Madeira

Madeira, the island of flowers. Known for its abundance in nature, good food and warm and friendly people.

The last few years, Madeira also increased popularity amongst us hikers. Trails along softly flowing Levada’s, through lush jungle or straight up the top of the island: Pico Ruivo.

Together with 4 experienced hikers, I attempted the MUIT 115. A 115 kilometer long hiking trail from east to west, gaining 7100 meters of elevation. We were completely astonished by the beauty of this island but also surprised by this challenging hike.

Facts and figures

  • Distance: 115 kilometers

    Elevation gain: 7100 meters

    Highest point: Pico Ruivo (1.862 m)

    Stages: between 4-7 days for avarage hikers
(ultrarunners will complete this trail in 14 hours.
    Starting point: Porto Moniz (from east to west) or Machico (from west to east)

  • The official ultra marathon leads hikers from east to west but vice versa is also possible. We hiked the trail from east (Porto Moniz) to west (Machico). Expect lots of elevation gain and loss in the first 3 days, most of it by stairs. Although the island is 801 KM2, weather wise almost everything is possible and can change within the hour. This will also impact the trail (think of slippery conditions when wet).

    The trail is a collection of shorter trails (PR) and is not well marked. It is advisable to carry some sort of navigation with you, for example paper maps, GPX files on your phone or a navigation device.

  • This trail is developed for ultra marathon runners who will complete this trail in one go. That being said, his trail is doable while sleeping in hotels or in your own tent.

    Be creative when you want to sleep in hotels. City’s are scarce along the trail so you probably have to use taxies or other forms of transportation to go from the trail to your hotel and back.

    Keep in mind that wildcamping is prohibited on the island of Madeira except when you are in possession of a permit and have a reservation for the campground.

    We hiked this trail in the low season and therefore reservations were not possible. Although we were with five people and tents we managed to find enough space every night.

    One last note: this trail is increasing enormously in popularity and becomes more crowded every year. Please act according to the leave no trace principle and leave nothing but your footsteps. This also applies for bars and restaurants you will encounter. Please respect the staff and don’t behave like an entitled hiker. There will be other hikers who will want to enjoy this trail after you have left.

  • Can we please talk Portugese food and wine all day long? Because it is delicious!

    On arriving in Funchal I would recommend resupplying in one of the bigger stores in the city. Here you can also find multiple outdoor stores for a last minute gear change or gas canister. While in Funchal I would highly recommend visiting restaurant O. Giro Churros and paninis for their excellent service.

    Except for the start and finish, this trail will encounter two small towns; Seixal and Porto da Cruz. Limited resupply is possible here.

    On trail there are multiple bars and cafés where you can enjoy a hot cup of coffee, a delicious meal or a well deserved cold beer. Keep in mind that these establishments are remote and have changing opening hours in different seasons. We camped near restaurant Abrigo do Pastor and had a taste of their dinner and breakfast menu. Highly recommended.

TRAIL STORIES

It is 2024, 2 years after my biggest dream can come true: hiking The Pacific Crest Trail. And although time has past and the worst feelings are diminishing, I am still homesick to the trail once in a while. After a lot of smaller adventures with Dutch PCT crew, we all felt ready for something more daunting. Something with a reasonable amount of kilometers but a lot of elevation gain to test the trail legs. Ofcourse there where conditions like: sun, cafés for coffee and beer and food. But that was about it.

The crew consisted of 5 people: Coffeebreak, Nutcracker, Hummingbird, Gilmore and myself, Tony.

After weeks of rain we boarded a very early flight in Amsterdam and just four hours later we landed on the sunny island of Madeira. We had lots to do that first day: buying gas canisters, resupply in the local grocery store and eat a delicious lunch before heading to the start of the trail.

After all the tasks where done, we took a taxi to Porto Moniz and saw the weather changing before our eyes. From sunny and warm to cloudy and chilly. That wasn't the deal! But we knew this could happen and it would happen again in the next couple of days. Once in Porto Moniz we took the obligatory starting picture, turned our backs to the ocean and started climbing. After 5 minutes I was so out of breath and my head turned the color of a tomato. I knew I wasn't in the best shape but this was hard! After 2.5 kilometers we reached the highest point of the day and started descending again. I believe it is called a PUT: Pointles Up and Down. Again after 2.5 kilometers we reached our destination: camping Madeira Paradise Glamping (no I did not came up with this name and no it was not clamping) in the city of Ribeira Da Janela. After a well served meal, a beer and a sunset over the ocean we felt a sleep. It had been a long day.  

