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Hiking Madeira’s Iconic Pico to Pico Hike
Today, we set out for Madeira’s bucket list hike: the Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo hike (Pr1). This route connects the third highest and highest peaks in Madeira, respectively, with sublime views almost the whole way along. These views are just so consistently epic that I don’t even know which “representative” photo to put…
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Chasing Waterfalls in Madeira
We have not been sticking to the rivers or the lakes that we’re used to. We initially set out for the Vereda do Fanal hike, a point to point trail through a forest that is sometimes coated in a spooky fog. On this day, the clouds had dissipated by the time we reached the trailhead,…
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Madeira’s Tropical Urban Paradise
Yesterday, we visited the Monte Palace Tropical Garden: an oasis just outside Funchal that features about 17 acres of manicured gardens. I was expecting a relatively brief visit to a beautiful but small garden. But, no: this place is absolutely massive. We spent hours wandering around it. The garden has a variety of structures from…
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Hiking the Vereda de Ponta da São Laurenço Trail
São Laurenço Point is a peninsula at the most eastern point of Madeira. The trail that loops around it is one of Madeira’s most popular hikes due to its epic coastal views and primordial-looking landscapes. The ride to São Laurenço from Funchal was about an hour by scooter. We arrived at around 9am, just as…
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Should You Rent a Scooter in Madeira?
Heck yes you should! We have now reached the semi-tropical island of Madeira, Portugal: a geographically strange and beautiful place that has over 400 marked hiking trails. And, of course, that unmistakable Portuguese charm! Much like Corfu, the island of Madeira is both warm and mountainous, with narrow, hilly, windy streets. The beautiful hiking trails…
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One Magical Night in London Town
Our flight from Dubrovnik to Madeira included an 18-hour layover in London, UK. And you know we weren’t about to waste those hours doing something silly, like sleeping. To Victoria Station! By the time we went through customs, dropped off our baggage at the airport hotel, and took the train downtown, we had maybe 40…