Madeira

We have been in Madeira for almost a week now. It is a very impressive island for many reasons.

It is a mountainous island roughly 58 kilometres by 23 kilometres in size. There are essentially no level areas on the island than extend for more that 100 metres or so. ????

The airport is built along the coast over a deep ravine. Almost  half of the airport is supported on concrete columns, including a large part of the runway and taxiways. According to a report, it is the 7th most dangerous airport to land on.  There is no room for error.

Here are a couple of quick shots that were taken from the highway that runs under the airport.

On the island there is an extensive network of road tunnels. There are over 100 tunnels on 140 kilometres of roads. The longest tunnel is over 3 kilometres in length. The highway systems allows you to drive most of the way around the island quite easily but once you venture off the main road, the roads are narrow, winding and steep. Much of the time there are very tight turns, roads hardly wide enough for two cars and hills that are much more steep than those tap that would be approved in many other countries.  The little Fiat we rented had a difficult time getting up some of the hills in first gear.  We hardly ever got out of 3rd gear.

Another interesting engineering feat is the “levada” network that has been developed over the whole island.  Levadas are water channels, many of which have been carved into the rock. They vary in size and carry the water from the highlands to the ocean. The levadas were designed to provide irrigation to the fertile coastal valleys and they are also used to produce hydro electricity.  Another asset is that they help prevent flooding duro the rainy seasons.  Along side the levadas are paths that can be used for hiking.  There are 2170 kilometres of levada trails in Madeira. Not all have walkable paths but if you are a goal inspired walker... set out to walk as many as possible.

The evening we arrived was the start of Carnival and the big parade.  It was pretty exciting to watch the activities. Although it was quite crowded we managed to find a good view point a
Though I didn’t get any good photos.

We came to Madeira with the intention of hiking as much as we could.  On the first day we decided to stay close to the city of Funchal, where we rented an apartment for the week.  We had been told that the tropical gardens were a nice place to visit with good views of the city. From a location near the coast one can take the cable car up to the gardens but we decided that we would walk up, since it was only 3.4 K and we only had to follow the road beside our apartment building.  It wasn’t long before we realized that we had set ourselves up for a greater challenge than we anticipated!

The road went straight up the hill. There were no alternate routes that would allow one to reduce the grade.  We just gritted our teeth and kept going.  In 3.4 K we climbed 600 metres in elevation.  With about 500 metres to go we stopped on a bench for a rest.   When we got to the top I realized they my hat was missing and had to back down to retrieve it from the under the bench.  It was quite the workout! After some lunch at the top we decided to take the cable car back down.

Looking down from the cafe 

on the ride down

The next day we opted to select one of the easier hikes out along a point on the south east coast, called Ponta Sao Lourenço.  It is a 6 K hike out and back.  This area is quite arid compared to  most of the other parts that we encountered.  It is also very rugged and the trail was far from level. It turned out that the “easy” trail was quite challenging at times.  Lots of up and down.

The destination is the hill over the small arch that you can see in the distance. 

Nearly all the trails yah we have encountered care roughly paved with stone stairways.

The coastline is very rugged.   There are few beaches and the ones that exist are very rocky. 

Our next hike was up in the alpine, to the top of one of the highest peaks in Portugal.  There are two popular hike in this area. They can be done separately or connected, one to the other, between the two highest peaks.  The hike from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo is the premier hike in Madeira.  It is said to be a challenging route.  We opted to come from the other direction from Achada do Teixeira to Pico Ruivo.  This route is rated as “medium” difficulty,  but only 6K in and out.

The route undulates with steep climbs and descents and the elevation is a problem for some. The peak is at 1862 metres.  Like all the trails we encountered here, the trails are roughly paved with stone and steeper inclines are surfaced with rough stone stairs.  There are railing at times as well.

This trail we did in the afternoon after spending the morning exploring some towns on route to the trail head.   Although we had rented a car for the week, we decided to rent a motorcycle for a couple of days. On the narrow, steep and winding roads a motorcycle is much more fun.  We rented a new Suzuki 250 V-Strom for 29 euros per day, tax and insurance included. It was a great bike for the situation.

