Walking on Madeira

Rising dramatically from the Atlantic Ocean, Madeira is a lush Portuguese island renowned for its volcanic peaks, UNESCO World Heritage laurel forests and spectacular coastal cliffs. Known as the “Island of Eternal Spring”, it offers year-round walking in a landscape of soaring mountains, flower-filled valleys and ingenious levada irrigation channels that contour the hillsides. This Cicerone guidebook, Walking on Madeira, is your complete companion to exploring Madeira and neighbouring Porto Santo on foot, with 60 carefully curated day walks covering mountains, coast, forests and classic levada routes. Written by renowned outdoor author Paddy Dillon, it blends meticulously researched route descriptions with local insight so you can plan safe, rewarding and memorable days in Madeira’s most spectacular landscapes. It includes 60 day walks on Madeira and neighbouring Porto Santo, from relaxing levada strolls to more strenuous high-mountain hikes like Pico Ruivo (the highest peak on the island at 1,862m) and Pico do Arieiro Routes range from 4 to 27km (2–17 miles), so you can tailor your walking holiday to your experience or combine walks to create longer days out Details of planning, facilities and public transport are provided, and all routes are easily accessed from Funchal, the island’s main accommodation base Rich introductory sections on Madeira’s geology, history, flora, fauna and protected areas, along with notes on Funchal, Monte and Porto Santo to help you get more from your trip beyond the trails Sketch maps are provided for each walk to supplement the GPX files for digital navigation across this Portuguese island Whether you’re planning a dedicated walking holiday in Madeira or looking for the best levada walks and mountain hikes on the island, this comprehensive guide provides the detail and reliability you need.