Madeira has its ups and

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2 DESTINATIONS MADEIRA MADEIRA The wild west Walkers, wine lovers and water babies all fall under Madeira s spell. Ellen Himelfarb explores the rugged beauty of this Atlantic island to find out why Madeira has its ups and downs but not in the way you might think. The frequency and speed with which you swoop between 1,000 metres and sea level will blow your mind and pop your ears. You can t avoid the drama. From the moment your plane swings around to the runway edging the sea, you re right at the heart of it. Even the airport shuttle ( 8 return) gives you an eyeful. A volcanic hotspot blasted into being five million years ago, Madeira came of age five centuries ago as a stopover for westbound Portuguese mariners. (The eponymous wine was fortified to preserve it on long, hot journeys.) Lately, though, it s known as a refuge for sun-seeking holidaymakers. Yet there is far more to see than the side of a hotel pool. On a fleeting field trip you can experience panoramas, salty sea breezes and the gentle pace of village life sometimes all at once. You ll need wheels: Enterprise (enterprise. co.uk) has cars from 98 per week. Or, if the hairpin highways have you on edge, leave the manoeuvring to a private taxi, from 40 for a half-day whirl.

Blandy s Winelodge In town Let s get the country s vinous namesake out of the way first.

If you re a geek for specifics such as oxidation, alcohol content and 9,000-litre satinwood vats, follow the 45-minute tour at Blandy s Winelodge (blandyswinelodge.com; 5.

Although if you d find that a slog (many do), nip up to Pereira D Oliveira s lodge (Rua Dos Ferreiros 107) and taste their medium-dry and five-year vintages for free.

For now, ripple west from the city on zigzag roads over hills quilted in green.

Among the banana smallholdings absorbing the rays at street Levada do Alecrim ATLANTIC SCALE 10km PORTO MONIZ Rabacal SEIXAL PONTA DO SOL 2 VE4 Caminho do Pinaculo e Folhadal VE4 1 Ribeira Brava Faja

Madeirans distill a rum called poncha, cut cloyingly with sugar, honey and lemon. Get it at the source from a roadside bar in Camara de Lobos, the capital of cane country.

3 Blandy s Winelodge In town Let s get the country s vinous namesake out of the way first. Madeira grapes a cocktail of native whites and reds may grow up in the hills, but the wine merchants station themselves in Funchal. If you re a geek for specifics such as oxidation, alcohol content and 9,000-litre satinwood vats, follow the 45-minute tour at Blandy s Winelodge (blandyswinelodge.com; 5.90; four daily), the half-timbered pile on Funchal s main boulevard. Although if you d find that a slog (many do), nip up to Pereira D Oliveira s lodge (Rua Dos Ferreiros 107) and taste their medium-dry and five-year vintages for free. TIP Next year s Madeira Wine Festival, a two-week tasting extravaganza, runs from 26 August to 9 September. We ll return to Funchal later (see Mini Guide, right). For now, ripple west from the city on zigzag roads over hills quilted in green. Vast banana leaves overhanging the hard shoulder and trundling pickups laden with produce tell you this is the country s fruit basket. Among the banana smallholdings absorbing the rays at street Levada do Alecrim ATLANTIC SCALE 10km PORTO MONIZ Rabacal SEIXAL PONTA DO SOL 2 VE4 Caminho do Pinaculo e Folhadal VE4 1 Ribeira Brava Faja dos Padres Camara de Lobos level are tall reeds of sugar cane 400 years ago the island was the world s top provider of cane sugar, until the New World took over. Some good has come of the legacy. Madeirans distill a rum called poncha, cut cloyingly with sugar, honey and lemon. Get it at the source from a roadside bar in Camara de Lobos, the capital of cane country. Pull into town for a quaff and peek into the church, hoiked up Serra de Agua Sao Jorge 3 Levada do Rei Levada do Caldeirao Verde Camara de Lobos Miradouro do Cabo Girao SANTANA FUNCHAL Rocha do Navio Botanical Garden Nini Design Centre Madeira Miradouro da Guindaste Faial PORTUGAL SPAIN MOROCCO on a hill with vineyard views. For Madeira s equivalent of a wild-west tavern, detour into the arid interior and up the VE4 motorway. Tasquinha and Taberna da Poncha, both on the motorway near Serra de Agua, sling cocktails with dishes of whole peanuts, whose shells crunch under foot. There s a taxi stand nearby for those who overdo it. Around here, they say, there are two religions Catholic and alcoholic. On this island of 268,000 people, nearly half in Funchal, the second-tier towns might seem to have nothing to them. Madeira s north is different. In these remote, weathered hills, development has been sluggish, to your advantage. Uneven roads and dark tunnels remain just as tight and tummy-turning as half a century ago. Vineyards threaten to overtake the pavements, early homesteads peek out from working farms. In Sao Jorge, visit Moinho a Agua (Sitio do Pico 156), an 18th-century mill that still grinds wheat, corn and rye with massive cracked wheels. The town comes to a head at a swimming cove bathed in morning light. If you hike toward Santana, a town of thatched-roof A-frame cottages painted red and blue, you can grab a cablecar ( 3; ) to Rocha do Navio, a nature 18 W H I C H? T R AV E L NOVEMBER 2017 WHICH.CO.UK/TRAVEL

