Exploring Madeira (East Side)
Madeira is approximately 740 square kilometers and can be driven all the way around in 4 hours. This volcanic island may be small, but it is jammed packed with beautiful sites all within a short distance of each other which means we’re not stuck for hours in buses, cars, or trains.
Most tours divide the island up into the East side tour and the West side tour. Both are full 8 hour days and a great way to see the highlights of the island in a short amount of time. Also, a little cheaper and less stressful than renting a car.
Starting off the day with our head above the clouds. Pico Arieiro is the third highest peak on the island at 5,965 feet.
But even at third highest, we still get some stunning views.
This peak is the most accessible one. You can get here by vehicle and there’s even a parking lot and restaurant on top.
Follow this path for a four-six hour hike and it will lead to the highest mountain on the island Pico Ruivo which is 6,106 ft.
Ribeiro Frio (cold river) is a beautiful park area full of hiking trails through laurel forests and cold clear rivers (there is no shortage of water on this island!). Oh yes, and a trout farm.
It was here that we took our first levada walk! There are many levada walks on Madeira with differing difficulties.
Levadas are ground level irrigation channels that run all over the island. Rain water is captured from the top of the island and brought to farms and now have become an accompaniment for tourists on their hikes.
One of my favorite cliffside places to watch wild ocean waves is Guindaste viewpoint, situated along the island’s north coast by the St. Lawrence peninsula.
And one more picture of the waves from here, just because.
In Santana, there is a small collection of traditional huts. Some were set up with small informational displays that people could go inside and look at.
Others were view-only.
This tour stop was supposed to be a visit to a local rum distillery. But I had done my research and knew that steps away…
…was a beautiful black sand beach called Praia da Alagoa.
When we arrived, there was hardly anyone there. Needless to say, we ended up skipping the distillery all together.
When Portuguese explorers first discovered Madeira, they arrived at what is now known as the town of Machico.
Even now, people still make this area their arrival point to the island because the airport is nearby. The runway is built over the ocean and is prone to sheer winds, making it in the top ten most dangerous runways in the world.