Things to do in Madeira
February 15, 2019 3:39 PM Subscribe
I'm in Madeira for the next two days (Saturday and Sunday) with a hire car and a desire to do something. What can you all suggest?
Same here! It was on a levada walk that I discovered that I could walk along fine when a steep drop was on my right side but on the return, with it on my left, I had to kind of go hand over hand clinging to the wall.
Also took the bus 'round the island and there were some blind curves in the mountains when we met an oncoming car and had to back up with no guard rails but I'm sure they've fixed that.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:35 PM on February 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
Also took the bus 'round the island and there were some blind curves in the mountains when we met an oncoming car and had to back up with no guard rails but I'm sure they've fixed that.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 8:35 PM on February 15, 2019 [1 favorite]
I went for a weekend to madeira around this time last year. I loved driving around the island, lots of winding roads with amazing views - though a lot of slow tourist buses. It was very stormy weather up high for me tho, I drove to hike Pico Ruivo but could barely open the car door for the wind and rain so abandoned that idea. On the coast was nice weather so I did a circuit of the island, stopping at interesting bits. Funchal has good botanical gardens. Camera de lobos was cute small town and harbour. One of the highlights for me was Ponta de São Jorge - a short hike down a cliff and along a dodgy walkway to an outcrop looking out into the ocean with big waves.
posted by JonB at 10:59 PM on February 15, 2019
posted by JonB at 10:59 PM on February 15, 2019
Def. hit the northern side of the island, the Laurisilva forests are breathtaking. Also, be mindful of where you go, the weather is incredibly mercurial and a lot of hikers get turned around hella quick because they get engulfed in a *cloud* in a just a few minutes. I wouldn't have believed it unless it had happened to us. the locals are used to picking up (and returning) lost tourists as well as driving their cars around spooky corners (as in a tourist loses their nerve when met by an oncoming bus/other vehicle on one of the crazier coastal roads, and the local has to get out and drive the car around their car. saw this too). I liked Ribeira de Janela, but pretty much everything is beautiful in Madeira.
Eat many pastel de natas. You'll miss them when you're gone.
Funchal is a bit meh (but I'm really partial to hiking and outdoorsy stuff tho, so take that with a grain of salt). I liked walking around after dark though, the little bars are quite cute and I loved the Santa Maria street, its like a tiny art district.
posted by speakeasy at 9:40 AM on February 16, 2019
Eat many pastel de natas. You'll miss them when you're gone.
Funchal is a bit meh (but I'm really partial to hiking and outdoorsy stuff tho, so take that with a grain of salt). I liked walking around after dark though, the little bars are quite cute and I loved the Santa Maria street, its like a tiny art district.
posted by speakeasy at 9:40 AM on February 16, 2019
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posted by TwoStride at 4:50 PM on February 15, 2019 [1 favorite]