Wherever you are in Madeira, wilderness is never far away. The island rising from the Atlantic, 17 degrees west of Greenwich, comprises a compelling mix of rock, forest and seascapes – best appreciated at the island’s traditional pace. If you need to get somewhere in a hurry in Madeira, there are loads of impressive, highly engineered tunnels that will speed you across the island. But if you have time to spare, you can aim high.
Daybreak: Watching the sun rise from the ocean
At 6.30am on a midsummer morning, I found myself perched on a chair on a hillside a mile above sea level, waiting for the dawn. Many visitors drive up to Madeira’s high points to greet the new day, but it’s well worth signing up with a professional tour to ensure you’re in the right place at the right time. If you’re late, the cosmos won’t wait. And your guide will also provide somewhere comfortable to prepare to welcome the dawn.
“Ninety-three million miles away,” I scribbled in my notebook. “And right now performing the greatest show on earth.”
On that particular morning, a layer of mist seemed to be resting on this portion of the planet. Yet once the cosmological clockwork began, cloud cover melted away as the sky took on a palette ranging from blood orange to Barbie pink.
Flat out: Walking the levada
Each new day brings fresh possibilities for exploring the landscapes of Madeira – which have been discreetly modified by man to the benefit of 21st-century travellers. Meet the levada. The highlands of Madeira look like a natural wilderness. Yet they conceal a gigantic hydrological project with thousands of kilometres of irrigation channels and paths beside them, which make for wonderful walking.
The levada is found only in Madeira. These channels were ingeniously devised to distribute water from the west and northwest of the island to irrigate the drier southeast. And now they distribute holidaymakers across the higher altitudes of Madeira. Many hikers become addicted to this simply beautiful way to travel gently through spectacular landscapes.
One of the joys of the levada is that you are walking on the flat. That has another consequence: some really tight swerves. The levada hugs the contour of the hill. Organise your own linear walking trip, using the excellent maps that are available and working with the very good local bus schedules. Either way, wear good footwear and you are guaranteed a thrilling journey.
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