Walking Holidays in Madeira

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Walking Holidays in Madeira

Walking holidays in Madeira are popular because they are a delight for walkers of all ages and levels of fitness.

Madeira is a beautiful Portuguese Island south west of the mainland and famous for its fortified wine of the same name. It ha a perfect climate with hot summers and lovely warm winters so Madeira walking holidays are available all year round. You can spend New Years Day having a lunchtime picnic in the sun before celebrating in style in one of the fantastic fish restaurants of Funchal the capital,

One of the best things about Madeira is its wonderful network of footpaths that take you all over the island. Madeira is a volcanic island that rises steeply out of the sea, and doesn't have a lot of beaches to offer. Surprisingly for so rocky an island the footpaths are mostly more or less flat and level. This because you do a lot of the walking on the 'levadas' or irrigation canals.

The word 'levada' comes from the verb 'levar', which means carry. So a levadas are narrow channels built to capture rainwater and to transport it to where it is needed before it rushes down the steep sides of the island into the sea.

They are made of concrete and are virtually flat, so really easy to walk along. They have a footpath on one side and are narrow enough to step over to let people pass when you meet them coming the other way. You have the gentle sound of running water to accompany you along the way.

Every now and again the path takes you along a higher, narrower part of the hillside which gives you a bit of excitement, then round the bend you find a flat open area ideal for a picnic. All the way the views are wonderful.

The height of the island gives you wonderful changes of vegetation with banana plantations at sea level and deciduous forest high up. As you go up high the landscape changes to something rockier and more barren. Here the walking is a bit tougher and great for those who are a bit more energetic. There actually is something for everyone, as you will see if you click on the banners and check out the holidays on offer from our two specialist companies.

Holidays in Madeira are popular also because the people of Madeira are friendly to visitors and proud to show off their beautiful island, There are some lovely villages to stop in, and the food is great. It really is a brilliant place for a walking holiday at any time of the year.

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