Madeira, the pearl of the Atlantic
The Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport It can be seen from above as the plane slowly approaches the Portuguese island of Madeira. Suddenly, an important tingling takes over our stomachs. We close our eyes tightly and invoke all the gods there have been and will have: we are about to touch down on one of the most famous runways in the world for its complexity , and that imposes. Well if it imposes...
Only two minutes later we are already stepping on Madeiran soil . We recognize that the experience has not been such a big deal either, we send prejudices to the wind and concentrate our energies on enjoying one of the most unknown portuguese jewels.
Madeira, the pearl of the Atlantic
Located just 500 kilometers from the African coast, and 1,000 from Portugal , the Madeira archipelago is made up of a total of five islands of which only Porto Cristo and the one with the same name, Madeira , are inhabited.
We set course for Funchal , the island capital, determined to uncover, one by one, those secrets that make everyone who steps on it fall in love with it.
FIRST STOP: FUNCHAL
Most of the population is concentrated in its streets. social and cultural life of the island . Founded by the Portuguese in the fifteenth century, walk the streets of the Old Town of Funchal it is to know, at the same time, its history. For example, the one embodied in the walls of the Be do Funchal, the city's cathedral. Ordered to be built at the end of the 15th century by Manuel I of Portugal, it was completed in 1514.
The streets of Funchal are full of Street Art
We crossed some of the narrow streets of the center, placing our feet on those black and white cobblestones so typical of this country. in the famous Street of Santa Maria we found a first surprise: local artists have spent years leaving their inspiration on the doors of different businesses and buildings, each of which tells a different story. Behind them come to life modern art galleries, restaurants and even houses.
We make a technical stop in Old Blandy's Wine Lodge , a winery located in one of the most special corners of Funchal: the Adegas of Sao Francisco . It is to set foot inside and let the aroma of its wines intoxicate us, predicting one of those experiences that we must not stop living.
To learn the history of Madeira we must go back five centuries, to the arrival of the Portuguese. They were the ones who introduced the first strains on the island.
Vineyards in Madeira
Today there are even 30 different grape varieties growing in Madeira. But what turns the wine of this land into something so different and special –for some reason even Shakespeare himself spoke of it in his work-, is a very important detail: being subjected to a process called estogem.
And this means? Very simple: that the wine suffer from the greenhouse effect that used to affect it when, back in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, it was stored on ships that traveled to India, suffering high temperatures, humidity and the rolling of the waves. It's amazing how a whole series of absolutely casual situations gave rise to one of the most exquisite products of Portuguese gastronomy.
After tasting some of its most renowned wines, and surrounded by century-old barrels, it is time to take a leap to the traditional Mercado dos Lavradores. It is in it that we breathe the authentic Madeiran essence.
It didn't take us long to realize that here the fish that triumphs is the saber . Although the poor thing has an unattractive appearance, the taste is exquisite. On the second floor it is the turn of the tropical fruits : shapes, colors and flavors never seen before capture our attention –and that of our taste buds!-. Thanks to the great variety of passion fruit we leave with the best flavors in our mouths.
Two Farmers Market
But the most adrenaline moment of the day is yet to come. we ride on Cableway to go up to the mount neighborhood while we take the opportunity to contemplate the city from a very different perspective. From above we see how Funchal spreads like lava from a volcano up the side of the mountain until it reaches the sea.
Once up, you will have to visit the Igreja do Monte or the Botanical Garden: 32 thousand square meters with more than 2 thousand exotic plants.
It is precisely next to the Monte church where the traditional carreiros gather every day to search for and capture tourists –or, what is the same, potential clients-. With a tradition that goes back 200 years, the service they offer is very simple: mounted on their large wicker baskets, they will take us downhill and at full speed through the steep streets of Funchal until reaching the lowest area of the city again.
To stop this "madness"? They only help themselves with their own shoes, lined with tire rubber to be more effective. An experience that will make our hearts race a thousand times an hour.
Madeira carts
To recover from the scare, nothing like a good dinner based on local gastronomy. On the 10th of Traverse das Torres it's found Taste of Fado , a charming restaurant with a family tradition.
In it, under the dim light of small lanterns and candles and in the most welcoming atmosphere, is when fado acquires all the prominence while it is sung by the waiters and cooks themselves. One of the most magical moments of the whole trip.
