In today’s episode we’re sharing everything you need to know to plan a trip to the Portuguese island of Madeira, a lush, volcanic island known for its rugged coastline, terraced hillsides, and dramatic mountain peaks. We cover money-saving travel tips and how to navigate the island’s winding roads and ever-changing microclimates. Then we dive into our four days in Madeira, filled with breathtaking views, hikes, and incredible food and wine. We’ll take you all over the island, from the Funchal cable car and Monte Palace Gardens to hiking the dramatic São Lourenço Peninsula and Pico do Arieiro trails, to discovering the island’s most spectacular coastal viewpoints.

If you want to take this exact trip, download our 4 day Madeira Itinerary! 

Madeira Episode Highlights: 

• How to get to Madeira, Portugal 
• How to use TAP Airlines Stopover Program 
• Where to stay in Madeira
• Weather in Madeira 
• Hiking in Madeira 
• Madeira wine tasting at ⁠Blandy’s ⁠
• Scenic viewpoints in Madeira

Our top recommended Hotels in Madeira 

• Vidamar Resort Madeira 
• Hotel Caju
• Hotel PortoBay Santa Maria
• Or check out these hotels in Madeira 

Check out our Madeira Activities & Tours for all activities we recommend and even some that we wanted to do but couldn’t get to. 

Find a great flight deal to Portugal by signing up for Thrifty Traveler Premium and get flight deals sent straight to your inbox. Use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

Contains affiliate links, thanks for supporting Travel Squad Podcast!

Madeira, Portugal in 4 Days – Episode Transcript

travel.

0:34

Insurance and get ready to embark on a new adventure with us around the globe.Hello fellow travelers.Hey, squaddies.Welcome to this week’s episode of the Travel Squad Podcast.Today we’re taking you to Madeira, Portugal.

0:50

We spent four days in Madeira, Portugal, exploring the island and chasing the sun, and it is such a wonderful island.It’s full of coastal views.It’s a volcanic island in the northern Atlantic Ocean.It’s known for scenic hikes and we can’t wait to tell you all about it.

1:08

Isn’t this what they call the Hawaii of Europe?Yes, it is what they call the Hawaii of Europe.And there is a specific tunnel that you drive through and at the end of the tunnel you are just greeted with these panoramic views of the ocean and the cliffside in a waterfall.

1:28

And so that’s what coined the term the Hawaii of Europe.And it is a spot that we have in the episode as well as the.So we’ll tell you all about that spot.And when you say the Hawaii of Europe, it really did give off Hawaii vibes.Portugal also does have another island territory in the North Atlantic, more north and more W called the Azores.

1:49

Lots of people can refer to that as the Hawaii of the Atlantic because there’s multiple island chains.It’s a little bit more lush, green, secluded.But Madeira also is included on that.And before we get into the episode, I just want to tell you guys a little bit about Madeira.

2:04

So we did say Madeira or Portugal.It is a Portuguese island, but it is a semi autonomous region, almost like what Hong Kong is to China.It’s part of China, but has its own set of rules, its own government.Same thing here with Madeira.

2:21

So even though it’s part of Portugal, it’s technically not part of Portugal.It’s its own entity with its own laws, rules, but also very closely following the Portuguese mainland.And as we had mentioned, I mean, just really island vibes, really feeling and like you are in Hawaii here with the lush greenery, even sometimes scarce barren landscape that you’ll find in some places along the coast with the dramatic Cliff lines.

2:44

And this island was discovered in the early 15th century by Portuguese sailing explorers.So because of that, it has a long, storied history and really integral part of Portuguese culture.And Madeira, it’s known for its scenic hike.It has Laurel forest, a lot of coastal scenery, dramatic cliffs, and there’s just actually so much to do.

3:06

When I was planning this trip, I didn’t realize how much you could actually do on the island, and I don’t know why, but I thought it was going to be less populated when it’s actually very populated.It has a very lively downtown area.I think because when you see videos of it on social media, it’s just the beautiful nature that you’re seeing.

3:26

I’ve never seen city videos of Madeira.Yeah, and we actually spent a lot of time in the downtown area.That’s where a lot of the great restaurants are.And so I think that’s something people don’t really think about when they think about Madeira.They think about the hiking and the nature portions of it.

3:41

So I’m excited to tell you guys all about it and everything that you can do there.So we spent 4 full days, but realistically if you’re a hiker, you could probably spend a few more days exploring the island because even though it’s somewhat small and you can drive the perimeter in maybe 3 hours, it is really hilly, volcanic, and so it does take quite a while to like get to different pockets of the island.

4:04

Before you give me the tips about Madeira, I just have one quick question.You said there’s lush Laurel forest.I’ve never heard a descriptor like that.What does Laurel look like?There are these trees that get like really bendy and twisty, and they almost kind of transform into shapes.

4:24

And so there is actually a UNESCO World Heritage site that contains a Laurel forest that we went to, and that’s what it is.Kind of like a little mystical.Yes, that’s exactly what it is too.And when the fog rolls in, you feel like you’re kind of in a fairy tale, a little eerie kind of setting.

4:44

Sweet, well give me some tips for Madeira because this is on my list of places I want to visit too and I’m a little jealous that you went without me.Yeah.So the official language is obviously previously Portuguese since it is a Portuguese island, but English was very widely spoken and we were able to get around with English.

5:02

In terms of money, the currency is the euro.Again, Portugal itself is on the euro system, So, so is Madeira here.We didn’t really use a lot of cash.Of course, we always carry EUR with us whenever we’re in Europe or any country that utilizes the euro in Europe.

5:20

And of course, you need it for bathrooms etcetera, as you always do when you are in Europe because they do charge and they’re not free.But majority of time we did use our credit card.You may need cash for the one offs like I had just mentioned, a bathroom, etcetera.One restaurant that we went to did require cash and not taking credit cards.

5:37

So just keep that in mind.But for the most part, you’ll get along just fine with credit card.And one thing that I do want to say talking about money, we tend to mention this a lot now when we talk about Europe is do not use Euronet ATMs. They are a scam.I mean, they are private ATM, they’re not associated with a bank.

5:56

They have very, very high markups, terrible exchange rates, do not pull from a euro net.They are all over the place.However, you can actually find legitimate ATM.So what do I mean by that?ATM that are from financial institutions and banks, those ones are always going to give you the best conversion rate when you’re pulling out EUR.

6:15

A lot of them now even from the official banks do give you the option when you’re pulling out.Oh, do you want to do the conversion fee now versus having your bank do it?It’s guaranteed.This is what the rate is.You can reject that and our recommendation is always rejected.

6:31

Just reject it, reject it and let your bank determine the exchange fee, which usually is approximate to dollar to euro then at that time.So always do that.In regards to food and drinks, prices were relatively inexpensive.So when we were getting the island’s famous poncha drink, or nikitas, they were charging about four to five EUR 2 to €3 for a beer.

6:53

Bottles of wine started at $3 and went up to about 15 for like a moderate wine.So we’re not talking about Hawaii prices.No, no, no, no, not Hawaii Prices nice and a regular meal was like somewhere between 10 to 15, maybe $20.00 for just a normal meal.

7:11

So definitely don’t feel like you’re getting price gouged here.I really did appreciate that and how it’s not terribly expensive.Of course, you are losing a little bit as it stands now to the dollar, to the euro, since the euro stronger, but still in comparison to American prices, this is really, really good.

7:27

There’s also grocery stores all over the island, so you can pick up food and snacks and save money that way as well.And we decided to get an Airbnb because we did go on this trip with another couple, Jamal’s and our friend Melissa and Gary.He’s known them for 20 plus years.

7:43

And so we got an Airbnb with three bedrooms.It could sleep up to seven and we were there for five nights.It was about $1200 ish, which if we were each to get a hotel, it’s like 8 to 1200 for just two people.So there was savings there as well.

8:00

We had a kitchen and ocean view with a sunrise.We had a balcony.We even had a washer.So it was a really nice setup.What you do with the extra bedroom?Nothing.The only thing we did from the extra bedroom room is Jack the towels that they had on the bed.And by that I mean we didn’t take it in our suitcase and bring it with us, but utilized it in the car just in case we went to the beach or just fresh towels after, you know, four days to utilize when we were showering at the Airbnb.