DESTINATIONS MADEIRA MINI GUIDE: FUNCHAL The capital cascades down the hillside in a surge of white stucco, like one of Madeira s famous waterfalls.

Stop first at the stout 500-year-old cathedral (sefunchal.com; free), tastefully spartan but for its gilded Gothic ceilings. Next, they funnel into Mercado dos Lavradores (cm-funchal.

On the seafront, take the teleferico (madeiracablecar. com; round trip 16) up the mountain and stroll misty botanical gardens with ocean panoramas.

4 DESTINATIONS MADEIRA MINI GUIDE: FUNCHAL The capital cascades down the hillside in a surge of white stucco, like one of Madeira s famous waterfalls. But the old seafront is the thing, and you can see it all, even on the sultriest day. Start on jacaranda-shaded Avenida Arriaga and marvel at the unhurried rhythm of morning rush hour. Stop first at the stout 500-year-old cathedral (sefunchal.com; free), tastefully spartan but for its gilded Gothic ceilings. Next, they funnel into Mercado dos Lavradores (cm-funchal.pt; free) to weigh up toothy, bulgyeyed scabbard fish, the unlikely local delicacy. Roam the stalls, then accept a taster of the scaly exotic fruit the vendors call banana-pineapple. On the seafront, take the teleferico (madeiracablecar. com; round trip 16) up the mountain and stroll misty botanical gardens with ocean panoramas. See those men dressed in white like Victorian cricketers? They re carreiros, operating Painted doors district the traditional wicker sledges that race tourists downhill. But 25 is steep for a ride that lets you off in suburban hinterland. Better to gondola back down, then follow the promenade to Nini Design Centre ninidesigncentre.com; free) for cocktails cantilevered over the port. reserve surrounded by patchwork farmland. Continue toward Faial and pull over at Guindaste, a viewpoint above Faial beach, for a coastline view of fjord-like extremes. On sunny days you can see clear to Porto Santo, a spit of volcanic sand 5,000 Madeirans call home. At sea Don t let the limpid teal fool you: Madeira s Atlantic roars like a lion. It has a ragged, coal-black coastline with the finer sand swept off to sea. Peer down onto the spectacle from the glass floor at Miradouro do Cabo Girao, on the world s highest sea cliff, outside Camara de Lobos. Then, to test the waters, there s blacker, rockier Faja dos Padres. A new cablecar ( 10) dives 300 metres down the cliffside to the jagged beach and a café dotted with parasols. Take the plunge, but wear waterproof shoes. At neighbouring Ponta do Sol, the sharp shingle makes an excellent deterrent to everyone save local crowds, who prefer the quiet here to tourist-trap Ribeira Brava. Strap on firm sandals and you ll be rewarded with a (free) custom wood-slat lounger to spare your back. With the stone jetty wrapping its protective arm around the swimming bay, the water stays calm. Savour the view of the STAY For pedestrian lanes and authentic cooking, stay in the old centre. THE VINE HOTEL Sitting atop a shopping complex means this contemporary boutique hotel is dead quiet at night. It also gets mighty views from the rooftop, where there s a pool/ lounge with happy hours at 5pm and 10pm. The minibar, stocked with cold drinks, is free. Rua dos Aranhas 27; hotelthevine.com The Vine Hotel CASTANHEIRO BOUTIQUE HOTEL Clear your calendar: the rooftop infinity pool overlooks the cathedral, city hall, cable cars and miles of blue. Scenesters gather at the buzzy terrace taverna Castanheiro is a proper urban fly-and-flop. Romantics love the juliet balconies (though not the double bed formed of two singles). Pragmatists love the sockets and switches, all in the right places. Rua do Castanheiro 31; castanheiroboutiquehotel. com EAT MERCEARIA DONA MECIA Dining terraces collide on this slender side street, but the coolest and cheapest is Dona Mecia, with crocheted stools and a pantry of Portuguese products. The local canned mackerel and tuna comes with tomato and chives on slices of toasted sourdough. Rua dos Aranhas 26; mains avg 5 CRIS S DOWNTOWN The newest door to open in the bohemian painted doors enclave, Cris s plies you with Madeira cocktails then stuffs you with pâté, seafood and salad the crusted scabbard neck starter is unexpectedly delightful. It all comes a bit fast slow down the kitchen or you ll be done in an hour. Rua de Santa Maria 141; mains avg NOVEMBER 2017 W H I C H? T R AV E L 19

