Renting a car is one of our favourite things to do abroad as it always leaves you with plenty of flexible options. You don’t have to rely on buses or trains. You can make your schedule at your own pace. Madeira is a small enough island, perfect for discovering its beautiful scenery by car. And so when our time in Funchal was over, we headed to a family-owned business and picked up our rental car.
We stopped for a quick breakfast in Caniçal and then headed straight for our first hike in Madeira. We parked our car, took our backpacks and started hiking! Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço is a 3km long trail on the Ponta São Lourenço peninsula, situated on the easternmost point of the island. It’s one of the most popular hiking places in Madeira. The hike is not challenging, but it takes approximately three hours to complete one way, so plan accordingly.
We had so much fun hiking! I had recently bought a new lens for my camera, so I entrusted my small Sony ZV-1 to Dominik. I ran around with my lens, taking pictures of everything around me. The views were breathtaking. We stopped every other minute to soak in the atmosphere of this magical place.
Unfortunately, we made a big mistake on this day. We didn’t realise it until a couple of hours later, but while we were hiking and enjoying the sunny day, we completely forgot to protect our skin from the sun (which we regretted for the rest of the holiday). To our defence, it was barely 20°C outside, and it didn’t feel too hot. Nevertheless, take an example from us and use sunscreen all the time! Even if you think you don’t need it.
After three hours of hiking, taking pictures and burning our skin red, we stumbled upon a small restaurant. And because every completed trek requires a fitting reward, we ordered a nice cold beer and sandwiches!
After lunch, we decided that hiking back was something we didn’t want to do. Fortunately, there was a boat ready for everybody who wanted to take a quick ride back to the city or even dolphin and whale watch. I would definitely recommend it to everybody who wants to experience a different point of view of the place. Riding along the cliffs and seeing all the sea life around was a fun experience!
We hopped off the boat and headed straight to our car. It was getting close to the evening hours, and we still had a few stops ahead of us, but we were so hungry that a break for food was a must! We found a cute restaurant called Restaurante Snack Bar Faísca, and I ordered a tomato soup that quickly became the best soup of my life.
After the delicious meal, Vereda dos Balcões was awaiting us. Vereda dos Balcões is a short trail in a deep valley that leads to the Balcões Viewpoint, which offers an incredible view of the surrounding nature. We were lucky enough to arrive there before the mist took over and covered the view of the majestic mountains.
There is a surprise that is waiting for everybody there! Balcões Viewpoint has plenty of birds tame enough to let you feed them from a hand. Our car rental company gave us bird seeds, so we took the opportunity to feed them and take some beautiful pictures. It was an incredible experience and a perfect way to finish our day.
