Madeira's northern charter is synonymous with rugged cliffs and lush black sand beaches . You will fall at his feet.
The gaze fixed on the horizon; a blanket as an ally and witness of the moment we are about to witness: the sunrise most beautiful of Madeira is about to happen.
Around here, at this hour, the morning freshness is noticeable. It's 6:30 in the morning and the sun is beginning to show there, where the Atlantic and the sky embrace in harmony.
At our feet, rugged cliffs of Ponta do Rosto with the waves crashing against the steep walls formed millions of years ago by lava. The noise is sensed important, although peace, up here, rules everything.
The sun in Ponta do Rosto.
Suddenly, the first rays of sun peek out They comfort; they surround us The color palette is revolutionized in an instant and yellows turn orange, pink, red, violet.
in a breath, the night becomes day. The day begins in this Portuguese corner and we have been exceptional witnesses.
A BREAKFAST WITH A VIEW
We concentrate on saving the experience in memory, while our guide from Mb Tours, a local tourist company, digs into the interior of the car in search of the icing on the cake: a healthy breakfast based on natural juice, vegetable and fruit sandwich.
The ideal way to start an authentic adventure in the north of Madeira is starting on its eastern side, which promises . And a lot. Because it turns out that we are facing a land that, over time, has always proclaimed itself more unknown than the south.
The motives? To begin with, precisely because those steep ravines that are so attractive have turned it into a an area more inaccessible than the rest . Fortunately, for a few years, the roads have improved , so it's time to seize the opportunity.
La Vereda do Larano, a high altitude walk.
And we do it by diving headfirst to the peaceful art of the walk , a pastime for which Madeira is known to be an exceptional host.
The entire island is full of the famous levadas , that is, a whole system of irrigation canals by which the water was transported – and is transported – throughout the island.
A total of 200 levadas , which extend to over 3,000 kilometers , make up the catalog. Parallel to these, paths that are today the greatest attraction for lovers of hiking.
We, however, opted for the one that starts just a handful of kilometers from Punta do Rosto. a beautiful linear path not so popular and therefore not so saturated of walkers: the Vereda do Larano.
Unlike the levadas, which normally run through flat terrain, ups and downs await us on this route that we start in the town of Machico . The final destiny? Porto de Cruz.
The views between Machico and Porto da Cruz.
An adventure on foot whose first kilometers pass between Farmlands , little ones orchards particular and an abundant flora in mimosas and fruit trees lovingly cared for by neighbors.
After several kilometres, yes, things get complicated: the road begins to climb until it reaches, a little over an hour later, the lookout from Boca do Risco.
The reward for effort? A unique panorama: the Ponta de São Lourenço on one side, the Penha d´Aguia on the other, and the immense Atlantic embracing us In its whole. If you are lucky, the island of Porto Santo can appear in the distance.
Warning to navigators: the last section of the route puts vertigo sufferers to the test. The road narrows and the cliffs reveal themselves in all their beauty. The meters of fall impose, but the views are well worth the sacrifice.
Enjoying the view from Ponta de Sao Lourenco.
That the camera smokes on the way will be something irremediable, because we enter fully into the highly valued laurel forest which, not in vain, was declared by UNESCO as World Heritage in 1999.
In this subtropical humid forest there are many, as we have seen, the trees of the laurel family, and that is endemic to Macaronesia : the islands of Madeira, Azores, Canary Islands and Cape Verde.
We finished the walk and, what is that you hear? It seems our stomachs, which begin to growl.
REPLENISH FORCES? SURE!
Because walking makes you hungry, that's how it is. How lucky that, very close to the place where Vereda do Larano ends, is the coquettish little town of Santana , famous for its houses with gabled roofs that claim a past full of traditions.
Traditional houses of Santana.
After a quick visit to those that the local council has restored as an example of its culture, nothing like planting ourselves in Quinta do Furao, a hotel-restaurant clinging to the top of a cliff from which to give a good account of the deserved food.
And we will do it sitting at a table where dishes will pass that claim the roots kitchen made with patience and care based on many of the ingredients they grow on their five hectares of land.