From the top of Ruivo looking toward Areeiro 

Looking back along the route. Believe it or not, there was a house (now cafe) up there with no  access. 

Here are a few shots of Porto da Cruz, a small town we stopped in on the way to the trail head.  The town was pretty empty.  It is not high tourist season here.

Above it’s a photo of the town square. On the left is the moto that we rented.  The weather on the island is changeable. Different parts experience different weather conditions. On the way up to the high land we passed through the cloud.

On Tuesday we headed out early to hike another popular route called. “ 25 Fontes” is   On this hike you hike down into a canyon filled with pools and waterfalls.   Most people take a shuttle from the parking lot on the highway two kilometres to the start of the trail.  The shuttle bus doesn’t run until 10 am.  It the trail is open earlier.    We hopped on the moto at 8:30 for the 45 minute ride to the parking lot and walked down the shuttle road to the trail head.

We even had time for a quick, yet expensive, coffee at the trail head cafe and still got a good jump on the crowd.  This was a pleasant 4.5 K walk in though some interesting terrain. The route followed the levada as you can see in the photos. There were rainbow trout in the levada.  If you were quick you might be able to grab one, but they could move very fast.

A view from the shuttle road walking down to the trail head. 

Below are several photos from the 25 Fontes trail

M

After hiking this trail we rode the moto to the west end of the island along a high ridge. The views were spectacular with a layer of cloud below us.

The road and parking area was open range. This young cow was looking for a parking spot. 

This is the Suzuki V-Strom 250 that we rented.  It was the perfect bike for the island.  The twin cylinder motor had plenty of power. We cruised at 100 kph on the main highway with do difficulty .

Tomorrow we are heading to Lisbon for an overnight stop before continuing on the Malaga on Sunday.  We had a nice long coastal stroll today and stopped for sangria before coming back to the apartment for supper.

Cheers 

More in and around Lisboa

Yesterday we took the train to Cascáis, a smaller beach town on the outlet of the Atlantic coast. The public transportation system is very reasonably priced.  Once again, only 5E return for 40 minute trip one way.  

The photo below was taken in the Cais Sodré station.  Most of the trains have been tagged as well as many of the stations walls and the walls and buildings along the way.  I’m trying to understand if this is an accepted activity or there is a lack of resources to prevent it or police it?   There are an abundance police on the streets. we did see some workers scraping paint from glass panels in one on the stations.

We thought that this wall art was kind of cute.  

We were very impressed with Cascáis.  It has a very different feel than the city.   Much cleaner and more affluent.  Nice beaches, walkways and bicycle paths.  We spend the afternoon walking along the coastal paths and had a fabulous lunch at a restaurant overlooking the main beach.  

 All of these photo were taken in Cascáis or along the coastal walk.   

The main beach 

A panorama of the main beach

This view is looking west along the coast a few kilometres west of town

Another beach in town

A scenic inlet with light house. 

It was not crowded. Albeit, it is still February and the high temperature was about 18c. I imagine that it is very busy in the high season.  We both thought that this would be a nice place to stay for an extended time period, late February and into March.  We will put it on the list.

Today we discovered that the week long “Carnival “ celebrations are starting.  Tomorrow we are flying to Madeira and staying in the capital city of Funchal.  Apparently Funchal hosts one of the largest Carnival parades outside of Rio. Luckily our flight arrives a few hours before the parade begins, so hopefully we can get to our apartment and rest up for the late night festivities.  

At this moment I am sitting on the sea wall, soaking up some sun. It is about 22c this afternoon but feels much hotter here.  Time to fine some shade.  

We have moved to the shade in a park across the street, sipping on the can of cider that we carried in our back pack. I have to say that Lisbon has grown on us in the last week. It has been a very enjoyable visit.  

Lisbon

We have been in Lisbon for four days now and we are enjoying our visit.  We have a small apartment in Alfama, an older part of town close to the river. The city of Lisbon is built on the hilly coast. Some of the streets are quite steep and they are interconnected by a network of narrow lanes and stairs. It is very easy to become disoriented.  Trolleys are used for public transportation in this part of town.
Alfama is also the section of town to hear tradicional Portugués Fado music and there  is great selection of small restaurants in this area.

