PJS-Adventures | Madeira Island Trekking

Madeira Island Trekking
Portugal

Adventure Type:

Hike

Technical Equipment Needed:

Fitness Level Required:

Good

Effort Level:

Moderate - Tough

Specialist Insurance Required:

Yes

Best Months To Go:

March - June

September - November

Grading:

see our Grading Guide HERE

Accommodation:

Hotel

Location Map:

Check HERE

Altitude in Meters:

None

Food Choices Available:

Veggie, Vegan, Nut Free, Lactose Free, Halal

Information Pack:

Download HERE

An ideal destination for trekking lovers.

With mountains, ocean, green forests, waterfalls and viewing points, makes hiking in Madeira an unforgettable and invigorating experience.

For a magical trekking experience, let us take you on the best Day Treks Madeira has to offer. Each day we will take you to amazing hiking trails in different parts of the island. Our guides will lead you through stunning environments to unbelievable views. At the end of a full days hiking we will take you back to your hotel accommodation to relax, recover and unwind, ready for the following days hike.

Due to being in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, Madeira has various microclimates resulting in highly varied landscapes.

The south side of the island is a lot drier and sunnier. In the far east and far west, it’s more often completely open without any tree cover, in strong contrast to the lush forests elsewhere. The north side of the island is overall a lot greener, as clouds from the ocean get trapped here against the central mountain range. It’s fantastic hiking territory, but do bring a rain jacket just in case!

The north is home to one of the largest surviving Laurisilva - laurel forests, a type of primal forest that covered much of Southern Europe millions of years ago. These laurel forests show off a lot of endemic and rare plant life and trees and make for some particularly unique hiking environments.

Trekking in different environments

North

On the north coast, you will find some of Madeira's most beautiful and emblematic Levadas. The Levadas is the name given to the paths parallel to the irrigation channels (aqueduct )that carry fresh water from the very humid northern mountains to the drier south. An offer that includes several levels of difficulty, but almost always with the omnipresence of the exuberant Laurissilva.

South

Most of the trekking trails along the south coast enjoy breathtaking views over Funchal, and provide moments of encounter and communion with the island's Nature. Discover and follow them.

East

Madeira's morphological characteristics and its network of trails mean that you can walk through places with varied surroundings, in coastal and forested areas.

West

The west coast of Madeira hides some of the most breathtaking sceneries with trails and routes that cater for those who just want to stroll along as well as those who are looking for a bit of adventure.

Madeira's central mountain range is located at an altitude of more than 1400 metres, and includes Pico Ruivo and Pico do Areeiro, as well as the Paul da Serra plateau.

Trekking in Madeira means enjoying the opportunity to explore and interact with Nature, always keeping an eye out for how much there is to discover.

The trekking trails can take you to the most hidden nooks in the mountains (sometimes even above the clouds), or to coastal areas.

Between waterfalls and streams, cliffs and crags, subtropical forests and viewpoints overlooking the Mountain Massif or the ocean, the surprises we are treated to while trekking in Madeira are presented to us at every step.

There are trails for all preferences and all paces. This means that anyone, of any age, can have the experience of exploring the trails and levadas . There are dozens of trails, hundreds of kilometres and countless sceneries to enjoy while trekking in Madeira

Bespoke Itineraries

We can plan and adjust your Madeira Island Trekking adventure to suit you and your group. You can decide how many days you want to hike and the level of trekking abilities. Then we will plan out the best schedule for you to fit in exactly what you want.

We offer accommodation in local hotels. As we would like you to experience different sides of the island, we will normally suggest at least one hotel change during your trip. Accommodation is based on two sharing, including breakfast, packed lunch and dinner. Please note the special food requirements we offer for this trip are restricted to vegetarian (including lactose free, gluten free etc).