There is room in them for organic vineyards with those who prepare their own wine —we are, not in vain, in one of the leading wineries on the island—, but also for a garden full of vegetables and aromatic herbs.
Among its must-sees: tomato soup and market fish . The bread, made in a wood oven, deserves not to leave a crumb behind.
A hotel-restaurant perched on a cliff.
And in the cup? Definitely, their own wines to be able to attest to their fame . There are more than 30 grape varieties that are grown in Madeira, although 4 truly take the cake in production: sercial, bordal, verdelho and malvasia.
A festival of flavors with which to pair our favorite island. Chin Chin!
SAINT VINCENT: PURE WOOD
The driver of Discovery Island that transports us in a jeep between dirt tracks Traversing the bowels of the island, he overcomes almost any obstacle with absolute skill. He thus leads us to immerse ourselves in the most unknown Madeiran essence: the one that the great tourist tours often leave behind but that, nevertheless, suppose an authentic x-ray of the island.
We talk about Sao Vicente , the region it occupies the central part of the north coast going inland between landscapes of the laurel forest that contrast with the sculpted coast.
Landscape near São Vicente.
Green prints to overflow in which, wherever you look, the view is recreated in crops planted in steep terraces that contain the most varied foods, but above all, vineyards.
There is nothing like letting instinct do its thing, traveling back roads that rise and fall and that give away, when least expected, unique panoramas and beautiful villages.
A stop full of charm is that of the unique Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fátima , which stands at the top of a hill whose last few meters you have to climb up some narrow stairs.
A simple tower with a huge clock at the top that is an icon in the area and that can be seen from almost anywhere in the valley: slender, humble, its image surrounded by the intense green of the landscape is most unique.
From above you can see the heart of the municipality scattered along the coast, which tempts us to return to its side. No more talk: a couple of photos and we return to the embrace of the sea.
Nossa Senhora de Fatima in the background.
A BATHROOM?
The road that runs along the coast, we already warned, has improved. And checking it is as easy as comparing it with the old track, which can be seen from time to time in parallel.
We went through countless tunnels who go into the mountains with an eye on the spaces that remain open between them. There, when we least expect it, the intense blue of the sea calls us again.
and some other waterfall that falls into the void between the rocks surprises us. One of them, that of Veu da Noiva , it empties directly into the sea. From the viewpoint that bears the same name, we enjoy one of the most famous stamps of the island.
The famous Veu da Noiva waterfall.
A good idea to get your feet wet and verify that, in these parts, the temperatures are not too small, it will be continue to the small town of Seixal.
A good handful of streets flanked by charming houses give way to its Laje Beach and its neighboring natural pool of calm waters. It's also fascinating Porto do Seixal beach with his blanket of black sand between cliffs.
On the rocks next to the jetty, the crabs number in the hundreds. On the shore, some children play with a ball while the rest of the bathers practice soaking combined with turning and turning under the sun.
Much more popular are, yes, the natural pools of Porto Moniz , which we reach just 9 kilometers further on.
The natural pools of Porto Moniz.
The steep slopes that take us to the sea let us guess what awaits us: two different complexes , a more modern one —and full of services such as showers, lockers, lifeguards or bar–, and another older and authentic , offer eager swimmers a completely different experience.
these pools, formed by the solidification of lava ejected thousands of years ago in contact with the sea, they are the perfect shelter for a little swim safe from the impetuous waves of the Atlantic, which make themselves felt in the north: a small paradise in which to recreate without haste. Who wants to look at the clock when it comes to enjoying themselves?
This, which would be a great ending to our route, can be used as a culmination, but we are encouraged with more: We continue along the highway heading northwest. advancing through the twisting curves that lead us into the dense Madeiran forest once again, and we reach Ponta do Pargo.
The lighthouse (and end of the world) of Ponta do Pargo.
We are in the westernmost point of the island . at the foot of a peculiar lighthouse located 290 meters above sea level , the wind envelops us very strongly while we admire, once again, the absolutely imposing landscape of the high cliffs that face the Atlantic.
An ideal place to, after a full day, say goodbye to our faithful companion of the day with an incomparable sunset in Madeira and its north face . Until tomorrow, sun: it has been a pleasure.