Walking in Madeira: Canical to Machico / Summary Walking Holiday

Madeira Walks

1. Walk – Ilha to Santana / Where is Madeira?
2. Walk – Pico Ruivo and Pico Arieiro / Cristiano Ronaldo
3. Walk – Monte to Camatcha / Wicker Sledge Riding
4. Walk – Camatcha to Santo da Serra / Madeira, the Flower Island
5. Walk – Santo da Serra to Portela / Levadas
6. Walk – Marocos to Caniçal / Public Transport on Madeira
7. Walk – Baia d’Abra / Tourism
8. Walk – Canical to Machico / Summary Walking Holiday

Canical to Machico

Distance: 5.5km (3.4 miles)
Up: 390m
Down: 340m
Navigation: Rother Wanderführer Madeira Walk 11, Madeira Tour & Trail Map (1:40000)
Stef’s review: 4 of 5 stars

Our last walk today. Another short one, but we planned it this way because we knew we would … appreciate … a shorter walk after 8 days of walking. And I was longing to get back to my Kindle to read the next book of the Clifton-Chronicles, so a short walk of 5k was very welcome.
We walked from Canical to Machico along the coast high up in the hills. Beautiful view over the ocean, very quite apart from the occasional air plane starting or landing nearby. The not so enjoyable thing was again the heat. It was really, really hot, again no shade, and it felt much harder than yesterday. Maybe we we’re carrying our 12-kilo-backpacks this time. But once we climbed over Pico do Facho, it was just downhill and a less gruelling walk. Below us spread the town of Machico and we even could make out our hotel already where we stayed 2 days before. We arrived there at 2pm and had the rest of the day for ourselves, doing last-minute souvenir shopping, buying dinner, having a well-deserved looong shower and falling into bed to finish my book. And our walking holiday was already over again.

Summary of our Madeira Walking Holiday

We’ve been backpacking across the Eastern part of Madeira for 8 days. We were carrying 12kg on our backs incl. food for lunch for these 8 walking days.
My first thought when we were crossing the island on our first bus journey was that it looked like Jurassic Park. Hilly, trees covering the hills, green, wild, beautiful. Madeira is 100% mountainous with spectacular cliffs, peaks and villages build on terraces.
Most walks are accessible via public transport and their paths well laid. Walks range from mountains up to 1900m to easy, level walks along the levadas. There is a bizarre routine around the weather: 20 degrees throughout, sunny in the morning with clouds coming in and covering the mountains from noon.
The food is like what you expect on an isolated island: fresh fish, fruits and veggies that don’t look standardised and were very likely grown in the backyards of the Madeirans’ homes. Desserts, especially cakes and puddings, and very recommendable: the soup acorda for all garlic lovers. The lizards are far too human-friendly and have a strange keenness for Magnum ice cream sticks. Over all, a very nice, relaxing walking holiday.
Madeira: tick. Time to plan the next trip.

More about walking in Madeira:

– More photos of Canical to Machico
– Itinerary Madeira Walking Holidays
– Packing List Madeira Holidays