kalmatthew
Lurker Extrodinaire
I'm off mid March so any recommendations from yjos visiting shortly would be welcome!
Madeira
- Thread starter Bingo
- Start date
Riklet
procrastinación
Im back out in Madeira and it's fucking fantastic.
Honesty my favourite place in Europe nowadays. Dont waste your time in the boring tourist themeparks of Porto and Lisbon (I jest...
) come here instead.
Much as I love Spain there is something soothing about Portugal, maybe it's the lack of people screaming and shouting all the time like your drunken argumentiative auntie at xmas. Hombre!
Honesty my favourite place in Europe nowadays. Dont waste your time in the boring tourist themeparks of Porto and Lisbon (I jest...
) come here instead.Much as I love Spain there is something soothing about Portugal, maybe it's the lack of people screaming and shouting all the time like your drunken argumentiative auntie at xmas. Hombre!
Orang Utan
They cannot crucify you if your hand is in a fist
Might go here for a break in February if I can get a decent Air BnB. Just want to enjoy walking in nature, eating, and sitting about on balconies reading.
colacubes
Mr Hot Cookie
Any recent recommendations Maggot Riklet kalmatthew? I’m off their solo on Thursday. Staying in Funchal and not hiring a car so probably limited to there.
kalmatthew
Lurker Extrodinaire
The Fort resteraunt was good for a more special night out I had the set meal with the wine flight and they were rather generous with the wine! I also enjoyed the botanical Gardens and the cable car down I got the bus somewhere then walked along a Levada to the gardens but unfortunately I can't find the details.
Maggot
The Cake of Liberty
We only spent a day in Funchal before flying home. Went on the cable car and visited the Botanical gardens right by where the cable car finishes. Both recommended.
The highlight of the holiday was seeing loads of dolphins on a whale and doplhin boat trip (no wales though). This was in Calheta, but I expect they do similar in Funchal.
kalmatthew
Lurker Extrodinaire
Also if you have any intrest on watching planes take off and land the smoking balcony at the airport gives an amazing apron view and you can take a beer out there from one of the cafes in the terminal.
It's years since I've been but as I remember there are good bus services around the island so there's no need to be limited to Funchal.
Riklet
procrastinación
You have lots of options by bus don't you worry. Yes a car is very useful but by no means essential. My first trip here 5 years ago I did 3 or 4 hikes without a car, visited Machico, Curral das Freiras, Ribeiro Frio, Portela and Caniçal.
I'll private message you anyway cos im here for the moment and I do have a car (36 euros for 12 days l am a jammy git!) and would be cool to meet up.
In Funchal there's lots to see and do and explore. Also Monte and the gardens and the teleférico up there. Cabo Girão along the coast. Ponta do Sol is great too if you dont mind a longer bus ride, there's a free party Friday evening there if you like electronic music too.
Orang Utan
They cannot crucify you if your hand is in a fist
Might copy you in March if you come back raving about it
Riklet
procrastinación
The bus system is quite complicated in Madeira. They are now officially all one company but they still go from separate places and only Horarios de Funchal are on Google Map. For future reference for anyone visiting the best buses to take for hiking/exploring are....
SAM 113 to Bahia d'Abra after Caniçal for Ponta de São Lourenço hike (you may well see it from the plane). Don't miss Prainha beach near there, down a slope before São Lourenço peninsula, it's fantastic and natural sand. The hike there is totally different to the levadas or any other walk on the island.
SAM 103 maybe others to Ribeiro Frio, which is a nice place. Great for Levada dos Balcões or Levada do Furrado to Portela. Buses back from Portela too.
Rodoeste various to Ponta do Sol (for Rodoeste try and get express buses the normal ones are very slow) then walk/taxi/local bus for the circular Levada Nova Levda do Moinho circular hikes from Igreja da Lombada.
Horários de Funchal 81 to Curral das Freiras then walk up to Eira do Serrado. Or go up there first, some buses go up to the viewpoint. then walk down. Great views. Lots of nice snacks made with chestnuts (castanha) in Curral das Freiras.