HOTEL WHERE TO STAY Levada do Rei Dorisol Pousada dos Vinhaticos DORISOL POUSADA DOS VINHATICOS Rustic is what you d expect here above Madeira s Grand Canyon.

Beds are narrow, but there s a pull-out sofa to take overspill. Serra de Agua; dorisol.

Spend an afternoon floating between the café, the beach loungers and your sea-view pocket balcony.

Rua Dr Joao Augusto Teixeira, Ponta do Sol; pontadosol.

5 HOTEL WHERE TO STAY Levada do Rei Dorisol Pousada dos Vinhaticos DORISOL POUSADA DOS VINHATICOS Rustic is what you d expect here above Madeira s Grand Canyon. Yet of the few ageing guesthouses, this is the most characterful, encircled by soaring landscape and buzzing with wildlife (you may need to oversee the removal of lizards from your bath). Beds are narrow, but there s a pull-out sofa to take overspill. Serra de Agua; dorisol.com Porto Moniz HOTEL DA VILA Pint-size Ponta do Sol beckons Portuguese sun-seekers, mostly, who use Vila s deep armchairs as their base. Spend an afternoon floating between the café, the beach loungers and your sea-view pocket balcony. A more glamorous sister hotel (doubles 79) perches like an eyrie atop the cliff visit for the pool and tropical garden (Vila residents are welcome), but descend back to earth for scene and sleep. Rua Dr Joao Augusto Teixeira, Ponta do Sol; pontadosol.com/hoteldavila QUINTA DO FURAO You d be forgiven for staying put on this three-hectare vineyard near Santana, squeezed between rainforest and beach (albeit an hour s walk down the cliff). With daily Madeira-wine tastings, pools and a games room, you re unlikely to feel the pull of the islands offshore though they, and charming Santana, are a quick roll down the coast. Estrada Quinta do Furao 6, Santana; quintadofurao.com pastel-stucco town with the afternoon sun at your back. Other coves exude their own special charisma. At Porto Moniz, the island s north-western point, volcanic rock clusters in scallop patterns around the shore, trapping tidewater in natural pools. Mossy stone steps lead into the cool water for bathers who slip in sighing like spa-goers. The larger, shallower swimming basins (portomoniz.pt/en; 1.50) attract families with yelping children. Meanwhile, a grid of (free) pools on the west side of town, by the aquarium, sit largely unperturbed. Leave time for Seixal, a fashionable haven cosseted by Unesco forest. Its naturally protected location, buffered by breakwaters, keeps the pristine black sand in place. And a dearth of guesthouses keeps the tourists at bay. This means you ll find a free patch most days on the public strand firmly packed to please even the most sand-averse. On high How civilised the 16th-century Portuguese were, carving out miles of aqueduct from the mountains so that, 500 years later, ramblers in bucket hats could meander easily alongside them. Madeirans call these bubbling rainwater channels levadas, and Pico Ruiva today there are dozens, streaming gently through the laurel forest. Which levada to undertake is the question hanging in the steamy Madeiran air. None are more than an hour s drive from anywhere, and often much less. Outfits such as Lido (lido-tours.com) operate full-day coach tours for 25pp, but you can hire a private taxi from 40 for a half day ask your hotel to recommend a trusted driver. Guidebooks send you westward toward the Rabacal nature reserve. There s wisdom in this: the shady stroll to 25 waterfalls tumbling into lagoons keeps you moving without breaking much of a sweat. But lose the hordes off the main route at Levada do Alecrim, a two-mile course over lakes and hill terraces where cows roam. Or perhaps you plan to give it some welly. For you, there s Caminho do Pinaculo e Folhadal, across Encumeada Madeira s Grand Canyon. Over five hours, you ll skirt the hillside at 1,500 metres, gaze out to sea, feel spray from cascades and creep into handcarved tunnels (TIP pack a torch, or ask your hotel to lend you one). You ll emerge at an abandoned farm in Caramujo bordered by flowering eucalyptus and stone cow houses. Travel eastward round Pico Ruivo, the island s highest peak at 1,862 metres, and the 20 W H I C H? T R AV E L NOVEMBER 2017 WHICH.CO.UK/TRAVEL