8:26

But otherwise, no, we didn’t really do anything with the spare bedroom.In terms of transportation, there are several different ways to get around the island.We actually used a rental car.We felt like this is the best way to get around the island and to see the most.They drive on the right side of the road just like the US, but there is a lot of tunnels, windy roads and very narrow alleyways.

8:46

And some streets like there’s no parking, so people will just pull off to the side and park on the side of the street.So making A2 Lane St.A1 Lane St.So you just have to be really careful with that because we encountered several streets that were already narrow and people were parked on the side and we had to like barely squeeze past.

9:04

And it was giving Garrett and Melissa anxiety to go past another rental car.But otherwise it was a drivable island.And just make sure you download offline maps on the island because the GPS doesn’t like some of the tunnels and then it takes a while to reroute.

9:19

So it’s also best to have data or an E SIM as well.Yeah, driving for the most part since I did it, I just want to say it was relatively easy, minus the few little hiccups that Brittany mentioned, such as the narrow alleyways, the roads just becoming kind of congested and really having to look at two way traffic, the way people are parking and and to articulate it verbally, it’s kind of difficult.

9:41

But I mean, if you’re on the island, I mean you’ll see it.I mean, when you’re down at lower sea level, it’s not too bad.But the moment you start kind of climbing up, it becomes really, really steep.So a lot of these roads are just on sheer cliffs, even though you’re kind of in a concentrated and non remote area.

9:57

So there’s really nowhere to build parking from where they built the road to the house.So it just creates a little bit of a mess and these narrow alleyways, but it is doable.Just know that going in.And also they had do have a we are to merge onto the highway situation because they don’t really have long on ramps so a lot of people will stop as they’re about to merge which can cause slowdowns.

10:17

So just be mindful when you are doing that to avoid accidents.But drivable for sure.Just know what you’re getting into.And then in Funchal, it’s the main downtown area.You do have to pay for parking there.There are parking garages available.So we utilized one parking garage and used it for all of our needs anytime we were in Funchal and it was walkable to get to from a whole bunch of different places.

10:38

And and lastly about transportation is gas was about $6 a gallon, so dollar 50A litre, but equivalent to about $6 a gallon, so little pricier than what it is here a.Little.Well, we live in California.Yeah, you’re in Texas with cheap gas.

10:53

We’re in California, so that’s just like an extra dollar.Fifty more.That’s more, but still not too crazy.And I lied, I said that was the last thing about transportation.It’s not.They actually do have Bolt, which is a rideshare app.We used it in Thailand, but it’s only really good if we’re going to stay in the downtown area and explore nearby areas.

11:12

It’s not going to be good if you’re wanting to explore remote places of the island.They also have bus options, but the schedules can be limited and some of the places that we went to, buses wouldn’t go to.So to really replicate what we did, you would definitely need a rental car.But if you do utilize Bolt just for anything, if you don’t want to drive that night, go out to drink.

11:30

Bolt is very inexpensive, like super cheap to utilize.So keep that in mind.I love that about it because we used it once or twice while we were here in Portugal, on Madeira and on the mainland eventually.Weather wise, I didn’t really realize how sensitive Madeira was weather wise.

11:49

They actually have seven different microclimates and you can experience all of them in one day.And I feel like we did experience all of them in one day.But what’s really nice is they do have webcams for different areas of the island, so you can check the webcam site and be like, OK, where is the sun out?

12:05

And then you can basically chase the sun to the different areas of the island.So with that being said, just make sure you’re packing layers, bring an umbrella, and bring a rain jacket.And then for hiking, because of course, you know, we went to Madeira mostly to hike download trail maps on all Trails.

12:21

We utilize that all the time.It’s very good to make sure you don’t get lost.And most trails charge about €3 per person and you have to book tickets through a specific website.So when we get to our first hike, we’re going to go ahead and mention it there, but do keep that in mind.A lot of these ones are public, but not truly public because they do require a small fee to go ahead and hike.

12:43

There’s a central website for hiking tickets or they’re all different based on the trail.There’s a central one, yeah.And so you can drop down the trail that you’re going to do.So if you plan to move around your hikes or the days based off of the weather, I wouldn’t book it until like the night before or the day of just because it is date specific.

13:03

But not time specific.Correct.Yeah, OK.That’s good.And there is over 500 miles of hiking trails in Madeira, so there’s a lot of hiking.Most of their trails are called PR trails, and so they’re numbered and then they have like a name associated with them.

13:18

But it’s easy to drop down and find the trail that you’re looking for on the website.And our last little tips that we’re going to go ahead and talk about, we know we got to talk about the bathroom situation.Bathrooms at trailheads or at tourist attractions aren’t always open or available and mini bathrooms and we encountered this.

13:36

I’m surprised, even though it has as a whole influence of European culture, but sometimes European bathrooms, they still do it, I don’t know, no toilet seats.So we encountered that a couple times here in Madeira.So do keep that in mind.And a lot of times in the public, you may need to bring your own teepee.

13:52

So just be prepared.And some bathrooms charge €50 cents and some charge a dollar, so it’s good to have euro coins on you as well.Hey squaddies, before we get into the thick of the episode, we know how much you love our itineraries and how helpful they are when you’re planning your trip.

14:07

So we are publishing a Madeira itinerary.It will be live by the time you are listening to this episode.We’ll link it in the show notes.You can access the Madeira itinerary, as well as all of our other itineraries at shoptravelsquad.com.So we did this trip in mid-september.

14:24

We flew in on a Thursday and it was a very long travel day for us.We actually flew LAX to London.We left at around 3:30.We actually used our points with Virgin Atlantic for 30,000 points round trip per person with fees that came to about $350.00 in fees.

14:42

But we saved a ton of money this way.And then we figured that once we got to London, we would be able to use TAP, which is Portugal’s airline to get cheaper flights to Lisbon and Madeira.So we ended up using TAP stopover program.And this is the first time we’ve used a stopover program.

14:58

And we’re going to do a mini episode on TAP stopover program, their premium class and flight cancellations with them because we experienced all of that on this trip.So it would be a really helpful episode.But we did use their stopover program, and it allows you to stop over in either Lisbon or Porto for up to, I think, 5 days at no additional cost to you.

15:18

And then if you’re in Portugal, you can get a 25% discount on a second stop in Portugal if you’re planning to spend more time there.And it has other perks like tours, activities, hotel discounts, things like that.So really good program.Total for the six flights that we took, we spent about 1000 a person.

15:37

That’s not bad at all.Not too bad, especially utilizing a small amount of points to get over the Atlantic.I mean, that’s the real big burden cost the flights for TAP, relatively inexpensive, intensive and of course, when you add the fees that we had to utilize on Virgin Atlantic for the points.

15:53

But we ended up, of course, then landing in London on a Friday.That’s where we met up with our friends, Garrett and Melissa because they still live in Northern California where we’re all originally from.They flew in from San Francisco.They got in 1/2 hour after us.We ended up meeting in the Singapore Airlines lounge in the London Heathrow Airport, simply because with TAP, when we booked it, we didn’t book it on purpose this way.

16:16

But for whatever reason, like they didn’t have any more like regular economy tickets.So they forced us to buy their premium tickets, which happens to be their version of like domestic first Class, which gave us lounge access.They are part of Star Alliance.So we utilized it in there to go to the Singapore Airlines lounge.

16:34

But as we were hanging out in the lounge, all of a sudden I get a text message saying your flight from Lisbon to Madeira has been cancelled.We’re looking to figure out what other flight that we’re going to go ahead and get you on, not delayed, not anything cancelled.So we didn’t know what was going to happen then at that point.

16:52

Are we getting to Madeira that night, the next day, etcetera?Luckily they were able to get us on a flight later that night, but originally we were supposed to land at 9:00 PM and now we were landing closer to 1:00 AM and we had a rental car booked and our rental car pickup time was in the 9:00 hour and the rental car place closes at midnight and now we’re not landing till 1:00 AM.

17:14

So unfortunately they wouldn’t hold our reservation for the rental car and they wouldn’t honor the pricing.So we had to cancel and they charged us $150.00 to cancel and we had to rebook at current pricing, which is like the day of.So we’re currently working that out by, you know, obviously writing to the company and then talking to them about our options.

