Hiking the Length of Madeira: Route and Logisitics
A solo traverse of Madeira last year was one of my favourite trips of the year. Maybe it was because I needed a bit of a reset, or that I hadn’t done a solo trip for quite a number of years, but it was great and I’d highly recommended it for the adventurous hiker.
I don’t want to make this a lengthy blog post, instead I’ll share a handful of useful tips and the GPX file of my route to help others. It is a pretty straight forward trip to do yourself and doesn’t need lots of planning.
Season
Madeira is a fairly year round island with a mild and moderate subtropical climate. It is driest and warmest June to September and coolest and wettest October to February. The highest summit, Pico Ruivo, is 1862m, so it can feel considerably colder on the tops, especially in poor weather. I went in November when it can be wet and misty on the summits. I found that Madeira had plenty of cafes and accommodation open for business in November, compared to the Mediterranean, where I’ve found they close for the winter season.
Logistics
These are pretty simple. In Funchal, the capital, it’s easy to buy supplies like camping gas and camping food. There is a independent outdoor shop, unfortunately closed the week I was there, and a Decathlon. I had trouble finding paper maps. On the route there were cafes open on occasions so I stopped for lunch but didn’t come across many shops to top up supplies. Water was generally plentiful and only needed planning on a couple of occasions. I started walking in the west of the island in Porto Moniz, after doing some shopping in Funchal in the morning. I finished in Machico, which is a short bus ride away from the airport.
Kit and Equipment
I did this trip as lightweight as possible. on my feet I wore trail running shoes (with good grip for muddy trails) and took one pair of waterproof socks in case it rained. I used a couple of power banks for charging my phone and took a plug for charging in cafes. I took a small gas stove with titanium mug and bought a gas canister in Funchal. I also brought water purification and collapsible water bottles to be able carry more water on the ridge sections where it is less easy to find water. They packed small when not needed. A trowel is important for burying human waste if wild camping.
Transport
There are buses that go around the island. The tourist information office in Funchal can help with bus times. The taxi app most readily used is Bolt. I found it easiest to get a Bolt taxi to the start of the route. I didn’t hitchhike but I think if you needed to this would be easy to do.
Safety
I felt very safe being a solo female hiker in Madeira. The biggest danger is probably slipping off the trail down a steep slope or into a waterway. I saw some evidence of wild fires. It’s also worth noting that mountain biking is popular in Madeira and there are downhill mountain bike trail especially in the east of the island which are easy to stray onto as they are not well signed. Be careful to avoid these if you are on foot.
The Route
I had initially planned to walk the Madeira Ultra Marathon route and downloaded a GPX file. It soon became apparent that there were more scenic paths to follow. The best routes on the island are designated PR status, these were on my map and also in a booklet the tourist information office in Funchal had given me, so I adapted my route to follow these.
I walked the route from Porto Moniz in the west to Machico in the east. I’d consider walking in the other direction for the sole reason of the tunnels on PR17 which have a very narrow path following the levada - more on those in a moment - where it’s difficult to pass anyone coming in the opposite direction. Most people walk these tunnels in the east to west direction so if you are walking west to east like I did I’d recommend walking this section very early or late to avoid day hikers.
Madeira is just 22km across at it’s widest point and 57km long. It’s a small island, yet rises to over 1800m in height. This results in some spectacular scenery and steep mountain sides. The ridge walks are dramatic and sections of paths have ladders and steep steps on some sections. The other sort of path this route follows is the levadas, which are leets that follow the contours of the mountains moving water around the island. As such they are often on the mountain slopes in the cool of the subtropical forest. The maintained levadas I followed had paths next to the leets and sometimes these leets go through tunnels for hundreds of meters. A head torch is definitely required. Because of the levadas and airy ridges this route is not recommended for people who have a fear of heights or claustrophobia.
The route was 93km long and had 8980m of ascent. I completed it in 3 1/2 days but 4 or 5 days would be more leisurely.
Camping
I was surprised that I came across virtually no official campsites on the route - a missed opportunity for Madeira maybe. However, I experienced a relaxed attitude to wild camping and by arriving late and leaving early I didn’t have any problems. There is a refuge on the route next to the summit of Pico Ruivo, but this needs to be booked in advanced. I’ve not included my camps on my route deliberately as I don’t wish them to be over used. Remember, leave no trace.
GPX file
If you’d like my exact route I’ve made the GPX file available for a small charge and can be purchased via the link below.
* As always caution is needed when following anyone else’s route due to route changes. There are a small amount of commercial forest land the route goes through which is particularly subject to change.