BEYOND FUNCHAL
We leave Funchal behind and we dare to rent a car: the rest of the island awaits us! Only 14 kilometers away we already make our first stop: it is Cabo Girao , the highest viewpoint on the island - 580 meters above the sea - and with the most impressive views of all Madeira.
Then comes the time to stop for a moment, close your eyes and take a deep breath. The Atlantic sea breeze envelops us as we feel that, in these small and simple things, the sense of why we love to travel is concentrated.
With charged energies we approach until Chamber of Wolves , a picturesque town of 37,000 inhabitants where it seems that time stopped many years ago. this was where Churchill himself spent a vacation during which he painted a beautiful picture of the bay . A work that has served as inspiration, over the years, to many artists who have come to the town captivated by the image.
Cabo Girao
We walk along the pier just as one of the fishing boats returns loaded with the day's goods. On the bench of a neighboring park, those who have already finished their work have fun playing cards while next to them, in the town church, the priest begins to say mass. What was said: time stood still here many years ago.
With only 741 square kilometers, the island of Madeira allows us to change scenery and activity with almost the snap of our fingers. We put on our boots trekking , a raincoat –which in the center of Madeira, you never know- and we are going to learn what one of the key words on this island consists of: the levadas.
It turns out that the first settlers of Madeira were clear about the most effective way to remedy a basic irrigation problem on the island.
The north face of Madeira has frequent rains and a humid climate due to the fronts coming from the Atlantic. The south, however, it's drier in every way : facing Africa, it continuously receives the warm air from the neighboring continent.
Ribeiro Frio levadas
To solve the water problem in the south, Madeirans invented levadas centuries ago: pipes with which to transport water in a practical and effective way.
Today, those routes that were marked by the ditches have become the most demanded and successful paths among hikers. Madeira has no less than 2,500 km of levadas.
Among the most chosen is the famous Levada das 25 Fontes -4.6 kilometers in total- and the Levada do Risco -6.6 kilometers round trip-. In addition, one of the great attractions is the immense Laurisilva forest that dominates the interior of Madeira , declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999. For that alone, it is worth embarking on an adventure.
The impressive laurel forests in Madeira
In Porto Moniz we will find the relaxation that our bodies crave at this point. If the weather is good, the destination will be clear –and if not, too!-: the volcanic stone sea pools which have become, over the years, one of the biggest attractions on the entire island.
The two immense rocks that remain unbeatable to the strong onslaught of the waves add a certain charm to the landscape.
When evening falls, it is the perfect time to stroll around, have a coffee in any of the bars that are scattered around the area, and enjoy the play of light and reflections that nature gives us on the sea.
But if we find ourselves before one of the greatest attractions of Madeira, now may be a good time to launch ourselves into discovering perhaps the most curious point.
Porto Moniz
It is the architecture that catches all the protagonism on this occasion: the houses –or casinhas- of Santana , a small town also located on the north coast.
These triangular constructions have thatched gabled roofs and were once home to farmers. Today they function as Tourist claim and few are the travelers who do not stop here to discover them up close. Others even go further: some of them are prepared for rent and allow you to live a most authentic experience.
The red and blue colors of their facades make them the stuff of Instagram, so, after immortalizing them for posterity -and for social networks, of course-, we continue the route towards the last of the proposals on the island. And watch out: it's time to put on our trekking boots again!
The famous Point of San Lorenzo It is a narrow tongue of land that juts out into the sea, giving shape to the northeast corner of Madeira. 3.5 kilometers of peninsula that give one of the most beautiful walks that we can imagine.
Between imposing cliffs and immense rock formations, the intense green, ocher and yellow take turns to color an absolutely magical landscape. The best of the experience? That with luck we may be able to observe one of the most acclaimed animal species: the monk seal, in serious danger of extinction.
At this point, it doesn't matter if we decide to complete the round trip route, if we choose to take a bath in the Prainha beach –with black sand and without pebbles, unlike most Madeiran beaches- or if we simply relax watching the waves crashing against the cliffs.
Any of these options will be, without a doubt, the perfect ending to the experience. And of course also for this article.
Santana's Casinos