Waterways, Flowers & Levada Walks of Madeira

Suitable for those looking for easy walking terrain. Some great views but quite a lot of unchanging scenery/forested walks.

The accommodation was excellent. Transfer arrangements worked like clockwork. And the walks themselves were continually fascinating - a great introduction to Madeira's amazing levadas

Just a delightful holiday on a glorious island, staying in wonderful places and enjoying lovely walks in spectacular scenary. 

Great walking holiday , excellent hotels, good choice of walks,good instructions , perfect logistics plus a great break in Funchal at the end . For our first walking holiday it was excellent 

There were many highlights on this holiday but the walk along the Sao Lourenco peninsula (option D for days 3-4) was special. As well as the spectacular scenery we had several close-up views of kestrels hovering.  Another great experience was the poncha talk and demonstration (with delicious free drink) at Quinta do Furao.  We also appreciated the staff at Castanheiro Boutique Hotel providing us with a welcome drink of madeira and offering to clean our very muddy boots without charge.

It is a pity that enormous cruise ships stop off at Funchal as it results in extremely long queues for the cable car up to Monte and for the wicker toboggan ride back down to Funchal.  It is best to head up to Monte as early in the morning as possible before the cruise ships disgorge their passengers.

I suggest future customers be made aware that it can be very difficult to find toilet facilities along the walks and that they should come equipped with their own toilet paper, soap, a good torch and a supply of 50 cents and 1 euro coins.  The following are examples of our experience:

On the walk to Caldeirao Verde, the toilets at Qeuimadas were not open when we arrived and there was a queue when we returned in the afternoon.  We then needed a 50 cents coin (no other coins were accepted) and had to provide our own toilet paper.  During the walk there is only one place to go amongst the trees (just beside the exit to the second tunnel on the outward part of the walk) and many people were using that area!

On the walk from Santana to Santo da Serra the WC at Ribeiro Frio had no light (either natural or artificial) and no soap, but still charged 50 cents.

On the Sao Lourenco peninsula there was a very long queue to use the unisex toilets at the café (we waited over 20 minutes) and they cost 1 euro.

For those who enjoy spirits with a lot of flavour and warmth, a final tip is to try the local rum on its own, without any ice. It is so different (and, in my opinion, much better) than the ‘industrial’ rums produced elsewhere.

Really enjoyed the walking and the variety of options available, with easy to follow notes. All hotels had their own character and good quality. There is a lovely garden just up the road from Porto Bay Serra Golf Hotel in Santo da Serra that is worth a visit.  It's vast and has a beautiful viewpoint.  Avoid paying for extra picnics at Porto Bay as we found these over priced and not good quality (soggy white bread). There are a couple of shops down the road for provisions and if doing the peninsula walk there is now a cafe part way round,  which whilst very busy (even in March), serves great coffee and snacks. Overall a wonderfully varied and interesting walking trip.

The weather was terrible but the people were terrific. We had a happy holiday.

This holiday was a great introduction to Madeira. Inntravel planning meant everything went smoothly. We were impressed with the quality and location of the hotels. The walks were excellent. Walking notes were detailed and very clear. 

My advice to others going on this holiday - pack for all weathers, as it can change from sun, thick mist, rain  and wind during a single day. Take walking boots plus full waterproofs (useful when walking through waterfalls as well as in rain). Be flexible with choice of walk for the day and take local advice.

Great choice of hotels. Quinta do Furao at Santana was exceptional. As was Castanheiro Hotel at Funchal. As a vegetarian, I had no problem choosing delicious food - but one tiny point is that at Porto Bay Serra Golf Hotel at Santo da Serra the vegetarian choices each day were 4 pasta dishes (something local/Portuguese and with vegetables would have been nice).

We really enjoyed this holiday and the highlight was our stay at Quinta da Furao.  The staff were exceptional and we liked the other activities available such as wine tasting and bread making. The walks were also very good here and three nights here would have been perfect. The hotel in Funchal was very central and comfortable.  We had an extra two nights and still didn't see everythping we wished to. Madeira exceeded our expectations. 

Always worth going to Ribiero Frio and the viewpoint there. Ponto da Cruz is a nice village on the coast to visit and the rum factory is interesting.