Day two was an early rise from our beds but not from the campground. We took it easy and watched the sunrise while having breakfast. The hike started with an incredible steep uphill out of Ribeira Da Janela. Unfortunately Coffeebreak did not feel good and returned to the campsite for a couple more hours of sleep. After more than one hour we reached the jungle. Lush, big green plants and one staircase straight up the mountains awaited us. It took us 3 hours to cover the next 6 kilometers. This was brutal and my body screamed to stop. After a late coffee break, the sun came out and we entered the fanal Forrest. A wide, green meadow filled with ancient, mystical laurel trees. We walked up the edge of the forrest and were treaded with a spectacular view over fanal forrest. After finding cover from the sun, we had a very late lunch and carried on, all the way down again to Seixal. Before we knew it we found ourselves in the outskirts of Seixal.

It was getting late and without an official campsite there was only one thing to do: wild camping. With extensive experience in wild camping and following the Leave No Trace Principle, we were not concerned about the impact on nature but on the population. The further we walked, the more we entered civilization. With too many miles in our legs we decided to have dinner on a small side path and make a plan there. That plan eventually became wild camping in the village. Gilmore and I set up our camouflage tents in a meadow, Nutcracker and Hummingbird cowboy camping on a veranda of a deserted house. I didn't feel very comfortable, so close to the village. When a police car with flashing lights drove by, it became really exciting. Fortunately, the police responded to a report of a dispute between neighbors. Once in my own tent, my eyes quickly closed from fatigue.

The next day the alarm went off at 6 am. Within 5 minutes we tore down the tent to get out of there before daylight. We walked to the side path, which had now become our regular spot, made breakfast and filtered two liters of water each. We had survived the night but a huge climb awaited us. 1200 meters up, again straight up the mountain. By now my body had gotten used to life on the trail again. At our own pace, with the necessary breaks, we each crawled up the mountain to be reunited at the top. The view was phenomenal and the coffee tasted so good! At the top we called Paul. Things were going a little better now and he wanted to join us again. We discussed where we would meet again and gave him a small shopping list. With this we should be able to make it to the end of the trail.
After a stretch on a dirt road we arrived again at a magical piece of forest. An official campsite, but it was still a bit too early for camping. Gratefully we took a seat on one of the picnic benches and the lunch feast began. Gilmore wanted to take a break and took a nap on the floor. Hummingbird and I walked a little further so that we could continue walking at our own pace. The magical forest eventually ended up in an ugly dirt raod under construction. Fortunately, the trail only followed this for a short distance and then we quickly entered the forest again. The descent was endless but incredibly beautiful with old trees, a beautiful abandoned campsite, many levadas, waterfalls and beautiful plants and flowers. Exhausted, we arrived in the suburb of Sao Vicente. Coffeebreak had chosen a nice campsite, but we still had to climb up for an hour. Everyone turned inward a bit, listened to music and started this final push. More dead than alive, we arrived at the campground after 27 kilometers. There a packed picnic table awaited us with apples, wine, chips, and more goodies. Exhausted as we were, we decided to set up the tent before eating. After dinner everyone was too tired to continue chatting and we went into our tent.

That night it rained lightly. I love the sound of drops on the tent canvas while I'm snug in my sleeping bag. Until it was still raining the next morning. Finally we decided to get up. Miles had to be covered. After a wet breakfast and with a wet tent on our backs we started day three and the now well-known climb straight up the hill every morning. The bad weather continued and the higher we climbed the more we found ourselves in a cloud. We knew this could happen in Madeira but were disappointed by the missed views. After a wet coffee break we continued climbing and suddenly the clouds started to clear. Fragments of jagged mountain peaks emerged in the mist and we stood there in surprise. Eventually the sun won over the clouds and we had a beautiful view of the mountains around us and the village far down in the valley. Because we wanted to make the most of these warm rays of sunshine, we decided to have lunch on a stretch of widened path. Everything was laid out to dry, wet layers were peeled off and sunscreen applied. After a sunny lunch it was a short climb to Pico de Ruivo, the highest point in Madeira. We could tell that we were getting close to a tourist point. More and more day hikers walked towards us. In the afternoon we reached the base of Pico Ruivo and what exceeded our expectations? A small, sheltered campsite, just below the stairs to Pico Ruivo. We played tentris with our tents so that there might be some room left for other hikers (we shouldn't have done that) and Nutcracker got us a Coke from the café a little further away. We were satisfied. we had dinner early so that we had enough time to climb the last part and experience sunset from the top of Pico Ruivo. It was magical and fun with several other hikers at the top. Hummingbird poured us a small amount of honey rum, which went well with the cold that the night brought. Back at the camp, a group of hikers who had just arrived were discussing where to pitch their tent. This went on until about half past nine o'clock. In the hiker world there is a hiker midnight that starts around 9 o'clock in the evening. People have had a beautiful but tough day of walking and want to get enough sleep to continue hiking fresh and fruity the next morning. These people were not aware of this phenomenon and did not want to be quiet after our request. That was a long night and early morning.
Day 4 started early at 6 am with our loud new neighbours. Nutcracker and I, curious as we are, decided to also experience the sunrise at the top. Cold, but beautiful and definitely worth it. Back in camp we ate breakfast in the sun to warm up and packed our bags. We were able to get extra water at the café and they happened to sell coffee and cake. Coffeebreak lived up to its name and ordered coffee and cake for everyone. Much too late we headed to the second summit: Pico do Arieiro. A popular walk that we noticed immediately. I think we met at least 200-300 people on a 5 kilometer trail. It was a beautiful section with many small climbs and descents, through caves and along steep cliffs. The latter also made it quite exciting at times. The path was not very wide and it was difficult to pass people with a heavy pack on. We also hadn't showered in 4 days. Something that all those freshly washed people who came to meet us certainly noticed.

