Explore Madeira! | FindPenguins

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Trip start
August 28, 2024
Explore Madeira!Traveler
Hello Funchal!
August 28, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
We're taking an Explore walking holiday in Madeira, trekking the levadas (waterways), with a few days of sightseeing and culture either side. We being Our Jan, Steve and me.
I won't be writing much (I don't think!) but I'll post a few photos to set each day's scene. Currently in Funchal for a few days 😍
It's good to be back walking in the sunshine 🌞 ☀️ ❤️Read more
TravelerWhat do you mean not writing very much !! I’m relying on you for daily updates so I can walk vicariously with you. 🙈😆
8/29/24Reply
Traveler😬😬😬😂
8/29/24Reply
TravelerNo pressure 😘
8/29/24Reply
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Explore Madeira!Traveler
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Camara do Lobos
August 30, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
We took a hop on hop off bus ride to Camara do Lobos today. It's a delightful fishing village which has a recycling theme running through the streets (pics attached). Absolutely beautiful 😍 🤩 😊.
We tried a Madeiran alcoholic drink called Poncha. Absolutely vile 😂🤮😱Read more
Traveler Fab 😊
8/30/24Reply
Traveler Reminds me of the whale we saw in Nigran - the seaside resort with no icecream .
8/31/24Reply
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Explore Madeira!Traveler
🤮🤮🤮
August 31, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C
Not a lot to say about today apart from a truly horrendous bus journey (for me, at least) from Funchal to Santana. 90 minutes of speedy, aggressive driving along very windy, hilly, narrow roads. This resulted in me talking to myself for most of the journey, telling myself I really didn't feel ill, and I was fine! It must be worked, because I've had a nap and I'm now sitting on the hotel's terrace (in a light drizzle) enjoying my first Explore! beer and scoffing the biggest bag of crisps I could find 😂.
So no photos, despite the countryside being fabulously verdant and, I'm sure, wonderful!Read more
TravelerYou made it ! Well done 👏 👏
8/31/24Reply
TravelerNo thanks to the roads and the driver. Our tour guide laughed when we told him we'd taken the bus from Funchal. Apparently, they've only been in service for 3 months. They were rickety old things before then 😱🤮😂
8/31/24Reply
TravelerI have to agree with our Pam .. a truly scary ride , hairpin bends and massive drops either side of the road 🤪 But we made it, and the group seem very friendly… and I’ve found a French lady to be my walking buddy 👏👏
8/31/24Reply
TravelerOf course you have! That's the last we've seen of you this holiday!😂😂😂
9/1/24Reply
Traveler🤣🤣
9/1/24Reply
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Explore Madeira!Traveler
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7km from Boca do Risco to Machico (mayb
September 1, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ☁️ 17 °C
Only 7km today, 4km up and 3km down. It was absolutely spectacular! The weather was fantastic, however I'd very stupidly forgotten to take my hat and my extra water bottle. Oh, and my sunscreen 😱🙄😂. All was not lost, though, as I wore our Jan's fleece on my head 🙄 and was saved by a truck selling cold water. I won't be doing that again! Pics of sunrise from my bedroom window, and a typical (old style) Santana house attached.Read more
TravelerAmazing views but flipping hard work not just uphill (upmountain?!) …I was at the rear of the group all day, and on my rear several times 😂
9/1/24Reply
Traveler😱😂😘😘😘 but you did it!👏👏👏
9/1/24Reply
TravelerPhotos look fab.
9/2/24Reply
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Explore Madeira!Traveler
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King's Levada
September 2, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ 🌬 21 °C
An 11km walk today, there and back along the King's Levada. It was absolutely beautiful, and level, so it was a delightful walk 🫠. The levadas carry water all over Madeira (there are 2000km of them!) from the forests to the coast. It's an amazing system, begun in 1425 (if I remember correctly). Cats are often abandoned in the forests when their owners go on holiday 😕 and we found one.
We also tasted Poncha again, this time freshly made. I still struggled a bit, though, as you can see 😂.
We're now in Porto Moniz for a couple of nights with waterfalls planned for tomorrow's walk!
A delicious meal tonight of scabbard with banana and passion fruit 😋😋😋Read more
Traveler Poor cats being abandoned to fend for themselves when their owners go on holiday!