The tourist centre of Lisbon is a 10 to 15 walk from our apartment.  On the tourist strip there are plenty of well known international stores and an abundance of restaurant. Most of which display large pictures of the food that they serve.  I’d recommend that you avoid these places and walk a block or two out of the tourist area in order to eat.   English is spoken in nearly all the small restaurants and store that we have encountered and the waiters and owners have all been friendly and helpful.

Below are a couple of photos of the main tourist area. These photos were taken early in the day. Later it is much busier.  The stone pavement is very commonplace in Portugal.   All the sidewalks are paved with small cubes of stone.   The paving in the plaza is intriguing.   It is flat but the design gives the allusion of a wavy surface.  It is quite disconcerting to walk on.

In general I would describe Portugal as “gritty”, compared to the parts of Spain with which we are familiar.  I don’t mean to demean Portugal in any way.  It is charming and authentic. It is feels safe at all times of the day.  We are very impressed with the friendliness and the authenticity of all the locals we have met.  It is a real pleasure to be here.  More than I expected.

A trolly in Alfama.  All the apartments have clotheslines on the outside of the building.  They are accessed through a window. 

Interconnecting stairs

Grafitti is everywhere.  We have never encountered so much.  Even the trains are covered with grafitti.    

Not sure if this is grafiti or art but it it pretty cool!

The photos below were taken in what appeared to be an upscale business area. The first picture is of the Portugal legislative building. 

An interesting mix of old and new.???

Today we took the train from Lisbon to Sintra.  It is a 40 minute trip each way and the fare is 5 euros return.  Sintra is a beautiful town in the hills west of Lisbon.  It is a popular tourist destination but it well worth the visit, especially if you like walk and don’t mind walking up hill.  Over looking the town is an interesting castle. Castelo dos Mouros.  There are two paths that access the castle from Sintra. One is quite easy to find but when we reached the bottom of the trail, it was closed for renovations.    Finding the alternate route was not so easy but using Guru Maps (a great offline map app) we found our way.  

There were lots of excellent sculptures along the walks and in the parks. This one on the trail to the castle I found particularly interesting. 

Some steps from a side road on the way to the trail head

Part of the trail up to the castle

These cool cats found a warm place to rest on a parked car. 

Tomorrow we are taking another train ride with to Cascáis, a coastal town about 30k from the centre of Lisbon.

Los Gigantes / Puerto De Santiago

Hola amigos. We just spent the last 4 nights in Puerto De Santiago on the west coast of Tenerife.  Although there are lots of tourists here, it is not nearly as crowded and it has a more relaxing feel.  The tourists are mainly Brits but you hear a variety of languages. 

This area is know for the rugged cliffs, deep canyons and serious hiking trails.  The coast line is a series of connected towns with small black sand beaches and several surf breaks for talented surfers. There is a nice, partially paved coastal trail that interconnects the communities. We walked it a couple of times. 

On one of these walks I stopped to take a photo of a fellow fishing off some rocks. To get a better shot I climbed onto a mound of gravel near the edge of a cliff.  I’m still not sure if I took the photo. My right foot slipped on the gravel, tucked behind my left foot and I crashed to the ground.  I hit the ground with my right knee and my right hand. Unfortunately I was holding my new camera in my right hand and it smashed hard into some rocks, with the telephoto lens fully extended.  

My knee was cut and bruised but I’ll recover. The camera though, is damaged beyond repair.  The body is distorted and the lens mechanism is jammed.  I’m pretty upset about breaking the camera. I was enjoying learning the capabilities of an advanced digital camera.  It was a Christmas gift. 

With luck I might be able to get it replaced (or repaired). Jamie bought it with his Visa card and he has 90 day replacement coverage with his card. He has filed a report with Visa and I have mailed the camera to Jamie. It has to be examined by a Panasonic repair depot to assess the camera for repair or replacement.  It is in the hands of the Spanish postal system now.  Hopefully it arrives and I can get a replacement.

Unfortunately, I can’t access all the photos that are on the SD card that was in the camera until the end of the month, so there are limited photos that I can post.

The shot below is part of the view from the balcony of our apartment in Puerto Santiago.