While the trail started with no cafes along the route, on day 4 we couldn't seem to escape them. Just after Pico Do Arieiro it was a tourist paradise with real toilets and a pizza place. Something we, starving hikers, couldn't resist. With full bellies we started the descend and early in the afternoon we came across several campsites. We choose the latter because, yes, there was a restaurant nearby. I stayed behind to guard the tents and to cook my own food, but the rest came back after half an hour with fries, sweet potatoes and wine. After this delicious dinner it started to cool down considerably and because of the noisy evening before, we were in our tents long before hiker midnight.
Day 5 turned out to be the last day. We still had about 30 kilometers to go and wanted to camp one more night before returning to civilization. That turned out a little differently, but we didn't know that in the morning. Because the restaurant was a five-minute walk away, opened at 8 am and everyone was tired of their oatmeal, we decided to have breakfast in the restaurant. What a good choice that was! Fresh coffee, delicious orange juice and large sandwiches with egg or club sandwich. With a full belly we started the further descent. There wouldn't be much climbing from here to the finish. That was news our sore muscles wanted to hear. It was a cold and cloudy morning. And we walked at a brisk pace towards Porto Da Cruz. Finally we saw the sea again and the views were fantastic, despite the clouds. Just before Porto da Cruz we hoped to have lunch. Unfortunately for us, the restaurant was still closed. A lunch from the pack was also not bad, which meant a lighter weight on the back. After lunch we continued towards Porto Da Cruz and learned that the Portuguese are not always kind to their animals. A neglected dog on a chain on top of a concrete roof without shelter. We gave the poor thing all our water and some soaked couscous. A couple of goats locked in a shed, bleating loudly. We would have preferred to break in and set them free, but there were to many locals watching us.
When we arrived in the village we heard that a storm was coming the next night. The wind was picking up already, so the storm wouldn't last long. The opinions in the group about what to do differed somewhat: stop early, stay in the Porto Da Cruz hostel and see how far we could get the next day, or continue and spend the night at the last campsite before the finish. Ultimately we decided on the latter and still had a tough climb out of the valley ahead of us. Our now trained legs could handle that well and before we knew it we were walking along a beautiful trail along the tempestuous coast. The storm increased and the sea was raging which provided for spectaculair views . In a stunning 2 hours we whooped 10 kilometers. Windswept, we arrived at the last campsite, which turned out to be an exposed field on top of a hill. A beautiful place to camp except with an incoming storm. We explored the area with experienced eyes, but there was no straight piece of land to be seen. We decided to continue walking because we could see possible campsite a little further on the map. This site turned out to be surrounded by dead trees. They call these dead trees 'widow makers' in America. I don't think I need to explain that any further. For a couple of minutes we debaded for the best option until we found out that the finish was just 4 kilometers away. Everyone was at the end of their rope after 25 kilometers, but the shelter of a hotel room and a hot meal gave us the energy to walk the last 4 kilometers. With a dark roaring storm behind us we reached the edge of the village of Monchico. When we looked back we saw that we had made the right choice. Windswept and smelly, we arrived in the village. We found a chic establishment with white tablecloths that we didn't dare sit inside. Outside was also an option and soon we were enjoying wine and delicious Portuguese food with red cheeks from fatigue. The hotel room turned out to be across the street. After a little renovation of the room, Nutcracker and I slept in the double bed and Coffeebreak, Gilmore and Hummingbird on their mats on the floor. Everyone remembered this way of sharing rooms on the PCT and we fell asleep freshly showered.