9/2/24Reply
TravelerIt was a very friendly cat and just wanted food 😕
9/3/24Reply
TravelerWow looks amazing. 😘
9/3/24Reply
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Explore Madeira!Traveler
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Oops!
September 3, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C
A fab walk today. Lots of uppy downy, but never overwhelming. "Don't walk on the clay!" said Felipe, our tour guide... As I was giving myself a good 'don't be too cocksure, Pamela!' talking to, what did I do? 😂😂😂 Fortunately, only a bruised index finger, but it's a tad painful and will probably be blue when I wake up!
However, it didn't spoil the day at all, and the scenery was, as ever, stunning!Read more
TravelerLooks so beautiful 💚
9/3/24Reply
TravelerIt's amazing!!!
9/3/24Reply
TravelerHope your fingers are OK. Amazing scenery, so so beautiful . The waterfalls are somerhing else.
9/4/24Reply
TravelerYou should come just for the flora and scenery! 😘
9/4/24Reply
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Explore Madeira!Traveler
The Enchanted Forest!
September 4, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
Due to the recent forest fires, Felipe has had to juggle our trips. This was supposed to be a levada walking holiday, but we sometimes haven't been able to walk to the schedule. That hasn't mattered, though, as our walks have been absolutely amazing, levadas or no!
Today's walk began with a quick stop at a pebble beach where the last whaling station was situated, and then we were off to The Enchanted Forest, and it's easy to see why it's called this! We hiked up, down and across in the cloud! It was gorgeous. Although it was wet, it really wasn't cold.
After our walk, we spent a while just outside Funchal, before heading to our hotel. We've enjoyed dinner out and tomorrow's a day off! I'm not sure what I'm doing or who I'm doing it with, but it'll be nice to have a lie in 😂. The first pic is Jan and me walking under a waterfall yesterday!Read more
TravelerCouldn’t work out the picture until I’d read your transcript. Looks like fun. Xx
9/5/24Reply
TravelerHaving a blast! Well... sometimes 😂
9/5/24Reply
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Explore Madeira!Traveler
A day off 👏👏👏
September 5, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Today we've had a day off in Funchal so there's nothing much to say except I've taken everything very slowly!
When I slipped a couple of days ago, I lost my sunglasses (I hadn't realised because I wasn't using them at the time, and they were perched on my head 🙄), so I've bought myself a new pair. I've visited the fish market, watched men playing cards, eaten ice cream, had a couple of wanders, and that's about it! Oh, and had a swim in the hotel pool. We enjoyed a Nepalese meal tonight but it took us 30 minutes to order the drinks (waiter brought us red wine and insisted it was white 😂), then another 30 before the meal arrived. It was absolutely worth it, though. The tastiest food 🤗🤗🤗!
Early start tomorrow for our last Explore! day, so early bed!Read more
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Explore Madeira!Traveler
An interesting night...🙄
September 6, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C
Today has been different, because of last night! I had very little sleep due to very drunken Germans opposite, so was far too tired to walk (I still am and daren't close my eyes until this evening, otherwise I'll miss dinner!🙄😂)
So no walk but a lovely day nonetheless. Jan and I didn't get to walk in the wind and the rain and the cloud (result!), and we had a lovely afternoon sunbathing before a visit to a rum factory, where the machinery had been built in Liverpool! A fabulous evening meal, to say goodbye to everyone, plus the news that my tormentors have checked out, rounded the day off perfectly 👌.Read more
TravelerSounds like the perfect end to your ‘explore holiday - well apart from the noisy German.
9/6/24Reply
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Explore Madeira!Traveler
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A relaxed couple of days, exploring...
September 7, 2024 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C
We're finishing our holiday with 2 nights in an Airbnb in the centre of Funchal. It's very nice 🤗. We took the cable car up to Monte Botanical Gardens, ate some delicious food, and are off... Madeira's been fab!
Nowt to tell you, but photos to share.Read more
Traveler Stone warriors are interesting.
9/9/24Reply
Traveler Beautiful xx
9/9/24Reply
TravelerThe colours of the hydrangea were beautiful! And the roads were lined with agapanthus and hydrangea all over the island 🤗🤗🤗
9/9/24Reply
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Trip end
September 9, 2024