Yesterday we took the bus from Puerto Santiago into Playas de la Américas.  It was about a 45 minute trip.  We had a little trouble finding the apartment we had rented but after a few calls we arrive and shown our room.

We dropped of our stuff and headed out to explore the area.  About 10 minutes into our walk we received a distressed call from the gal who had shown us to our suite.  With panic in her voice she explained to us partly in English and partly in Spanish that she had mistakenly taken us to the wrong apartment and asked us to return immediately to the registration area.  We were only a couple of  hundred metres away, so it was no problem. we hadn’t even unpacked.  The only issue was that the first suite was much nicer than second!   It was the one we rented though, although it didn’t look as good as the pictures.  We are only here 3 nights, so it is no big deal.

This area of Tenerife is the  busiest part. Tons of hotel, condos, etc.  As well as tacky building, restaurants, tour shops, etc.   It reminds us a bit of Vegas.  There is a nice ocean side pathway that runs for several kilometres along the coast. Also there are some great surfing spots.  The waves were pretty big yesterday  afternoon so there was some surfing to watch.


Saturday we are off again.  Jumping on the bus again for a ride to the airport. Then catching a flight back to Lisbon, where we will be staying for a week.

Puerto de la Cruz

You gotta love organized and efficient public transportation!  

The public bus system on Tenerife, known as ”titsa”, operates over the complete island and uses different types of buses depending on the route.  They have a good website that shows the routes and stops, etc.  You can buy a bus card, called Ten+, for 2 euros and add additional amounts to the card to pay the fare. More than one person can use the card, so you only need one per family.

We loaded 10 euros on the card when we bought it at the bus station.  When you use the card you simply get on the bus at any available stop and tell the driver your destination and number in your group. The driver enters the info and you tap the card.  When you get off the bus you tap the card on a terminal by the door and it tell you the balance remaining on the card.  You can top up the card at corner stores or the bus stations.

We traveled about 30 kilometres on the bus between La Laguna and Puerto De la Cruz. The fare was 2.6 euros each. About $4. Can. 

Arriving in Puerto De la Cruz, it was an easy 10 min walk to our apartment.   A nice little apartment overlooking a plaza, one block from the water front. 

Puerto de la Cruz is fairy large community along the northern shore of Tenerife. The inactive volcano, El Teide, is easy visible from town.  There are a plenty of coves along the hilly coast line with rocky or black sand beaches.  

These photos are of the main beach in La Cruz.  Volcanic sand.  I was thinking that is lucky that the temperature never gets really hot here. 

This El Teide.   The highest peak in Spain
   

Puerto De la Cruz is most definitely a retirement community! We’re  feeling younger and much happier than most of the couples we see walking along the beach promenade.  Seriously, you don’t see many smiles??

The most prominent language here is German.  The locals speak Spanish but many signs, menus, etc. are printed in German.  Even some of the architecture looks like it belongs in Bavaria.

The weather when we arrived was overcast with some drizzle but yesterday and to day it is nice and sunny. The temperature today is in the low to mid 20s

There are lots of hiking trails on the island.  Many are inland in the volcano national park but there is a nice scenic trail starting on the west side of town.  This trail called:  sendero Casona del Castro - Los Roques. It winds it’s way along the rocky shoreline for about 8 kilometres through the Rambla De Castro.    The trail is fairly well maintained with handrails along parts of it. The surface is either gravel or rather uneven volcanic rock but easy enough to navigate with care.  Some hills on the trail are quite steep. 

At the west end of the trail it meets a highway and a lookout with a couple of nice restaurants.   We stopped for a drink and some lunch before returning to town on the trail. 

Looking west from our lunch spot. In the foreground is a banana plantation. One of many on Tenerife. 

Terraces like these are common.  Most of the ones we saw seemed abandoned. Apparently they were used to grow grape vines and bananas in earlier days.   The terraces are created with rock walls. 

These little lizards are plentiful.   They live in the volcanic rock walls.  This one is about 30 to 40 cm in length.

So far we have mixed feelings about Tenerife.  The climate is nice 👍 but it is too touristy.  

Tomorrow we are back in the bus and heading to the west end of the island.... Puerto De Santiago. It is supposed to be less touristy.... we’ll see.