Madeira: An island that is only 50 miles long and 30 miles wide, but, a challenge to navigate and hike! A serious hikers paradise that gives you diverse options and challenges. This island rises up from the sea with dramatic cliffs and valleys. A truly beautiful place!
As I stated, you need to be prepared to hike this island with the proper gear (waterproof hiking shoes, poles….) and commitment, as most hikes are 4-5 hours long and some can take all day! Lots of up/downs, wet, tunnels, mud, etc… We are “casual” hikers, so, a bit of a challenge for us
Driving is also a challenge as most roads are up and down, tons of tunnels, switch backs, steep verticals and drops. Highways are great, but, the country roads are narrow and vertical. I have driven a lot of places in Europe and this is the first time I was physically “shaken” on a route, as the verticals were so steep and turns so tight my small SUV was spinning its tires to get up the road!! It’s good to have a car for flexibility, but, be aware it will be a challenge. There are a number of bus and private island tours.
If you are “uncomfortable” with heights it is high everywhere! This definitely tested my fear and did things I normally would of not. PR1 hike for example, 6000 feet up with shear drops on each side of the trail. So, glad it was cloudy that day!
We made Funchal our base, which worked out pretty well. I would consider breaking up your stay in different locations.