17:36

But we registered for TAP regarding the flight cancellation and they are offering us like $470 due to the cancellation.That’s nice.What was the cancellation from?Specifically what it was from, but it happened to be of their own accord because it wasn’t whether it wasn’t nothing, right?

17:54

That flight was cancelled and when the flight was cancelled, that flight number, we had a whole new flight number that they ended up putting us on.And since we landed more than three hours after our original schedule time, according to EU law, you’re entitled to compensation.So that’s why we’re getting that 400 some odd dollars back from TAP because I already filed that claim that’s been resolved.

18:14

Just waiting to figure it out with Avis because that’s the rental car company that we utilized here.But yeah, so money’s coming back in the account.So best case scenario, I’m getting free money.Worst case scenario, it’s covering the difference of the rental car.Should that not get resolved?What about for the rental car?

18:30

Couldn’t you go through your travel credit card insurance?Well, we possibly can.I’m waiting to do that if I’m unable to solve it direct with the source, because I’d rather just do that.Have them honor the original price, refund me the 1:50 that they charged me as the cancellation fee and do that.

18:48

If not, then yeah, I’ll probably file a claim through our credit card.Keep us posted.I will.So the next day, Saturday, we went first thing in the morning to pick up our rental car.And this day was going to be just getting to know the islands.We were going to do some gardens and hike.

19:03

So we ended up doing the Fun Shell cable card to Monte Palace Gardens.And so the cable car is one of Madeira’s most scenic attractions.You basically take a 15 minute cable car ride up to the top of a hill and you can see ocean views, the mountains, the town of Funchal beneath you.

19:24

It’s really nice.And I would highly recommend taking this mode of transportation to the gardens because it’s it’s so worth it.Otherwise you’re driving up a windy Rd.We did not do that, but believe me, we saw it going up as we were in the cable car.But the cable car is really cool because you start at sea level, right by the ocean, work your way up, and then once you’re at the top, you are here at the Funchal Monti Palace Tropical Gardens.

19:49

So you just make a quick little walk.It’s really right there.And these tropical gardens were originally a luxurious like 18th century estate, but now they’ve again turned it into tropical gardens and it’s filled with exotic plants, koi ponds, oriental gardens and winding paths.

20:08

And so we really did enjoy this a lot.I liked it.Yeah, you could see Swans for me, bingos, kois, and our favorite were the Oriental Gardens.And then there is a spot where you can look out to the Atlantic as well.So it’s a very scenic.So we did that.We probably spent about two hours in the gardens and then we were ready for a drink.

20:27

So we took the cable car back to Funchal and we went to a little bar called Ray de Pancha.And Pancha is a traditional Madeira cocktail drink.It’s made with sugar cane, Brandy, honey, sugar, and then fresh squeeze lemon or orange juice.

20:45

It’s really strong, it’s sweet, it’s citrusy, and then you can actually order it with other flavors.So I had read that passion fruit and tangerine were the best flavors to get if you weren’t getting an original.So I got the passion fruit, Melissa got the tangerine, Jamal got the original, and Garrett didn’t want to listen to my suggestion so he got Kiwi.

21:07

And let me tell you, it was not the right flavor.But the other ones were fire.Why wasn’t Kiwi Oh?My gosh, the Kiwi, when it came out, it was all green, which of course you’d expect because Kiwis are green, but it looked like a grass shot from Jamba Juice or something and it even tasted like a grass shot.

21:24

It wasn’t sweet, it didn’t taste like Kiwi because we all took like sips of each other’s and passed it around.And so the I got the original I wanted to, I mean my first poncho experience to try the original.It was good, but not great.The flavors that they got were actually better, I would say.And by that the girls, not Garretts, no one liked the the Kiwi Garrett ended up getting.

21:46

But then while we were there, Ray to Poncho, we also saw a sign for something that was called the Nikita.And as soon as Melissa read the description of what it was, I was like, what?Like how can this be good?But then we googled it and apparently it’s another very famous Madeira and staple of a drink.

22:02

And basically it has pineapple ice cream, pineapple juice, a white beer and a white wine.And it’s mixed all together almost like a milkshake.So you have wine, you have beer, you have ice cream, pineapple.And I was not expecting much.

22:19

All of us took a sip out of it because we already had our other drinks and we’re like, we’re not going to drink more because we’re going to do other stuff.So let’s just sample this.All of our eyes just like lit up like we cannot believe how freaking delicious this Nikita was and we became Nikita fans.Instantaneously.So good, so cold, refreshing, delicious.

22:38

The drinks there, we’re all really good.You can even get a flight of Pancha, which I would recommend if you’re if you’re doing it with a group to get it by yourself.Oh my God, you would be.It’d be like Napa all over for me.But I have just one question.What is a white beer?

22:53

Well, when I say like white beer, it’s not like a dark or heavy, It’s just like a more like clear beer.I don’t want to say like a wit beer that somebody may be used to, but just kind of like that, you know, just like a really light beer.That’s how it’s described.So I even when they say that I’m not entirely too sure, but that is my assumption of what they mean by that.

23:11

And so we went to raid a poncho, which is actually one of the most famous places in Madeira to go get it.And if you recall earlier when we were talking about the tips, I said there was one place that we went that didn’t really accept credit cards.This is one of them.So if you are going to go here, and I promise you if you Google things to do in Madeira, places to go, this will definitely come up.

23:31

You will need cash here and they are closed on Sundays.And it’s only €4.00 a pancha.Punches aren’t too big so you might get a few but super affordable and really delicious.This is in a good spot of Panchal AS.Well, they had the Pancha flights.They had like 20 on a rack.

23:46

I know, that’s why I was saying you can’t do it by yourself.It was like ridiculous though come out of there.None of us braved it out to attempt it, but you can have a good time there if you would like.Were they small?Samples, they were smaller, definitely.Than the normal glasses and cups.

24:02

So we went and grabbed.Lunch in Funchal as well.And then after lunch, we wanted to do our first hike and this hike was the PR 8 hike and it was called Vereda de Ponta de Sao Lorenzo.It was about a 35 minute drive from Funchal.

24:20

You do have to pay the €3 per person to hike here and it’s on the Simplifica portal and in the itinerary and on our show notes.We’ll link that for you.It’s free parking and then trail itself was about 4.3 miles round trip.

24:36

But this is one of Madeira’s most iconic hikes.It leads you along the eastern most peninsula of the island, and you see, like, volcanic cliffs, coastline.And then there’s a point where the peninsula gets super thin and you can see ocean on both sides.

24:54

So it’s very, very pretty.Yeah, this hike it has.A drier landscape than a lot of other portions of the island of Madeira, so there is no shade, but you do get to see since there’s not a lot of vegetation.The striking rock formations that are been shaped by the wind and the sea.

25:11

And again, the sea views are just unparalleled.This peninsula forms almost a little Bay.And when we were hiking at so many boats come into this Bay, party boats that do tours here as well.You can also see a lot of sea life in this area.Unfortunately, we did not see any, but this area is known to see sea life such as, you know, whales, dolphins, etcetera.

25:32

So that is a possibility.But this was a fun four mile round trip hike.I, I really did enjoy it and the views were really nice.And then you know what they have.In the parking lot they have little trucks selling beers for you to enjoy right when you’re done.Nice.We definitely picked it up.

25:47

I mean, there are food trucks selling a little bit of food.They have ice cream, they have soft drinks, but they have beer and they don’t really have an issue with open alcohol here in Madeira.So definitely after the hike, we’re like, let’s reward ourselves with a beer.So we had one before we headed on back to the Airbnb, but that was pretty much our first night.

26:07

Hey squaties, I know we.Talked a lot about how much money we spent and saved on these flights to Portugal.If you are also looking for a good flight deal, we do recommend Thrifty Traveler Premium.And if you’re interested in getting those flight deal alerts, you can use our promo code TSP to get $20 off your first year subscription.

26:27

Just go to thriftytraveler.com/premium or you can click the link in the show notes.So Sunday was.Our second day in Madeira and this day was going to be full of the forest and coastal views and outlooks, and I was really excited for this day.