DESTINATIONS MADEIRA HOTEL 120 90 60 30 HOTELS Madeira average J F M A M J J A S O N D 300 225 150 75 FLIGHTS Funchal average J F M A M J J A S O N D paths get steeper, the weather hazier, the

Up here, abundant water, trickling in every direction, is the raison d etre for the levadas, the source of fresh water from the heavy northern rains destined for the parched south.

6 DESTINATIONS MADEIRA HOTEL HOTELS Madeira average J F M A M J J A S O N D FLIGHTS Funchal average J F M A M J J A S O N D paths get steeper, the weather hazier, the waterfalls more urgent. Levada do Caldeirao Verde, the green cauldron, circles Queimadas Forest Park, encroaching on Pico Ruivo and topping out over a forested mountain pass near Sao Jorge. Up here, abundant water, trickling in every direction, is the raison d etre for the levadas, the source of fresh water from the heavy northern rains destined for the parched south. The handmade burrows in the volcanic rock can be claustrophobic, so if you fear enclosed spaces (or aren t in possession of a torch), drive on to the Sao Jorge mill. A few minutes further along, little-known Levada do Rei offers a flat, three-hour rainforest walk and a tremendous Pooh Sticks opportunity. A canal path lined with agapanthus plays peek-a-boo with the vertiginous views, finally letting out over Santana. 25 C 20 C 15 C 10 C 5 C TEMPERATURE Average daily highs J F M A M J J A S O N D Data from skyscanner.net, trivago.co.uk, weather2travel.com From the airport Bus 5; 30min; sam.pt Taxi 25 plus 1.50 per luggage item; 25min EAT& DRINK Historically isolated, Madeira s national menu is exceedingly make do. It starts with an aperitif of poncha, the local rum punch originally served up to apprehensive seafarers. Order one in the bars around Ribeira Brava for a mere 2, or for slightly more in the painted doors district of Funchal: Venda Velha on Rua de Santa Maria has front and back terraces. The toothy, eel-shaped espada, or scabbard fish, that spawn close by have all the charm of the creature from the Black Lagoon. But lightly breaded, pan-fried with banana and drizzled with passion-fruit sauce (more harmonious than it sounds), you ll think: bream, or swordfish. Vila Baleia in Porto Moniz serves it with roast potatoes, rice and heaps of salad for 10. Madeirans have designed special vertical spits to deliver their garlic-rubbed beef, called espetada. You can order yours in the hills above Camara de Lobos most famously at Viola and Santo Antonio on Estrada Joao Goncalves Zarco for around 12. It may come with a side of milho frito, the local fried cornmeal cubes sprinkled with herbs and bits of kale, like pillowy croutons. Getting around Bus network madeira-island.com/ bus_services More information visitportugal.com madeira-tourist.com Safety Drivers in Madeira can be aggressive. If you rent a car, it s best to avoid remote areas. Scam watch Beware of the broken meter taxi scam. It s best to negotiate the fare in advance, if possible. PHOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY, AWL IMAGES, NOVEMBER 2017 W H I C H? T R AV E L 21

Portugal - Madeira Island - Madeira Loop Hiking Tour 2018 Individual Self-Guided 8 days/7 nights

Portugal - Madeira Island - Madeira Loop Hiking Tour 2018 Individual Self-Guided 8 days/7 nights Explore the diverse and impressive island in the Atlantic Ocean. There are steep and rugged coastal lines,