Walking in Madeira and Porto Santo - 60 day walks

• Location
• Description
• Contents
• Introduction
• Sample Route
• Maps
• Updates

Madeira and Porto Santo rise steep, rocky and remote in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Europe and Africa. The nearest island groups are the distant Azores and Canary Islands. All these islands enjoy a subtropical climate that many walkers find acceptable throughout the year. A compact and mountainous island, Madeira is criss-crossed by old paths and tracks, and is remarkably scenic and accessible. Water is conveyed round the island in charming flower-fringed channels called levadas, which offer anything from gentle strolls to extremely exposed cliff walks. Richly wooded valleys, rocky slopes, cultivated terraces and impressive cliff coasts can be explored, along with one of the best laurisilva forests in the world. This book describes a rich and varied selection of 60 walks to suit all abilities, covering the whole of Madeira and Porto Santo, as well as a cruise to the Ilhas Desertas.

Location

Madeira is a small island of 750km2 (290 square miles). It lies at 32°46’N/17°03’W in the subtropical Atlantic Ocean, about 600km (370 miles) from Morocco in North Africa, and about 950km (590 miles) from Portugal, to which it belongs. Its closest neighbours are Porto Santo, about 40km (25 miles) away, and the Ilhas Desertas, about 20km (13 miles) from Madeira at their closest point. Other islands are far from view, such as the Azores and Canaries, with which Madeira is loosely associated, since they all lie along the same huge fracture in the Earth’s crust.

Geology

Madeira is essentially a volcanic island, although volcanic activity has long ceased. Basalt from deep within the earth spewed onto the ocean floor around 130 million years ago. Gradually, enough material built up for land to appear above the water, so that Madeira raised itself from the ocean about 2.5 million years ago. Some corals established themselves round the fringe of the island as it grew, and these are preserved as fossils in very limited areas.

The overwhelming bulk of the island is made up of ash and basalt lava flows shot through with dolerite dykes. It is thought that volcanic activity ceased around 25,000 years ago and the rock is now heavily weathered. Porto Santo is older and more weathered than Madeira. Although mostly basalt, Porto Santo features a central band of calcareous sandstone that produces a fertile soil in the middle of the island that has eroded to form a magnificent golden beach.

History

The true story of Madeira’s ‘discovery’ may never be known, but early records agree it was a densely-wooded uninhabited island. The many fanciful tales of Madeira’s discovery don’t tie in easily with historical documentation. Some early maps show the island and there is a suspicion that the Phoenicians may have been the first to set eyes on Madeira. Others say the Genoans discovered it. Some records state that the Spanish were in the habit of stopping off at Porto Santo on trips between Spain and the Canary Islands. A strange story relates how an Englishman, Walter Machim, along with his wife and a companion, were marooned on Madeira and thus became the first temporary settlers.

Reliable records date from 1418, when Prince Henry ‘The Navigator’ of Portugal patronised voyages to seek new territories. João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira were leading one of these voyages around Africa in 1419, when they were blown off-course onto Porto Santo. While checking out possibilities for settling the island, they also discovered Madeira. In 1425 great fires were started to clear Madeira’s native woodlands and open up sunny slopes for settlement and cultivation. In 1452 slaves were drafted in to work the land and dig a network of irrigation channels, or levadas. Christopher Columbus is said to have visited Madeira and Porto Santo in 1478, convinced that by sailing ever-westwards he would find India.

Madeira and Porto Santo, being remote from Portugal, were open to attack by pirates from Europe and Africa. The islands suffered several raids, resulting in the destruction of property, looting and the capture and killing of inhabitants. Fortifications were constructed, including a wall around Funchal in 1542, but most island communities were unprotected. In calmer times good trade links were developed, along with agriculture, and Madeira became known for producing fine wines. By 1662, following a marriage between Charles II of England and Catherine of Braganza, English merchants settled on Madeira and took key positions in the wine trade. English troops were stationed in Madeira in 1807 as Napoleon conquered more and more territory. In more settled times, during the 1850s, cholera wiped out thousands of islanders, while disease destroyed their vines. Banana cultivation developed, with the ‘dwarf banana’ proving the most suitable type for Madeira’s climate.

Tourism has developed since 1890, with the climate making it a favourite winter destination for rich Europeans. Although Portugal was neutral in the War years, it suffered under a dictatorship and many Madeirans emigrated to other parts of Europe, or to Angola, Brazil and Venezuela. Madeira has been an autonomous region since 1976 and, following Portugal’s entry into the EU, vast sums of money have been applied to its infrastructure. Tourism continues to boom and walking is an important pursuit for many visitors. A lively way to appreciate Madeira’s history and heritage is to visit the Madeira Story Centre on Rua Dom Carlos I in Funchal, www.storycentre.com.