26:46

So we started with the fennel forest and Kim, this is the forest that we were talking about.That is the Laurel forest.It’s a mystical Laurel forest with ancient twisted trees that look really, really cool in the mist and fog.And if there is a hike you want to do in a misty environment, this is the one.

27:07

So if you see on your weather forecast that it’s going to be cloudy one day, this is the day to do it.Also, if you go early in the morning, there is a good chance that fog still up there because it is high up.But it’s a really cool forest that you can just wander through.

27:22

We did like a one mile trail.It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage site.And it was so foggy in some spots that you could not see anything else.And so it was nice to have the all Trails map so that you can make sure you were on path.Yeah, honestly, at 1:00.

27:38

Point, I really think the visibility got down to like 20 feet because we started as a clear day from where we were staying at our Airbnb.As you climb up the mountain, it was still pretty clear, but you get to a certain elevation where finally you are in the clouds and you have that eerie mistiness to it.

27:55

And then in just the way the trees look with that, I mean, it’s just a whole new dynamic that you really can’t comprehend until you’re there.Just give you kind of like eerie, creepy, but really beautiful vibes.And so at one point, you know, we’re all taking photos because the photos of the trees with the fog are pretty cool.

28:13

Garrett staying a little bit behind.We moved up as he was taking photos, and we really had to stop.And he wasn’t even that far behind us because, like, we could easily get lost out here.I mean, that’s how foggy it was.And then we see cows that are grazing because you have natural cows that are up there, like, grazing, too.And then it just roamed off.

28:30

And then it was lost.And it was 20 feet away, and I couldn’t see it, you know?So it’s really foggy up there, but in a good way.And just, I really did enjoy this area a lot.Yeah, it was really cool there.There is a famous tree there called the Witch Tree, and it looks like a person reaching out to you.

28:49

And so the pose to get is you reaching up with your hand to reach out to the tree.So I did get that pose.We did do that and then it did start to rain on our way back to the trailhead.And unfortunately that’s the thing about Madeira is you can’t predict what the weather will be like.

29:07

So it did get quite a bit rainy, but we were committed to seeing our coastal lookouts and other.So we made our way down and then at this point we’re on the the north side of the island and we went to a few lookouts over there and I would say the north side.

29:22

Of the island is going to be what’s the most temperamental weather wise just based off of the geography.That’s where you’re getting the brunt force where it’s maybe rainy over there and then sunny on the South side.Of course, as you get higher in elevation of it could always be foggy, cloudy, etcetera.But just on the north side, even at low elevations and sea level, that’s really where you’re going to find it.

29:42

So the kind of really ruined it because all of the Instagrams, Tik Toks that you see of Madeira, most of them are showing these unique Rock Hill Cliff formations that are on the north side here.So we still decided to go down.We ended up going to a area called the Ribera de Zanella.

30:01

And this gives you views of the Madeira’s rugged North Coast where towering cliffs meet the Atlantic Ocean.And it’s really cool because there’s this natural tunnel that you will go through.It’s very short and small.But as soon as you walk up the steps, you’re in this short tunnel and then boom, there’s just a whole rock formation out there.

30:19

And then you can see the ocean.There’s a platform area for you to look at.So there’s tons of videos of people showing this image in Madeira.And for us, it was just a terrible.Rainy day.And it really didn’t do it justice.Unfortunately, but was what was surprising was.

30:35

The water was still so blue even though it was like really cloudy and rainy out.So we did experience it, and we did actually have the opportunity, opportunity to go back to this viewpoint.And it’s definitely a lot better when it’s sunny.So if you can make the weather work for you, that’s what you want, sunny weather for this coastal lookout.

30:53

Yeah.Like Brittany, you just said.The very next day we were like, all right, what’s the weather looking like on the north side of the island?So when we got done doing a lot of the other stuff, we went back and it’s night and day, quite literally and figuratively on the difference.And it was just so beautiful with the sun.

31:09

So time it and look at the webcam footage that they have on the island to make sure you don’t go on a bad day.The next thing we went to was.Called Ashadas da Cruz and it’s a promenade.But to get down to the promenade, you actually have to take a cable car, which is actually one of the steepest in Europe.

31:28

Unfortunately, due to the weather, the cable car was closed, but we did still get to peek down and look at it and it looks like it would be really cool to go down there.It’s just to be lined with traditional farm plots, the oceans on one side, and then it’s just like this beautiful Oceanside promenade.

31:46

You can walk on and enjoy the cable car too.And the cable car is super inexpensive.It’s only like €5 round trip or you could pay €3 for one way, but I don’t know who would want to hike it.It is so steep.That’d be crazy.But Jamal took one look at how steep the cable car was and he was like, even if this was running, this is a no for me.

32:07

That was a hell no.That was.That was silly.I don’t mind cable cars, but you know, other cable cars will have like median pylons or different ones along the way.This was one that was so steep they had nowhere to build it.There’s it’s just the one cable taking you all the way down to the very bottom, like 1500 plus feet.

32:24

And the way that this cable car, you could just see the rope drop over the edge and then you can’t even see where it goes to the bottom.Heck no.I was so stoked that it was raining.I mean, I would do it, don’t get me wrong, but like, really didn’t want to.And fortuitously the the weather was so that we didn’t have to do it.

32:44

Avoided a freak out, huh?I wouldn’t have had a freak out, no.But that’s intense.That’s intense.I’m not going to lie, that was very steep.It does look really cool though.But.Melissa took one look over the edge down and she saw the cable car and she goes.My butt puckered the second I looked over the edge.

33:00

So if you’re afraid of heights, maybe this one isn’t for you.But if you like a little adventure, this could be up there.So we went there for the.Overlook realistically, because we didn’t, I know at that point that the cable car wasn’t going to be up and running.But even on a rainy and cloudy day, I mean, you still just get a good feel of the dramatic seaside, the cliffs and just how steep and tall, lush and green the island of Madeira really is.

33:26

So in that sense, I thought it was pretty cool there too.But from there we continued on to Saishal Beach.And this is a black beach, again, on Madeira’s North Coast here.And it’s known for dramatic volcanic back drops, the clear waters that you’ll have on the black beach and really good views of the towering green cliffs.

33:47

Ideally, if it was sunny, our plan was to swim.We brought our bathing suits because we just really didn’t know, and our towels, but we weren’t able to do that.So really today, just because of the weather, was really now sightseeing after the forest and just seeing the North Coast.So by this time we’re like, all right.

34:03

Where is the sun?Let’s pull up the website with the webcams.Where can we find some good weather on the island?And it looked like like in Fun Chao, things were looking good.So we ended up going there.We walked around, we grabbed drinks, we grabbed lunch.And then we also saw that an area called Kamara de la Vouch was very sunny.

34:26

And so we were like, OK, let’s head up in that direction.So just a little ways of that is a really cool lookout.And it’s called Cabo 0.And it’s 1 of Dara’s most famous viewpoints.It’s one of the highest cliffs on the island.

34:43

It’s like 1900 feet above the Atlantic.And it has those glass floors, the skywalk, the panoramic views of the coastline, the terrace farms below you, and it’s one of the highest cliffs in the world.So we went and did that.

34:59

It’s €3 entry per person.It’s on the same app for the hiking trails as well.So it’s easy to just pay for your ticket.And then if you actually go there, you can buy the tickets in person or they have a cue card code there as well if you don’t purchase it in advance.So we did do that.

35:15

Really good views.Jamal just doesn’t like the glass floors.Well, Kim knows this.When we were.In Canada and we went to Jasper in Banff, they had the glass floor arch bridge that went out over the Canyon.And I’ll do it.I just don’t like those, you know, throw me out of a plane, I’ve skydived, put me in a roller coaster, but just the glass bottoms freaked me out.

35:35

So I did it while we were here.I mean, just imagine a glass bottom 1900 feet up hanging over the edge of a Cliff with the Atlantic as the only thing below you.So we ended up going here because it was on the way as we were going to Camera de la Vouche and this area here.

35:53

Camera de la Vouche is an old fishing village.It is near Funchal, but of course not part of Funchal and it’s known for its colorful boats, seaside promenade.Apparently Winston Churchill used to love this place and come and paint its landscapes and this city right here.

