Day 1 - Arriving in Madeira
Welcome to Madeira! Taxi transfer from the airport to your first accommodation located :
. Standard accommodation : in the small rural village of Boaventura, on Madeira's north coast. Set in an old farmhouse, this comfortable, carefully renovated country hotel offers a beautiful spa area with jacuzzi, sauna and indoor swimming pool. Depending on your arrival time, you can explore the village or head down to the Miradouro do Bom Jesus for a breathtaking view.
. Superior accommodation : in the small rural village of Santana, on Madeira's east coast. On a cliff at Achada do Gramacho in Santana, the Quinta do Furão stands in between organic wines, vegetables and endemic plants of the island.
Meals included : breakfast
Night : Boaventura or Santana
Transfer to the starting point of your hike. The Caldeiro Verde (green cauldron) is among the highlights of the island. You will discover the laurissilva – primary forest – in all its splendor. From the Queimadas botanical park, you follow an old levada (small irrigation canal) into the heart of the "jungle" of the Green Cauldron canyon, with its waterfalls and prehistoric forest: lily of the valley trees, giant dandelions, tree laurels and miniature ferns will accompany you all the way to Ilha, a small rural village where your driver will be waiting for you.
Morning transfer to the start of your hike in São Jorge. We invite you to discover this beautiful and wild route in between old terraced and farming lands where traces of history can be found in the watermill and typical villages. You will also enjoy a spectacular view over the ocean. Transfer back to your accommodation at the end of the walk.
Transfer to the starting point of your hike. 1 200 metres above sea level lies the deep valley of Ribeira de Janela. On the site of Rabaçal, by following the numerous levadas that fetch water from the heart of the mountain, you will discover numerous waterfalls, a forest of remarkable tree heather, the famous giant dandelion and the Madeira daisy. Transfer back to your accommodation.
Leaving Prazeres, you follow the beautiful Levada Nova to the small hamlet of Faja de Ovelha. A spectacular descent to Paul do Mar will show you how the Madeirans worked to build the famous staircase farms.
