One year ago, I spent a month working remotely from Madeira. As much as I love autumn, November is a dark, grey, and cold month in Czechia so I decided to leave.
Machico
I decided to spend my first week in Machico as I prefer remote, uncrowded places. I stayed at a place near the viewpoint Miradouro Francisco Alvares Nóbrega where I often took a shortcut down to the centre. There were almost no pavements around the city, but I quickly noticed that I'm probably the only one walking around these hills. Drivers were staring at me when I was walking to the groceries ☺︎
In Machico, I hiked to Pico do Facho. I had hard times finding an app with up-to-date routes, often going back and forth trying to navigate myself. I was also naive, thinking 8 km hike would be a quick and easy one - okay nope! Madeira hills are steep and weather is unpredictably changing every minute. It is warm but windy, it rains, it is cold. Did I say it was warm and cold at the same time? Yes and yes. Again, I was the only one hiking (except for a bunch of goats and cats) - however I met several groups taking tourist buses right up the hill. When walking down, I decided to take the longer route across the town as the hills were slippery.
Machico was an unusual place. I remember sitting at the beach. Everything was quiet, except the ocean. People were moving slowly, there was no rush. My mind was calm. With huge mountains surrounding me, I felt so little. Everything you want here, it is not for free. Even a little walk to the city can surprise you. I felt so far away from home. I felt like a part of something big, feeling insignificant at the same time. As if you were a small pixel in the picture - if missing, someone would barely notice.
Funchal
After a week, I moved to Funchal for the rest of my trip. Funchal is the capital, located in the south of Madeira. It was much warmer compared to Machico, also more crowded. I stayed near Madeira Botanical Garden which was quite far (and up high!) from the centre, but again I prioritised great views over the city.
In Funchal, I tried several places for focused work - Art Corner and Cafe do Monte, both having specialty coffee and vegan options. If you prefer beer, Beerhouse has many local beers to taste. It is also worth taking a walk to Praia da Formosa, Santa Catarina Park or visiting Monte.
A great sunset point in Funchal is Pico dos Barcelos. It was raining when I visited, but what I noticed about Madeira is that it often meant there's gonna be beautiful rainbows.
Exploring East and Mid of the Island
Funchal is a great starting point to multiple places - the first trip I took was a solo hike to Ponta de Sao Lourenco (PR8). It looked as a different planet and temperatures were high, with almost no shade anywhere.
A hike from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo (PR1) also offers breathtaking views. We watched a beautiful sunrise from Pico do Arieiro with a group of friends, then continuing with PR1 to the highest peak of Madeira - Pico Ruivo.
We had clear sky most of the time, but right at the top of Pico Ruivo, cloudy weather settled in, offering moody fogs on the contrary.
On the way back, we stopped at Santana to see its traditional houses.
Roadtrip to the West
In a one-day roadtrip, we managed to see Curral das Freiras, Cape Girão, Sao Vicente, Seixal, Porto Moniz, and Fanal.
Curral das Freiras is a small village surrounded by mountains.
Cape Girão is a viewpoint with a glass platform, though flooded with tourists.
Sao Vicente, Seixal, and Porto Moniz are small towns located in the north of Madeira, with great coastlines.
And Fanal. The most mysterious and misty place on Madeira.
Closing Thoughts
Be really careful about the weather. Even though it might not seem so, some of the trips were not that successful. Wanting to walk levada in Camacha, I was caught up in a storm with lightning.
There are many places to see, but plan wisely. Do not rely of weather forecast, study the bus schedules to avoid getting stuck in the mountains, ask locals for help.
Madeira wine vs Port wine. Where is a difference? I wish I knew.
All the respect to the bus drivers. You are kings of the roads.
Madeira, I will be back one day ♡