Madeira was just beautiful and a great option for walking along the levadas.  As a result we were able to do long walks without too much ascent! it was also lovely to see the less touristy side of the island away from Funchal.  We went early March and happened to coincide with the carnaval at Funchal which was an unexpected bonus. We did get some rain though and I am not sure we had expected that - so dont forget your waterproofs!

All the hotels were very welcoming and the food was good. Our favourite walk was Days 3-4 Option A, Santo da Serra to Camacha via the Levada dos Tornos. We didn't have problems so don't be put off by the warnings. In Funchal we enjoyed the free Madeira tasting at D'Oliveiras which was much less touristy than Blandy's.

This was our 12th Inntravel holiday and one of the best. We loved Madeira. The Level 2 walking was not too challenging (in fact easier than some of Level 1-2 holidays we have done). The walk from Santana to Santo da Serra was the highlight of the week - stunning with amazing views. There were safety rails along the more exposed levadas, but travellers without a head for heights might struggle on some sections. The hotels were lovely - Castanheiro Boutique Hotel was our favourite - perfectly located and amazing breakfasts. The weather was excellent in late February - a perfect antidote to cold and grey UK. I walked in a T-shirt most days. There were many flowers, but we will come back sometime in the future and do the same holiday in April / May when the agapanthus are flowering. I suspect the levada walks would be much busier then though - there were some days when we saw very few walkers. As always, Inntravel's planning was excellent - a perfect holiday.

I loved walking the levadas surrounded by the natural beauty of the forests, without a care. Luggage, meals, accommodation, transport all sorted. That was very nice and worth doing. The warmth, friendliness and helpfulness of hotel. Staff and taxi drivers was lovely too.

Fabulous holiday with varied scenery on walks and good accommodation and food- great value for money- vegetarian choice in the evening in first two hotels was limited but portugese food perhaps doesn't lend itself to this. We enjoyed the pools particularly after the walks and were lucky with weather. Really good dinner at 'Informal' in Funchal and we enjoyed the hotel restaurant too

The organisation of this holiday was superb from start to finish. INNTRAVEL kept us informed regarding flight delays due to snow and passed information on to the taxi service. The hotel Quinta do Furado was beautiful and we wished we had booked an extra night there. The trip notes were excellent, very detailed and accurate with a good choice of walks.  It is definitely worth going out to Sao Lorenco. Although it is classed as a short day there is quite a lot of steep up and down on very rocky paths. It is a set trail (3 Euro entry) and no toilets until the far end where there is a large cafe if open. Allow at least 4-5 hours for this excursion.The scenery is amazing but it is extremely  popular..

All the hotels had tea making facilities in the room which saved taking our own.

I had a bad fall day 3 but that was on wet clay NOT really on the main walk. The hotel was helpful but not geared up  to what to do in terms of medical assistance, and could be gently prompted by Inntravel to have a policy etc (hotel 2).

This is a superb holiday. We added an extra day in Quinta da Furao (and in Funchal) which meant we could enjoy both walks around Santana. Quinta da Furao is fabulous, you really feel that ALL the staff are going out of their way to make you feel welcome. 

We were  nearly put off doing option A at Santo da Serra but are so pleased we chose this option. It was our favourite walk and we didn't encounter any problems at all. The walk on the peninsular is also worth doing for something totally different. It was busy but we really enjoyed it.

The food everywhere was excellent with lots of choice.

The weather in November was fantastic, averaging 22 degrees for the whole time we were there. The flowers along the levadas would probably be more prolific at other times of year but the levadas were very quiet and a delight to walk.

Be aware that many places close on a Sunday in Funchal.

This was a really enjoyable holiday. We enjoyed all the hotels, and particularly our room upgrade at the Porto Bay Serra Golf Hotel, as we opted to stay here the longest. We were also upgraded for free at the last hotel in Funchal, Castanheiro Boutique Hotel, and enjoyed our suite there. The food in the hotels was good and we didn't even need to stray off the half board menus.

In Funchal, we enjoyed Fernandos Restaurante, Rua Q. Baixo, not far from the Cathedral. The seafood here is exceptional and the couple who run it are very welcoming and cheerful, even when it gets really busy, which they deserve!