36:10

Our town village is the birth place of the poncha.So we talked about earlier where we got it in Funchal.It’s a very popular spot to get it.But here is the birth place and we definitely got ourselves a Poncha at the original place where it was created.

36:25

And let me tell you something way, way better than what you’re going to get in Funchal.Super good because the original one that I got the first day was good, but not great.The original 1 here, fantastic.The flavored ones here not as good as the flavored ones that we had the first day in Funchal.

36:41

So if you want to try the original, this is the spot to do it.The coastline here.Really reminded me almost of like the Amalfi Coast, because it’s like the seaside village and you can just see all of the houses on the Cliff.

36:57

So that’s kind of what it reminded me.It reminded me like I was somewhere in Italy, almost Positano possibly pretty, really pretty.And as you’re walking down to the shoreside, they have like a whole bunch of art installation.So there’s like these floating Rubik’s cubes that are hanging down, these painted water bottles, these hearts in different areas.

37:19

So there’s like a whole bunch of art installations as you’re walking down to the water.And then there’s a whole bunch of dining places here as well.So it’s a good spot for dinner and drinks.Hey Squatties.I have a quick request for you.We would love to offer you a free hack on how to get upgraded on your international flight.

37:41

All you have to do is leave us a five star written review on Apple Podcasts.Or if you don’t have Apple Podcasts, you can go ahead and leave that comment on Spotify.We’ll take that as well.E-mail it to us or DM it to us on Instagram at Travel Squad Podcast and we will send you over our tried and true hack for getting upgraded for free.

37:58

So that was Sunday moving.On to Monday here we started off our day, of course, wanting to do a little bit more sightseeing.We went to a place that was called Mira Duru Dugui Dashte, and of course, forgive the pronunciation.

38:14

Everybody likes to come in from the peanut gallery sometimes and comment about our pronunciation.We try our very, very best.Of course, these places that we visit are not our first language.But it is a stunning clifftop viewpoint of Madeira’s North Coast, and it offers sweeping panoramas of the rugged shoreline.

38:32

So I know we’ve kind of already said that about what we did yesterday.This is still on the north, but not as too far north, north and a little bit E.That was kind of closer to our Airbnb and this is where we went to start our day.This area also does have two glass bottom decks that you can look out from.

38:49

It’s not as high as the viewpoints that we were talking about yesterday.That was 1900s feet up.This is a lot closer to the ground, but this is the area here, especially now that it was sunny and in the morning and you have the colors coming in from the sun and the sky through the clouds.

39:05

That kind of pink, yellow hue of the sunrise really gave me Hawaii vibes here in the morning with the sun and I really enjoyed this spot.I know Jamal gave the Portuguese.Pronunciation, but in English it’s often referred to as the crane viewpoint and it is supposed to be really magical at sunrise.

39:22

We went a little bit after sunrise so there was rays coming through the clouds.Made it really, really beautiful.Definitely worth a stop here.From there, we decided to go to another viewpoint called Rocha do Novio Viewpoint.And this one is like the secluded Bay that used to be used by fishermen.

39:38

And you have views of the cliffside, the cliffsides lush and green.And then there’s this beautiful waterfall flowing off of it.There’s wild hydrangeas there.And Melissa said that was her favorite viewpoint.And I do have to agree.

39:54

It was really, really nice here.Yeah.And when you say Brittany too.That it gave you a view of the Bay.I just want to reiterate we’re not talking kind of like close to sea level.We are pretty high up, probably over 1000 feet up because in this area, this is another spot where they.They have a cable car that will take you down somewhere, not like yesterday’s, where they would take you down to a promenade that you would walk on.

40:16

We couldn’t even see where this cable car, when it got lost in the jungle as it went down, it was closed for repairs, not because of weather or anything, but yeah, just with the waterfall, the sea cliffs, everything.This was an another really, really beautiful spot.And this day we were.

40:31

Actually supposed to hike the famous hike in Madeira.The one that’s made Madeira famous?Pico.They are a year old hike.Is this the one that has?Like steps carved into the side.Yeah, this is the stairway to.Heaven hike and the weather just didn’t look like it was going to be good.

40:50

So I was like, you know what, I guess we’ll find a hike that you can do when it’s kind of cloudy outside.And so when we were at these viewpoints, we aren’t at sea level, we’re above sea level, but the weather’s great.The weather’s beautiful, the sun’s out, it’s a little cloudy, but it’s really nice.

41:09

And so 15 minutes away I find a hike and it’s the PR 9 hike.It’s one of Madeiras most iconic hikes as well and it’s a lush, almost like jungle like hike through a forest.And as we go up it starts to rain.So this is like Madeiras temperate weather and this is where Jamal pretty much had a freak out.

41:29

I did not have a freak out here.So she listed it called the PR 9.It’s pronounced the Levada do Calderon Verde OK.And so this is an iconic trail, like she said, it’s really popular one to do here in Madeira.And we didn’t talk about this earlier.

41:45

What the levadas are, It’s in the name like I had just mentioned, but a levada is basically a water path or trench that was made early on when people first arrived on the islands to just bring that fresh water that’s coming from the high elevations because of rain down below.

42:02

So this trail follows an old Nevada.And as you’re on it, which is very thin and narrow, you can actually see the ditch where water is still flowing.You could even see trout that are swimming it in this small little narrow ditch parallel to the entire path.

42:18

So don’t get me wrong, like this was going to be a really cool hike until the weather kicks in and then it just becomes it’s ridiculous.So when Brittany says I had a freak out, I did not have a freak out.Well, what was it?Well.So I’m.Prefacing it, Kim, I’m getting to it.

42:35

I’m getting to it.But I appreciate your enthusiasm to know what’s going on here.So no, no, hold on.Brittany did not preface this by saying Melissa woke up this morning feeling sick and having puked in the night.Don’t blame it on Melissa.I’m not blaming it on Melissa, but that.Also goes into consideration.

42:51

So this isn’t even really a hike, it’s a trail.OK.It’s pretty much flat, like there’s not really any hiking.You’re in the forest area and jungle area where it’s really lush and green.But because it’s cloudy, because it didn’t start raining on us right away, but because it’s cloudy, you really can’t see much of the views.

43:10

But it’s still something to do and really unique.With the levadas we get to a point, in fairness, it’s probably not even 3/4 of a mile into the hike or the trail yet, but because there had been previous rain over the trail, there is literally a waterfall that is falling onto the trail and there is no way to continue on without literally walking under the waterfall.

43:34

So if you come prepared.It wouldn’t be a problem.We always say pack that travel.Umbrella and so I had mine.And so I go through the waterfall and I don’t get what.But guess who didn’t bring his?Jamal didn’t bring his.No, no, I had my.Umbrella.

43:49

I left it in the car accidentally so we were already on the trail.I forgot to put it in my hiking backpack, but I had it in the car because I was umbrella prepared for any random rain that may occur while we were in the deer.I just forgot to put it in.

44:05

And so you didn’t.Share with him Brittany so I go through.And Jamal sees the waterfall and Jamal’s like this is stupid.We just need to turn around.I’m like, what else are we going to do?Like let’s just do this, like whatever.We could go drink ponchos if you.If you get wet.You get a little wet, so I go through with my umbrella, I’m fine.

44:21

Melissa goes through with her umbrella, she is fine.The problem started when Melissa tried to hand her umbrella to Garrett.She didn’t close it and toss it to him.She tried to hand it to him with it fully open.So all of the water is splashing off of the umbrella onto both of them.

44:36

So that was problem #1 now they’re getting wet.So I close my umbrella.I toss it to Jamal.Jamal goes through well before I go through.Garrett went through and he was already frustrated with the fact that he got wet just on the handoff so he said F it and he literally just walked under the waterfall.

44:53

So to start the hike before it’s even raining, he’s soaked.So then we’re hiking.And Jamal didn’t bring his rain jacket, so he’s Jamal.I brought a.Jacket I.Just didn’t bring a rain jacket.I was trying not to overpack.Bring a jacket that I may not need to use because I had my everyday jacket that could suffice while we were hiking there.

45:14

But it’s not like a fully rain jacket, you know what I mean?So it’s a 7 mile hike.And it’s supposed to end at a really cool waterfall kind of thing.I’ve seen waterfalls and.You.Pass other waterfalls along the trail.We’re hiking the Levada.It is pretty narrow and there was some groups on the trail and like the group hiking is kind of a little overwhelming because you feel like someone’s like always on you and then this like big group has to pass and then if you want to pass them, it’s like narrow and thin.

