Site Map | Accessibility

Walking on Madeira

AuthorPaddy Dillon
PublisherCicerone Press
ISBNISBN-10: 1 85284 334 9 (First Edition)
ISBN-13: 978 1 85284 531 5 (Second Edition)
ISBN-13: 978 1 85284 855 2 (Third Edition)
Also available in eBook and Kindle formats
Price£14.95
The only sandy beach of any size in the Madeira Islands is on Porto Santo.

The only sandy beach of any size in the Madeira Islands is on Porto Santo.

The striking stacks of the Ihéus de Ribeira de Janela on the north-west coast of Madeira.

The striking stacks of the Ihéus de Ribeira de Janela on the north-west coast of Madeira.

A small group of walkers follow a short trail on the remote Ilhas Desertas.

A small group of walkers follow a short trail on the remote Ilhas Desertas.

On a visit to Cicerone, the author was told, "Booksellers keep asking for copies of our Madeira guidebook. We don't have a Madeira guidebook, so obviously we need one!"

Madeira might seem like a small island on a map, but the terrain is exceedingly complex and its paths are quite convoluted. Two trips were needed to complete all the route research for the first edition of this guidebook. All the travelling was completed using public transport, which is remarkably cheap and effective around Madeira.
The route research trips were followed by a guided walking trip to Madeira before the book was even published. This title became the first full-colour walking guidebook to be published by Cicerone.

A review in Outdoor Pursuits magazine declared "What an eye-opener this book turned out to be! Paddy Dillon opens up the country with fifty mountain, coastal and levada walks that should appeal to all ages."

The guidebook has been completely overhauled twice, with all the original routes checked again, and new routes added. The mapping has also been completely overhauled to show new details. A number of walking routes have been signposted and waymarked around Madeira, and some of these are brought to the attention of walkers for the first time.

The routes vary from level and easy levada walks to fearsome cliff paths, criss-crossing the mountains, forests and farming landscapes of Madeira. The nearby island of Porto Santo, ideally placed for a weekend break from Madeira, is also included, as is a cruise to the wildlife reserve of the Ilhas Desertas.

Note that a charge of €3 needs to be paid by anyone walking the signposted and waymarked PR trails. For details see simplifica.madeira.gov.pt/services/78-82-259.

Walk Contents

Section 1 - Eastern Madeira

Walk 1 Levada dos Tornos - Monte to Camacha
Walk 2 Levada dos Tornos - Camacha to Quatro Estradas
Walk 3 Levada da Serra - Campo do Pomar to Camacha
Walk 4 Levada da Serra - Camacha to Santo da Serra
Walk 5 Levada Nova from Santo da Serra
Walk 6 Baia d'Abra and Ponta do São Lourenço
Walk 7 Levada do Caniçal Maroços to Caniçal
Walk 8 Levada da Portela - Santo da Serra to Portela
Walk 9 Vereda das Funduras - Portela to Maroços
Walk 10 North Coast - Portela to Ribeira Seca

Section 2 - Funchal to Santana

Walk 11 Vereda da Penha d'Águia
Walk 12 Levada do Furado - Portela to Ribeiro Frio
Walk 13 Caminho Velha - Poiso to Porto da Cruz
Walk 14 Fajã da Nogueira and Levada da Serra
Walk 15 Caminho Velha - Poiso to Santana
Walk 16 Levada do Barreiro - Poço da Neve to Monte
Walk 17 Levada da Negra - Poço da Neve to Barreira
Walk 18 Levada do Curral - Curral das Freiras to Funchal
Walk 19 Levada dos Piornais - Lombada to Funchal

Section 3 - The High Mountains

Walk 20 Boca da Encumeada to Achada do Teixeira
Walk 21 Boca da Encumeada to Curral das Freiras
Walk 22 Pico do Cedro to Pico do Areeiro
Walk 23 Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo
Walk 24 Pico Ruivo, Vale da Lapa and Ilha
Walk 25 Pico Ruivo, Queimadas and Santana
Walk 26 Levada do Caldeirão Verde from Pico das Pedras
Walk 27 Levada do Rei from Quebradas
Walk 28 Santana, Calhau and São Jorge
Walk 29 Boca da Encumeada and Pico Grande
Walk 30 Colmeal and Pico Grande
Walk 31 Curral das Freiras to Boaventura
Walk 32 Boca da Encumeada to Colmeal

Section 4 - Jardim da Serra

Walk 33 Boca da Encumeada to Marco e Fonte
Walk 34 Boca da Corrida and Curral das Freiras
Walk 35 Boca dos Namorados and Curral das Freiras
Walk 36 Marco e Fonte to Fontes
Walk 37 Terreiros from Boca da Corrida
Walk 38 Crista do Espigão from Fontes
Walk 39 Fajã da Ribeira, Levada do Norte and Boa Morte
Walk 40 Levada do Norte - Boa Morte to Estreito de Câmara de Lobos

Section 5 - Paúl da Serra

Walk 41 Pico Ruivo do Paúl da Serra from Estanquinhos
Walk 42 Rabacal, Levada do Risco and 25 Fontes
Walk 43 Levada do Paúl - Rabaçal to Cristo Rei
Walk 44 Levada das Rabaças and Cascalho
Walk 45 Caminho do Pinacula e Folhadal
Walk 46 Levada dos Cedros - Fanal to Ribeira da Janela
Walk 47 Levada da Janela - Fonte do Bispo to Porto Moniz

Section 6 - Western Madeira

Walk 48 Ponta do Pargo to Fonte do Bispo
Walk 49 Levada do Moinho - Tornadouro to Ribeira da Cruz
Walk 50 Levada da Calheta - Ponta do Pargo to Ponta do Pargo
Walk 51 Levada da Calheta - Ponta do Pargo to Prazéres
Walk 52 Caminho Real - Prazéres to Paúl do Mar
Walk 53 Levada da Calheta - Ponta do Pargo to Lombo dos Faias
Walk 54 Levada da Calheta - Ponta do Sol to Ponta do Sol
Walk 55 Levada Nova and Levada do Moinho from Ponta do Sol
Walk 56 Levada Nova - Jangão to Ribeira Brava
Walk 57 Lombo do Mouro to Ribeira Brava

Section 7 - Porto Santo

Walk 58 Pico do Castelo, Pico do Facho and Pico Branco
Walk 59 Campo de Baixo, Bárbara Gomes and Eiras
Walk 60 Ponta, Pico do Ana Ferreira, Espigão and Calheta