Horarios de Funchal 20, 21, 22 (maybe others) or the Teleférico Cable Car to get up to Monte for the palace gardens and the walk along to the botanical gardens if you're feeling adventurous. Then you can walk down or get bus or the Teleférico down from the botanical gardens even (not cheap but great views).
Pico Arieiro for the AMAZING Pico Ariero to Pico Ruivo PR1 walk. Highly recommended. Horários de Funchal from the Teleférico at 6am and 1.30pm only. Both sunrise and sunset are great there, weather permitting. Most people drive but you don't have to. Very easy to hitchike back with tourists too, Germans/French/Poles/Czechs much more likely to pick you up than locals.
SAM various buses regularly to Machico, then hike Pico do Facho to Caniçal, then bus back from there to Funchal. Both nice towns. Caniçal has a whaling museum too and some nice wilder swim spots when weather is better.
Horários de Funchal local bus lines 1 and 2 and 24 to Praia Formosa on the edge of Funchal. You can then walk back along the sea front from there though a tunnel then to Lido and back into town that way. Or you can follow the sea walkway all the way to Câmara de Lobos along the beach (been closed recently but usually open) and get Rodoeste bus back from there.
And finally one for the intrepid. Rodoeste to Corrida on the slow bus then walk up a steep road to Boca da Corrida. Amazing viewpoint. Great great hikes from there include hike to Boca da Encumeada in the centre of the island (some buses pass by there but not many). Hike to Curral das Freiras which can be combined with an ascent of Pico Grande if the weather is clear. It's quite hard. One of the best hikes ive done though. You can then get bus back from Curral das Freiras.
SAM 113 to Bahia d'Abra after Caniçal for Ponta de São Lourenço hike (you may well see it from the plane). Don't miss Prainha beach near there, down a slope before São Lourenço peninsula, it's fantastic and natural sand. The hike there is totally different to the levadas or any other walk on the island.
SAM 103 maybe others to Ribeiro Frio, which is a nice place. Great for Levada dos Balcões or Levada do Furrado to Portela. Buses back from Portela too.
Rodoeste various to Ponta do Sol (for Rodoeste try and get express buses the normal ones are very slow) then walk/taxi/local bus for the circular Levada Nova Levda do Moinho circular hikes from Igreja da Lombada.
Horários de Funchal 81 to Curral das Freiras then walk up to Eira do Serrado. Or go up there first, some buses go up to the viewpoint. then walk down. Great views. Lots of nice snacks made with chestnuts (castanha) in Curral das Freiras.
Horarios de Funchal 20, 21, 22 (maybe others) or the Teleférico Cable Car to get up to Monte for the palace gardens and the walk along to the botanical gardens if you're feeling adventurous. Then you can walk down or get bus or the Teleférico down from the botanical gardens even (not cheap but great views).
Pico Arieiro for the AMAZING Pico Ariero to Pico Ruivo PR1 walk. Highly recommended. Horários de Funchal from the Teleférico at 6am and 1.30pm only. Both sunrise and sunset are great there, weather permitting. Most people drive but you don't have to. Very easy to hitchike back with tourists too, Germans/French/Poles/Czechs much more likely to pick you up than locals.
SAM various buses regularly to Machico, then hike Pico do Facho to Caniçal, then bus back from there to Funchal. Both nice towns. Caniçal has a whaling museum too and some nice wilder swim spots when weather is better.
Horários de Funchal local bus lines 1 and 2 and 24 to Praia Formosa on the edge of Funchal. You can then walk back along the sea front from there though a tunnel then to Lido and back into town that way. Or you can follow the sea walkway all the way to Câmara de Lobos along the beach (been closed recently but usually open) and get Rodoeste bus back from there.
And finally one for the intrepid. Rodoeste to Corrida on the slow bus then walk up a steep road to Boca da Corrida. Amazing viewpoint. Great great hikes from there include hike to Boca da Encumeada in the centre of the island (some buses pass by there but not many). Hike to Curral das Freiras which can be combined with an ascent of Pico Grande if the weather is clear. It's quite hard. One of the best hikes ive done though. You can then get bus back from Curral das Freiras.
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