45:44

So that’s the only downfall.If there’s not groups on the trail, it would be a lot better, but it is what it was.We decided to make it our goal to make it to the first waterfall because the whole trails like over 7 miles and Jamal kept saying like, let’s just turn back around.He was having a little bit of freak out.

46:00

Not when I would check in with Melissa and Garrett.I’m like, do you guys want to turn around or do you want to make it to the first waterfall?They’re like, we’re committed to making it to the first waterfall.And then Jamal would come up to me and he’s like, they’re just saying that to be polite.They were clearly appeasing.Brittany and I don’t know how she didn’t see how obvious it was, but that’s neither here nor there.

46:18

Brittany’s not even talking about how, you know, continuing on with good spirit.And then it starts to rain.Not very heavy, but it continued continues and then it gets heavier and heavier and heavier to the point where everybody literally even with an umbrella, maybe Brittany, not necessarily so much, but everybody is soaked literally well at that point.

46:40

Then it’s what’s the point of going back?You’re already soaked, right?That’s that’s my thought.Kim But we made I was starting to get the chills.It was a.Little cold up in that high elevation and I was wet.We made it to the first waterfall.Beautiful waterfall, we said.We did it.We turned back around, but I had told everyone one that morning to bring a change of clothes.

46:58

You never know what you’re going to do on Madeira.You don’t know if you’re going to go swimming that day.You don’t know if you’re going to go hiking that day.You don’t know what you’re going to do.But in the rush of the morning, because Melissa wasn’t feeling good, Garrett forgot to bring a change of clothes.So we had to go back to the Airbnb to change grab his his change of clothes.

47:16

And he was so soaked though when we went back through the waterfall going out that when he took off his shirt, it literally weighed 5 lbs.It was so, so wet.So soaked.Yeah, they were trying to avoid like, little.Puddles that were on the path because they didn’t want to step in it and get the shoes wet.

47:32

But then eventually, just because of so much rain, it did.So Melissa’s still sidestepping a little bit and Garrett’s giving up.He’s like, we’re already soaked, kind of like how you said, Kim, so what’s the point?So he’s just stepping in the puddles.Feet are soaked.When we get back to the original waterfall that you have to walk under, that’s under the path.

47:48

Everybody’s using the umbrella.Garrett just says F it.He walks under it again.As soon as I saw him do that, I was like, well, he’s already committed because he’s just like so, so, so so when Melissa handed me his shirt that he was like wearing like it was just a normal T-shirt and it got drenched under his jacket.

48:04

Like I couldn’t even believe how heavy it was.Like whatever you think of fully wet saturated T-shirt would weigh add like 3 lbs to that.Like it was ridiculous.Like how heavy it was and we were wringing it out.So point being it was nice to actually go back and dry off.

48:20

How far was it back to the?Airbnb.I would say 45 minutes.Maybe a little less did.You strip.Down in the car.As you were driving back so you weren’t in all those wet clothes, We did definitely make a.Little bit of a change.I took off my shirt because I had a change of shirt and I kept my pants on.

48:37

Garrett kept his pants on and I think took off a shirt.He had an under one or a jacket or something like he didn’t.We all didn’t have a full change of clothes.Well, actually we kind of did, but Garrett was the one who didn’t.But he had something to just kind of change his shirt into, I believe.Yeah.So they took off their.

48:52

Shirts and shoes, and then all I had to take off was my jacket.Otherwise I was fine.But we went back, we changed clothes, and then we’re like, all right, what’s the weather like?Let’s see where we can chase the sun on the island.So we get dressed, we head back out and we’re driving again to the north side of the island.

49:11

And there is this waterfall that actually dumps like right onto the road.It’s called Cascata Agua de Alto, and you can see it because it’s right on the side of the road and it’s about to be where you’re going into a tunnel.But we parked across the street there because there’s also a seawall there.

49:29

And the waves were crashing up onto the seawall and they were so big that they were crashing onto the street.So like if you were driving in a wave hit at the same time, it could partially get onto your car, goes like up over the sidewalk.

49:44

So we got out of the car there and we went up to the seawall just to watch the waves crashing, saw the view of the waterfall there.There was one guy.He was was looking over the seawall and a wave was coming up and he actually went into the street and a car almost hit him.

50:02

So you have to be careful here.Yeah.He wasn’t paying attention.He was.Trying to avoid the wave coming up from the seawall.And then literally like all four of us thought we were about to see him get nailed by this car.Thank goodness he didn’t.But really, he just backed up into oncoming traffic because the sidewalk and the seawall is so close to the road right there.

50:22

Because like Brittany was saying, like it could honestly get on your car if it’s coming in at the right time.So I guess as you’re approaching this area, if you can start to see the water coming up, you should roll up your windows if they’re down so they don’t get in on you.But it was fun to just park there and really look at it.

50:38

And so it’s crazy because of course, we’re at a high elevation for that hike where it was raining.And the day before, the north side was super rainy, but now it’s really sunny and we’re getting to enjoy it.So then after we saw the waterfall here, we went to an area called Porto Moniz and this is a very famous spot to go to where you can actually swim in natural lava pools or some of the rock formations.

51:04

So as the waves come in, of course they fill in these natural pools, tide pools, whatever you really want to call them.They do have a paid one that does look a little bit nicer and of course a non paid one that’s free to the public in this area.But it’s really cool.

51:19

It was on our To Do List to do the day before when we got sidetracked because of the rain.But then just today with what it was at that hike, then going home, getting changed.Now it’s just really to see it in the sun and it was really cool.I enjoyed this and I really wish we would had more time to utilize these natural swim pools.

51:37

These had your name all.Over at Kim just sees natural volcanic pools.I can see you swimming there.You’d probably go to the paid 1 so you can get like a cocktail while you’re enjoying it because at the the free one there’s like 1 little spot where you can grab drinks but the other one looks like it has chairs and possible food and the accessories that you would get for.

51:59

Pain, of course.Beach club, yeah.But even in the natural.Ones they had like fish swimming in it that are stuck in there.The water’s really clear.Even the water that’s around these rocks that are in the ocean is clear.So it’s just a really beautiful scenic look and vibe area with the Clearwater.

52:16

Clearwater that’s come into the pools would have been a great place to soak and I really wish we had the opportunity to do it, but really glad that we saw it on a sunny day, at least the reason why we didn’t.Have a much time was because we had dinner reservations this night that we were really excited for.So we decided after the pools we were going to go back to the lookout that we had seen yesterday, the Rebella de Zanella lookout.

52:39

Since we went back today and it was sunny, the views were on point.It was really beautiful.We even went down because after you go through the tunnel, you can go down the steps and then go around.There’s a whole bunch of rocks, but they look out to the sea stacks and it was really, really nice.So we did that, got to see that viewpoint like in its prime.

52:58

And then going back to Funchal to hit our dinner reservation, we went through the famous tunnel view that has coined the Hawaii of Europe shot.So this is kind of where that waterfall I was talking about earlier is, but you have to be coming out in this direction to get the view.

53:14

And so it’s a very long tunnel to get through it.So I’m like filming, filming, filming.And then as you just exit out of it, it’s just this beautiful view.Ocean on the left, Rd. in front, the towering cliffs right in front of you, waterfall to the right.

53:31

Yeah, the.Waterfall to the right and.So it truly does look like Hawaii in the spot I think I have seen.This in videos on social media.It’s very famous.We tried to.Recreate it by filming it.And I don’t know what other cameras or videography equipment people are using, but as good as Brittany’s video was of her capturing it, just the videos that you see on social media just make it pop really well.

53:56

So we went to our dinner.Reservation at Campo.And this was like an elevated cuisine with a modern twist.And we ended up getting a banana espresso martini to start.We got these, I guess, like sandwiches, which were called Bola de Berlin, but they’re supposed to be sweet.

54:17

But this restaurant had made them like a savory version.So we got that.And we got an app of oxtail topped with foie gua, which was so good.And then I got the black rice with octopus and shrimp, and so did Melissa, and she thought it was the best that she’s ever had.

