Island Life in Madeira

Get a car. Or rent a scooter. You want to see the whole Island. It’s possible to see it within 4 or 5 days, but I enjoyed 9. You can surf, hike, beach, eat, drink, and pretty much be merry. The polar opposite feeling I had before arriving. Crying in the airport from the attendant being so mean and yelling at me about my overstuffed backpack I already paid for. A wife standing with her family in front of me who was from Madeira looked back and said, “please don’t let this airline and the people get to you and ruin the amazing trip you’re about to have. The Island is beautiful and so are the people there. I promise you it will be worth it.” And she was right.

I stayed at a Hostel for most of the time called “On Track” in Funchal. It’s about a five minute bus ride to town. The kitchen and bathrooms are worth the small trek. You have a full dining room area with multiple terraces, a place to do your laundry, multiple showers and stalls, plenty of cupboard space to eat and cook, and a hostel full of friendships.

I hiked around for the first 4-5 days. Including the hike of death. AKA Pico to Pico pictured above. It almost killed me. But it was exhilarating and quite an accomplishment. The views were breath-taking. I am so happy I checked it off my list because it was something I really didn’t feel I could do. Sometimes you’re able to amaze yourself and accomplish things you don’t think are possible.

But the hikes into the waterfalls were my favorite. It was basically like taking an ice plunge after heating up on the trail. Smelling fresh air from the trees, feeling the cold, crystal blue water, and the sounds of nature was beyond healing to my soul. After many days of hiking, I found all the black sand beaches, made friendships, and surfed.

I moved hostels just so I could do all of that. I loved being able to walk to the beach, surf, lay out, eat some food, and hang back at the hostel. I met some Dutch boys who traveled around with me for a few days after we met and I really enjoyed our conversations about why we were traveling and our views on life. I soaked in the friendships and people here, the slower pace of life while taking in moments, conversations, food, cries, and laughter. The time here felt so special and rewarding to me. It’s a special Island and I highly recommend visiting for a while. Until next time.