Ruivo, just before the final section of ascent there is a small cafe which sells refreshments. Other than that, there are no toilets or stopover locations along the route.

As you reach the summit at 1862m, you're greeted with amazing views of the valleys and mountains around you. When we were up there, the clouds were constantly changing shape and were actually below us, giving for some epic photo opportunities.

São Lorenco

The São Lorenco peninsula, located on the easternmost point of the island, provides a stark contrast to the dense green vegetation covering the rest of Madeira. As we drove up to the car park it was a barren, rocky outcrop, which was also the location of an 'out and back' (non-circular) walking route to the viewpoint at Morro do Furado (160m above sea level).

This walk on paper isn't the longest or steepest, but we found it to be harder than the walking books and travel guides suggested. The hard rock means you have to watch your footing and depending on the weather (it was hot when we did it), the walk can feel more tiring. Again, be prepared for all sorts of weather! The walk is clearly marked out and easy to follow. While making your way to the viewpoint, be sure to stop and look back towards the mainline, as you can get some great shots of the coastline.

As you reach the last section before the summit, the path does get quite steep and loose, so some scrambling may be required. I highly recommend that for all the walks on Madeira you wear walking shoes/boots, for extra grip and support. Walking poles may also be a good addition if you have them. There is a small cafe halfway through the walk, that also has toilets if you need to use them.

Parking is readily available near the start point, but again depending on when you visit Madeira this walk may get busy (as it is one of the more popular ones to do on the island).

Ribeiro Frio

This walk barely made it into my shortlist, purely because it is so short that I'm not sure you can call it a hike! Nonetheless, this walk takes you to one of the most famous viewpoints on the island - at the 'belvedere' (or balcony) of Rivbeiro Frio. Parking is along the road near the start of the walk, there is no official car park. This walk gets very touristy, so I would advise that you come early in the day to find somewhere to park. The walk itself is of very easy difficulty and takes you through some woodland, before coming to a clearing where a balcony awaits.

From here, you can enjoy a view of the three highest peaks on the island. Unfortunately, when we went it was quite cloudy, but there were still some awesome views of the landscape below.

This walk is a good one to do if you only have a couple of hours to spare - it doesn't take long, and for how easy the walk is you do get some great views.

Rabaçal to the 25 Springs

This was another walk that was popular with the tourists, and is one of the 'Levada' routes on the island. The levadas (irrigation channels) give great walking routes. They were constructed in the 15th century to make use of the rich water resources in the island's interior for the cultivation of sugar cane and grapes. Over time, this network has grown to a total of 2000km in length. The levadas are 20 to 120cm wide and up to 1m deep. As well as being used for maintenance, the paths along the levadas are used as walking routes.

After parking at Rabaçal, a path winds down to the Rabaçal forestry house. From there, you will be directed onto the Levada das 25 Fontes walk. This walk will take you through vegetation, waterfalls, footbridges and irrigation channels, until you reach the rock basin - home to the '25 Springs'. They trickle down a steep rock face into the pools below. When we did this walk, it was heavily raining, but I would say the 25 Springs was worth it. Note that this is also a circular walk, so rather than following the levada back, take the set of stairs up and then rejoin the main track.

That concludes my take on some of the walks and hikes we did in Madeira. To summarise, there is a wide range of different types of hikes to suit all tastes and abilities. As long as you are prepared for any weather, enjoy a challenge and are able to stop and admire a view, the above walks are great!

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