54:34

And then we also got the recommended steak that came with like a tomato salad, curried vegetables and fries.And that steak was so delicious.Yeah, we were originally going.To get the T-bone, because the T-bone here is really known to be exceptional.And when I had ordered it, our server said to us he’s like, well, you know, we have this others cut that’s in, it’s kind of like AT bone.

54:55

It’s really good.You should definitely try it.So I went with his recommendation and after I said yes, I was honestly thinking, oh, if it’s on special, you know what I mean?And just not something that they have regularly on the menu.My T-bone’s already expensive.This may be more, but like, whatever, you know, we’re on vacation.

55:12

It turned out to be like €20 cheaper than the T-bone and it was just an exceptional cut of meat.If you are a beef eater.It was so so good but honestly came out.So good, cooked perfectly.I still it’s been weeks since we’ve come back now I still think about that meal.

55:29

Campo is one of the highest.Rated restaurants in all of Madeira.So that’s why we wanted to try.And it honestly didn’t disappoint.Honestly, the Bola de Berlin buns that we got were my least favorite things that we had.But the drinks were good.The espresso martini, that oxtail, blah, blah.

55:45

Oh, my gosh.I know you don’t like seafood, Kim.I’m not a huge octopus person, but I did obviously try Britney’s.And if you do like seafood, I mean, it was quite exceptional, Yeah, because the octopus is not one of my favorite seafoods either, but I really, really like that.

56:01

But that steak was also just delicious.So if you are in Madeira, want to go a little bit more high end, I would definitely recommend going to Campo.Reservations required so.Tuesday was our last.Full day in Madeira.

56:16

We were leaving the next morning pretty early.And so this day was our big day to do the famous hike if there was going to be an opportunity.And we also had some wine tasting plan this day.So we started the morning at the farmers market.The market has local vendors that have like there’s a fish market there.

56:34

They sell tropical fruits, spices, flowers.It’s housed in a historic 1940s Art Deco building.And we got some coffee, coffee, some pastries here, walked around, got some souvenirs and just kind of enjoyed the farmers market a little bit.

56:50

I always love checking out markets.This what farmers market itself wasn’t anything exceptional, I’m not going to lie.But we were there early in the morning and I think more vendors were going to open up later.So we didn’t see it that way.But they do have actual nice restaurants and shops in here.So I did enjoy the coffee and the bolas that we got here, these little cream filled kind of doughnut desserts, really, really delicious.

57:12

But we were here really just to kill time until our morning tasting at 11:00 at the Blandy’s Wine Lodge in Funcha.The Blandy family is unique.Because it’s one of the only families of all of the original founders of Madeira Wine Association that still owns and manages their original wine company.

57:30

And it’s a tradition that goes back to 1811.Wendy’s actually received the TripAdvisor Travelers Choice Award in 2025, just right before we came as well.So that was super exciting.And they have a ton of visitors every year.They have like 150,000 visitors each year, so this is one of the reasons we wanted to visit this swine lodge.

57:52

It’s right in the heart of Funchal so it’s very accessible as well.And it’s a lodge so you can actually stay on property.We did not, but you definitely can.And when Brittany says they got the.Tripadvisor’s Traveler’s Choice award here in 2025.What that really means is that they are ranked as one of the top 10% establishments that are all all of TripAdvisor.

58:12

So I mean, they are Creme de la Creme, so to speak, in terms of just overall experience.But apparently there is a very famous wine history in Madeira.They have the Madeira wines.There’s certain criteria that need to be met in order for it to be Madeira and wine.

58:28

So here we did a tasting, we learned all about it, got to go through, and I found it to be very interesting and informative because I’m of the travel mindset now where of course, you know, we just kind of had that conversation about the hike and the rain and being prepared, whatever.

58:43

But I’m starting to really appreciate more food, food, drink history aspect.And here you kind of got all of that in one.You got the drink.And then with that, you’re learning the story of the island, how wine and grapes are one of the staple crops, what that really means, how that history carries on today.

59:00

I appreciated it.Did you see Grape?Vineyards on the island, anywhere we did, we saw tons of them.And as a matter of fact, Kim, this would have been the perfect day right up your alley because we did the tasting in the morning at their tasting room in Funchao.And then we did an afternoon evening tasting still in Funchao, but up the hill on their terraced vineyards that they actually have.

59:20

So we did get to do a secondary tasting on their vineyards or part of their vineyards because, of course, they grow all over the island.Yeah.So, our tour guide.Her name was Rita and shout out to Rita because this tour and tasting is her calling.She was so informative but also really hilarious.

59:35

She told us about the different types of grapes that they grow.There’s like 6 different varieties.The history, the production, the aging process.You know, Kim, when we were talking about Georgia, we’re talking about wine being stored underground in a cooler environment for the aging process in Madeira.

59:50

For Madeira wine, they actually put the barrels in attics because they need heat, so it makes it pretty unique.We talked about the acidity due to the volcanic soil and then after the tour we did the Atlantis tasting, which was 3 table wines, rose, white and red, and we had it paired with a few cheeses.

1:00:11

If you’re looking for tours and tasting, they do have large tours with like A2 wine tasting.Tasting a premium lounge tour with a three wine tasting.And then if you don’t have time for a tour, but you still want to do a tasting, they actually have a whole bunch of tastings that you don’t need reservations for.

1:00:27

Or you can do like a horizontal or vertical tasting, vintage tasting, the Atlantis tasting, and they have a few other options as well.And their lodge is really, really cute and it’s a great place to enjoy a glass of wine.So we had that 11:00 appointment that with them there and then Jamal had mentioned we were going to go on another wine tasting later in the day, but that was at 4:00.

1:00:51

So we were like, what are we going to do in between?And we hadn’t done Madeira’s famous hike, the Pico do Arello hike.So this is about 40 minutes from Funchal.And the four of us were like, we are committed to just trying to do this hike.

1:01:07

Ideally you want to do this hike when it’s really sunny because while you’re up there, you have really great views.You can see the whole island supposedly physically, you could see the ocean, a whole bunch of other peaks and mountains.And you also want to go for sunrise because there’s a possibility that you get a cloud inversion and there’s the famous Stairway to Heaven section.

1:01:29

So I was committed and the three of them said that they were committed to.But as we’re making our way up, it starts to get cloudy and then it starts to drizzle and rain.And so when we park, guess what?The three of them back out.I had my clothes and I was.

1:01:45

Ready to go?I started to change and then I changed my mind, quite honestly, if I didn’t have the day before where I got soaked.And I think maybe even the same for Garrett, Melissa, because Melissa said that this is the height that she wanted to do, one of the main reasons why she wanted to go to Madeira.I think ultimately they just decided if there’s not going to be a view and like whatever my thought process too was, we had the 4:00 tasting and we won’t have time to go back to the Airbnb if it’s raining and everything.

1:02:11

The last time I hiked in the rain, my hair got all ruined.I have to look presumable as I go into the taste, you know, So I just opted to stay behind.This was Brittany’s calling card and she enjoyed it.I think she enjoyed it by herself.Sometimes that little bit of solitude in peace is nice.

1:02:26

She can say all she wants about us not going.I think she enjoyed doing it on her own.She’s even said to me the only reason why she wish I came was to take a photo instead of using the tripod.That’s it.That’s the comment.I What do you think about this, Kim?We get out there, it’s just to be the hike to do.

1:02:42

It’s raining.Yeah.There’s no real like the.It’s not the view you want.No, it’s not the not the view you want.There’s no view.I mean, it’s the hike to do if there’s a view.I saw the.Videos Brittany took on this hike and it still looked absolutely gorgeous.Well, the steps did look gorgeous.

1:02:57

In that area, eerie with the fog, but you know what, I I kind of also was burnt out from July when we were in stews or however you say it in Switzerland and we did the Ridge hike and you’re supposed to have the views and it was foggy and this is kind of very similar to that.And I already got that vibe and I just felt like I really didn’t need to do it, you know?

1:03:16

I just think that’s also a.Little bit It looks like a little bit of a dangerous hike.It wasn’t something that I would feel comfortable leaving my friend to do alone.Yeah, so they were.Like if you want to do it, you can do it, but we’re not going to.So there is like a cafe there, a little cafeteria.