As we stayed extra nights, we added some other walks and found the Sunflower book really useful, particularly Walk No 7, where we got a taxi to Camara de Lobos and walked along the coastal promenade back to Funchal. This was easy walking with good views. We followed this walk with the Funchal City Tour provided and this made our last day in Funchal a really nice day. Also, from the book, Walk No 18 is a coastal walk that passes the back of the Quinta Do Furao hotel so was easy to pick up and needed no taxi transfers (there are longer and shorter versions available).

We were unlucky with rainy weather in October! That said, we really enjoyed our time in Madeira.  A beautiful island with warm, friendly people and great food.  If you stay in Funchal, we really enjoyed these restaurants: Informal, Akua, Theo's and Konsai. 

A great holiday with some wonderful walks. 

This holiday surpassed our expectations. The hotels were outstanding and well chosen for variety and facilities, especially having pools at each one, which were extremely welcome after a hot day's walking. All the logistical arrangements went very smoothly, from taxis and luggage transfers to check-ins.

We travelled at the end of September, but the weather was just about perfect for walking (mid-to high twenties) and the walks in general were very quiet (not sure whether that is related to the time of year or not). We found that spreading the holiday out to ten days allowed optional walks plus the opportunity for rest days and also time to enjoy exploring Funchal.

Brilliant holiday! Our first time to use Inntravel and we are already looking where to go next. Hotels were amazing and the routes lovely. We usually choose the quieter routes, except for the peninsula walk, which was a highlight, and the walks were quiet but with amazing views. Beautiful flowers along some of the levadas. 

Madeira was a pleasant discovery for us! We enjoyed levada walking very much. It is not too difficult, but still very interesting, the vegetation is beautiful, and we loved the smell of eucalyptus trees! Apart from Caldeira Verde and Sao Lourenço, we had the trails mostly to ourselves. We absolutely loved this island and are already thinking of going back!

This has been one of our favourite Inntravel walking holidays helped by perfect weather (no rain and around 20C) and represents exceptional value for the money with 3 lovely hotels.  Even in February the Levada walks had plenty of flowers out and there was a good variation every day. The walk on the first day to Praia de Calhau is demanding being a steep decsent and ascent back to the hotel. We enjoyed the optional walk to the Sao Lourenco Peninsula as the views are breathtaking although the route is very busy and no toilets! The food in all the hotels was of a high standard and we would highlight the breakfast at the Quinta do Furao and the evening meals in the Serra Golf. The facilities in the hotels were very good and we made use of all the pools, the highlight enjoying a glass of wine in the jacuzzi overlooking Funchal town! The picnics were adequate but an alternative to water in a plastic container would be good as the tap water was perfectly drinkable. A highlight in Funchal was the descent by wicker toboggan from Monte. We enjoyed the city tour on our final day expecially visiting the market. Finally a thank you to Angelo Gomes, our very efficient and courteous taxi driver (we have kept his card for any revisit!).

I really appreciated the care with the planning of the week and the variety and quality of the hotels we stayed, and the charm and hospitality of the Madeirans we met. It was my first holiday with Inntravel, and I will definitely be booking again.  Ideally this particular holiday might have been better in April/May than the end of October, in order to enjoy the flowers and colour, and the weather was a little more varied, but we still had a terrific, covered a lot of ground, and had some amazing walks!

Restaurant at Quinta do Furao is excellent, with fabulous views and great service. Don't be put off by the warnings in the notes for option A at Santo do Serra: my wife doesn't have a head for heights and managed the walk without getting into the levada, and the waterfall was dry. Good to warn people but don't put them off as this is a great walk, probably our favourite. In Funchal, Informal and Akua restaurants are both very, very good. The hotel restaurant is ok but slightly overrated. Angelo told us about a walk from the hotel westward along the coast to Camara de Lobos, which we enjoyed very much. 7kms each way but you can catch the bus back if you want. And take swimming stuff as there are a few beaches/lidos on the way.

We can't recommend this trip to Madeira highly enough! From the beautiful hikes along the levadas to the wonderful hotels and delicious dinners, this was a first-rate holiday. This was my third Inntravel trip and I really appreciate all the thought and smart planning and attention to detail that goes into constructing their itineraries.

