Creating just one entry for the whole island is bordering on blasphemy!
But here are some points we want to tell you:
When you've made it to the top of the second highest peak (the highest can only be reached on foot over a mountain pass = not for us!) and there are no clouds or fog to obscure the view, you have a fabulous view from the top of Pico do Arieiro:
One of the few wineries that produces table wine on Madeira. All the others have opted for the more popular sweet wines.
How can you describe in words and pictures a place that impresses with its silence, among other things?!?
But not just through the absence of disturbing noises, but also through an almost mystical beauty of the landscape - and this can be conveyed (albeit inadequately) with pictures.
The most eastern tip of the island - it doesn't get any more easterly than this:
Taken from Pico do Facho.
Known above all for the Jesus statue directly on the cliff:
If you’re thinking, “I’ve seen that statue somewhere before!” — you’re absolutely right! A (admittedly much larger) statue in a nearly identical pose stands in Rio de Janeiro.
Both were erected in the 1920s — Garajau was inaugurated in 1927, while Rio followed in 1931. Who would’ve thought the smaller brother came first!
...had nothing to offer us except the famous triangular houses...
Note the time on the first and last picture; it's the duration of our stay there 😜
For us, there are two things worth mentioning here:
The market is divided into two parts:
One half is covered and reserved exclusively for locals
— that is, farmers, small producers, and charming "beverage makers" (keyword: Poncha 🍋🍯).
Every Sunday they offer their self-produced goods here
and top up their income (or pension) a little.
Why only on Sundays? Simple: according to regional law, farmers are allowed to sell tax-free on that day.
The other half is — freely quoted from the tour guide — a "Gypsy market", where all kinds of clothing and knick-knacks are offered. Whether you’ll find the perfect souvenir there or a very bold pair of leggings? A matter of taste.
Another locus amoenus (Latin for “pleasant place”) for us! And again, so hard to put into words…
You enter the park through an inconspicuous gate in a tall hedge — and after just three steps you feel like you’re in another world. It’s as if someone turned on an oxygen shower!
The air was as clear and fresh as only in the high mountains. On our first visit a real "WOW effect"! (Whether it was due to the position of the sun, humidity, or magic — we don’t know. We’re not climate researchers. 😉)
On the second visit, the air was still fantastic — just not quite as spectacular. Or as Heike so aptly put it:
When we set off for Rita’s Tea House, we already had the picture in our minds — a small house tucked away in hidden alleys, where a dignified lady lovingly and traditionally prepares tea just like in the old days. Imagine: a copper kettle simmering over an open fire, the beguiling scent of freshly brewed tea, and the soft crackle of the flames — a scene that could have leapt straight out of a period film.
But what we found surprised us more than any plot twist: instead of a cozy antique-style place, we stepped into a stylishly modernized house boasting a gigantic window front. It opened up an incomparably wide panorama — sun-drenched mountain slopes that looked almost like a painting, forming the perfect contrast to our vision of times past.
Rita herself, with a blend of pride and warmth,
guided us through the house and told us about the history of her home village — and yes,
a dash of humor was certainly part of it.
As we listened to her explanations, we enjoyed homemade treats:
— scones
— bread and homemade jam
— cake
— and of course tea (or, if you prefer, coffee)
In short: it felt as if tradition and modernity had embraced in harmonious unity in this tea house — and we were right in the middle of it. An experience as unexpected as it was unforgettable.
In Faial you can walk onto a glass platform that offers a view of the 100m sloping coast.
Northwestern tip of Madeira
With sometimes breathtaking spray - if the weather allows it and the current is right ;-)
...and a hidden Holy Virgin in the rock
Western tip of the island with a beautiful lighthouse and a great view!
... that you don't necessarily have to see ... (please forgive me for this honest word)
We had booked a south-west tour to explore the "snug villages", but in
there was little that interested us (and the other passengers), which is why everyone was always back on the bus in good time to continue their journey >;->
* Paul refers to a swampy area or swamp. The word can also be used to describe a wet lowland that often contains water.
Even the "famous" Camera dos Lobos is particularly impressive due to the panoramic view of the bay from outside:
A small patch of land that is almost impossible to reach by land.
Only a (very steep) cable car leads down there (it is directly at sea level).
Try to find the cable car rope in the picture on the right,
then you will see HOW steep it is...
Quote from their Website (WWW)
(Words With a Warning - not funny!)
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There is a so-called skywalk here (... no!!! please do NOT think of Luke now... 😉 ) on which you stand on a glass platform almost 600m above sea level, which can be walked around in a semicircle.
But the glass floor has unfortunately become quite scratched over the years, so that you can hardly see through it anymore.
But the view is a real "high"light and worth a trip (if the selfie idiots will stop taking a break)!
Here are just a few of the many waterfalls on Madeira that we could see from the side of the road:
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