1:03:34

So they got like coffee and a pizza or whatever.They did go with me up to like where the viewpoint is supposed to be and there was no view.But then you could see the trail below and they were like, yeah, we’re just going to go sit inside and I’m.And then they’re like, are you really going to do it?Well, the hike is actually supposed to be pretty long.

1:03:52

However, the hike is actually much shorter right now because there is maintenance on the trail, I think to like a possible landslide.So part and most of the trail is actually closed.So what I hiked was just a little over a mile round trip, so really not far at all.

1:04:10

And I really wanted to still do it even though part of the trail was closed because it has like that most famous section, the Stairway to Heaven section.You can somewhat see the steep drop off to the side.So it is really cool ’cause there’s that steep staircase, the dramatic ridgeline and you know, the cloud cover.

1:04:29

So it did make it feel like eerie and and really cool.What was nice is because there was no good view.I had the trail to myself and it was still a really cool hike.But I can’t believe they left me alone.So I wanted to say.If it was sunny, I would have done it and if there was a view, but just again, the day before and Brittany burnt us out on a hike that was just whatever to some waterfalls with some greenery.

1:04:53

OK, You know, so that’s what I really think happened, but I want to take another step back because I think Kim alluded to it in a joking but maybe even serious way about calling me a non good protector and husband for letting you go alone.Those words didn’t come out of my.

1:05:09

Mouth.But maybe you feel a little guilty.No, I I don’t feel guilty.But that was the kind of what you alluded to.But in fairness, Kim, you know this Brittany will go to the edge of a Cliff that’s 1000 plus feet high, hang her feet over, hike to that side.

1:05:24

I tell her all the time, don’t do it.She does it anyway.So even in a situation like that, there’s not much I can really do.She’s going to to do it and she’s even told me if that’s the way I go out, at least I die doing something I like.So I’m not going to stop her from hiking nor feel forced to have to go on that hike with her that at that point.

1:05:42

But that’s just my two cents on the situation.But in hindsight, maybe I should have gone.But I’m not sitting here with regret that I didn’t go on it.And I’m glad Brittany got to do it even though it didn’t give her the view that she wanted.So I mean obviously.You want to do this on a sunny day with better weather, but that’s just not what we we had.

1:06:01

So I am still glad that I did it.It is €3 a person through the app.You also have to pay for parking here as well and it’s only partially open.So that makes it easy.So you don’t have to do the whole thing because if you were to do the whole trail, either have to turn back around or you hike to like another area and find like a shuttle back.

1:06:20

So it did simplify things a little bit.And then we went to enjoy our last activity of our time in Madeira, which was the Blandy’s Vineyard tour in the Quinta de Santa Louisa.So what makes this really unique is Funchal is very populated, but then there’s this spot where they have this vineyard and it has ocean views.

1:06:44

And I’ve never been to a vineyard with ocean views before, has views of the Atlantic Ocean and Funchal Bay.So the vineyard has like a really scenic backdrop.We had a tour guide here named Hugo.He took us through the vineyard.We learned about the grapes that they grow there, about their old techniques.

1:07:01

We saw kind of like they’re well and Levada system in use here.And then we had a tasting at the Quinta de Santa Louisa, which is basically like a lodge as well.So you can actually stay here.And we did see some people that were staying here just kind of enjoying the scenery.

1:07:19

And we did a tasting which had the 10 year old blends.And so we tried four different wines with some pairing stacks.And so these wines here.Too at Blandy’s again the 1st tasting was more like table wines and we say that just your like traditional wines but Landy’s wines more particularly even Madeira and wines they’re known to be poor and fortified wines.

1:07:42

Do you know what that means?Kim fortified like if.It’s a fortified.Wine.I know that term, but I don’t.Exactly know what it is.So basically the fortified.Wine, it’s obviously distilled and a spirit usually utilizing like grape Brandy.So instead of just like traditional wine, they get it almost to the level where it’s like Brandy or add even other alcohol into it.

1:08:03

And again, I’m not a sommelier.So again, forgive just the maybe simplifying of it or not explaining it.But basically it’s not just normal, right?They add a little bit extra alcohol.And so it’s kind of a heavier wine that you’re not really drinking a lot of you’re taking sips.

1:08:19

And it’s designed to be like this is like a pre dinner one or this is an after dinner one that’s a little bit heavier or sweet or something to that effect.So these ones here that we had and the tasting were definitely fortified ports and a little bit different.

1:08:34

Yeah.So we had 410.Year old blends we had the Cersei which they paired with salted nuts, the Verdejo which was paired with Inazorian cheese, the ball which was paired with their traditional honey cake, and the Mumsy which tastes like Christmas paired with a dark chocolate.

1:08:52

I’m a huge fan.Of wine tasting with a little snack to go along with it.It’s the best.Yeah.Really, really good.Makes the experience.So there was probably how many people that are tasting, I would say 12 to. 15 people, we were 4, you know, you, me, Garrett, Melissa.

1:09:10

And then they have the other table and there was at least four to five people on each side and then sitting on the head of the table too.So there’s quite a few people.Minus the tasting.We got a little bit of history and again, the tour of the vineyard, learning a little bit again about the history of the wine, making the history of that particular vineyard, how they manage the grapes, the different varietal.

1:09:31

So All in all, like honestly, I would say our time with Blandy’s, this tasting in the morning, plus this one, just really unique and one of the most fun things that we did while we were in Madeira, at least for me.Yeah, and they have two.Different tastings that you can do at the vineyard itself, the one that we did.

1:09:49

And then there’s also one that serves, I think, 6 different wines.There’s three that are at five years and then three that are at 10 years.So a different type of variety.And that was also paired with snacks.So either 1 is a really good pick, but very, very beautiful.

1:10:06

And it was a great way to end her time in Madeira.I was just going to say that.What a great way.To end your trip, Yeah.And Brittany loved it.She wants to go back.She wants to do that hike when it’s sunny.I would do it too.But if you really want to do it and said earlier, Kim, that you really want to go to Madeira, you and Brittany can go do that hike together, enjoy the wine and whatnot.

1:10:25

I’ll go back to Portugal.I can’t wait for next week’s episode when we talk about Lisbon here.I did enjoy Madeira too, don’t get me wrong, and I will go back, but Brittany’s really wanting to go back.But maybe you should sit in for me on this one Kim and go with Brittany.That’s been the trend lately with.

1:10:41

You, Jamal, we have Switzerland, we’re going to Hawaii now, we’re going to Madeira.I just have one question.So Brittany loves to hike.You did a lot of hiking.There was a lot of viewpoints as well.If you wanted to have a more laid back nature experience outside of say the beach club by those natural pools, are there more places where you can just be in nature?

1:11:01

Relax.I mean, there’s a few.Beaches, but because it’s a volcanic island, the beaches aren’t like your typical beach.So I mean there’s a lot of restaurants where you can go to a viewpoint and grab a drink and there’s a lot of restaurants that look out to view.

1:11:16

So you’re always in some type of nature, but there’s not like a ton of places to just chill.So if you go, it’s.Certainly a hiking adventure not necessarily could do the viewpoints.You could just enjoy your cocktails.Go to the small towns along the shore, just enjoy your food and your time.

1:11:34

But in terms of like as good analogy, thinking of like, oh, Greece beaches, something like that.I mean, there are a few, but really that’s not the place to go because you’re lounging out.But they do have boat tours.Like I said, that first hike that we did, they had the boats in the Bay.There were some beaches there that people were swimming on the water even when we felt it was quite warm just as well.

1:11:55

So conducive for that, but not really super super Beachy vibes, but available.Absolutely cool.Well, it sounds.Like you guys had a great time.Thank you spotties for tuning in to this week’s episode.Keep the adventures going with us on all the socials at Travel Squad podcasts and send us in your future questions of the week if you found the information this.

1:12:14

Episode would be useful. Or if you thought we were just plain funny, please be sure to share with the friend that would enjoy it too. And as always, please subscribe, rate and review our podcast and TuneIn every travel Tuesday and Fridays for new episodes and squaddies. Sign up for a newsletter. To stay up to date on everything happening with the podcast, hear about our latest tips, advice, and amazing adventures we have in store for you.