Most days on this holiday feature a transfer up to the elevation of a levada and then relatively flat hiking, until the end of the hike when you typically descend down to your hotel, which affords amazing views. Walking along the levadas is one of the most memorable hiking experiences I've had. We also really liked the variety of locations where we stayed -- the first two sites along the north coast, one on the cliffs and one at sea level, the third hotel in the interior, and the fourth on the south coast in Funchal. You get a good sense of the entirety of the east half of the island. Even the two-star hotel (Costa Linda) was a treat because it is located right on the water, with private balconies that look out directly at the ocean. Each hotel had great swimming/spa/jacuzzi options, including a really fun community pool in Porta da Cruz that is fed by seawater. Be sure to check out the downstairs spa at the last hotel (Boutique Castanheiro), which was quite luxurious. Our included dinners were without exception outstanding, as were the breakfast buffets (which sometimes included sparkling wine!). One wonders how Inntravel can do all this at the price they offfer.  

One recommendation would be to take option D on the fourth day of the trip -- by which you take a taxi out to hike the Sao Lourenco peninsula. This is the one non-levada hike of the trip and, because we liked hiking along the levadas so much, we were somewhat torn about which option to take on that day. But the peninsula is truly gorgeous -- amazing geomorphology and views of the ocean and a spot along the way where you can swim in a protected cove.  

What a great holiday! Been with Inntravel a few times now and they never fail to let us down. Thoroughly enjoyed this holiday. whoever puts the walks together deserves a pat on the back. Although we had been warned that perhaps some of the levada paths were not for people with a fear of heights we never once felt in danger and we are in our early 70s. The quality of the hotels was excellent, just what you need after a long walk, with pool, spa and excellent food. The taxi drivers were prompt, courteous and friendly. We opted for a few days in Funchal at the end which is worth doing as the hotel is well positioned to amble around the city. All in all a brilliant holiday. Thank you Inntravel. 

We thoroughly enjoyed our holiday in friendly Madeira, although we were a bit disappointed to find a couple of the levada paths (particularly that to Caldeirao Verde) much busier than we had expected (even in March!). The Sao Laurenco Peninsula walk was also busy - but fascinating! However, other paths we often had all to ourselves - lovely! A particular highlight was the wonderful view from the Balcoes viewpoint at Ribeiro Frio on a beautifully clear day. The local taxi services we used were all excellent and reliable - but do allow yourself plenty of time to get to your pick-up point! At the Hotel Costa Linda in Porto da Cruz, although dinner isn't included, we found the attached restaurant pretty good - excellent fish!  At Santo da Serra there is a large public park just along the road from the hotel  on the right  going in towards the village called Quinta do Santo da Serra where the  Blandy family of Madeira Wine fame had their country villa. Interesting plants and there is a fine view point at the far end. Good for a pre-dinner evening stroll! If you want to do the Option C walk at S da S, there is a handy morning bus to Portela. In Funchal we visited the orchid nursery at Quinta da Boa Vista which was extraordinary! Details are available on madeira-web.com, or just Google it. Although quite near the centre of Funchal  it is a steep uphill climb and not that easy to find. We recommend getting a taxi there and walking back (just keep going down....) The Palheiro Gardens were also recommended to us, although we did not manage to visit them. A warning (passed on to us by Angelo Gomez the taxi driver) to anyone planning to get the cable car back up to Monte to visit the Botanical Gardens: if there is a large cruise ship in port (sometimes there are 3!) there can be long queues ( we saw one) so make an early start. 

Although all the levada walks were fascinating and all different, the day 4 Option D walk - Ponta de São Lourenco, was a not-to-be missed highlight with fantastic rugged coastal scenery that contrasted with the levadas. We highly recommend adding an optional extension from Caldeirao Verde to Devil’s Caldeirao and return on the day 1 Option A walk - Caldeirao Verde. This section of levada is one of the most interesting and impressive of the entire holiday, with several tunnels, a spectacular narrow deep gorge, and old levada railroad tracks.

Extremely enjoyable holiday, our first with Inntravel. Well put together itinerary with varied walks - even though most followed levadas they all had a different feel to them with alternative aspects to enjoy. We would recommend the Sao Lourenco Peninsula option on Day 4 which showed another side of the island’s landscape.

The Travel Information folder provided by Inntravel was comprehensive and contained all of the information we needed for the trip. The walking route notes were detailed and easy to follow. The hotels were excellent and the evening meals had a good variety of dishes to choose from, including local specialities. All of the breakfasts and packed lunches were also very good. All taxi and luggage transfers ran smoothly, with skilled drivers to negotiate the steep winding roads which we were glad we didn’t have to drive!

The Funchal hotel was centrally located which made it easy to explore the city sights. We would recommend doing the Inntravel city walking tour, visiting the Botanical Gardens and taking a toboggan ride. Walking back down from both the gardens and the end of the toboggan ride provided a chance to explore areas of the city not already seen.

The Levada walks were not too taxing or too long although the guide tended to under estimate the distance by 1-2 km compared to our tracking on phone and I watch. In places the paths are narrow and there are very big drops on some sections a little vertiginous where the fencing had broken or been damaged.

The first and last hotels are fabulous.

We did find having a free day on a Sunday to explore Funchal was not ideal as wall the museum's and most shops were shut.

We found the holiday very enjoyable with a mixture of challenging enough walks and a bit of relaxation if needed - we did book an extra night at 3 of the hotels so if we chose to, we could have a 'day off' - which we did in Port Da Cruz - but still walked 5 miles! Even though 2 days were wet and in cloud a lot of the time, we still enjoyed the walks even though we missed the 2 days with probably the most spectacular views. The busiest levada - out to the 'Green Cauldron' did require a degree of patience as you do get stuck begind slow moving crocodiles of guided walking parties. You also have to get adept at doing the 'Levada Leg Stride' enabling you to pass people coming in the opposite direction, all part of the fun! We thought there was good variety in the walks, especially if you opt for the 'Peninsula walk' from The Porto Bay Hotel - very different from levada walking. Yes it was busy, but not annoyingly so - spectacular, absolutely.

Before we left we were in a dilemma whether to take our walking boots or walking shoes - we were very pleased to have our boots, some of the descents were definitely 'boot territory'. To sum it up, we're planning on going back to hopefully to see the views we missed this time round and maybe in June when the flowers will be in more abundance.

Surprisingly most of the walking involves flat or downhill but there are some steep sections for example day1. All lavada walks safe and protected. A well curated trip thank you.

Recommended. An excellent selection of walks and locations to stay. Walking notes were detailed with plenty of options for alternative excursions. Each hotel location is very different, all extremely welcoming. Recommend all the room upgrades, having done a few Inntravel holidays, for a little extra expense you get a lot more out of each room/stay. Madeira is great value too, eating and drinking out and about is easy on the wallet. Don't forget that torch and pack some goretex, very changeable weather high up!

The high quality, informative brochure is not just a joy to read it also refelcts the care and attention to detail Inntravel take to ensure customers have the best holiday experience.

In general, the walks are all quite similar due to walking along levadas around wooded valleys. However, the walking is very pleasant and the shade can be advantageous on hot days.

The walk to Caldeirao Verde from Queimada was one of the busiest of the walks, possibly because we did it on a Sunday, but also because it is a popular destination. On this walk in particular, passing people coming the other way can be difficult with narrow vertiginous paths and tunnels.The final walk from Rochao to Monte was very busy around Choupana because a lot of bus tours bringing day trippers to see the levadas start and finish around here. So you can get stuck among guided crocodiles of slow-moving sightseers. A tribute should be paid to Daniel of Brazao taxis, who managed to find us a shop in Santana with a suitable pair of boots (€25 in the sale!) to replace my pair that had fallen apart after Day 1. There aren't many shops in Santana and two candidates were closed first thing in the morning.

This was our first trip to Madeira and we really enjoyed the experience. We were made to feel welcome right from the outset. Walking the levadas was interesting and enabled us to walk deep into the hillside. We had some excellent views of the island and the coastline. Overall the hotels provided an excellent opportunity to rest and relax at the end of each day.

Superb holiday. Fantastic organisation made absolutely everything hassle free. Highly recommended! Lovely, interesting walks full of beautiful views.

Stunning scenery, and unexpectedly challenging in places. Angelo, the taxi driver, was more of a tour guide than a cabbie!