In April, we decided to go to Madeira to cross the entire island from East to West in just 6 days. To do so, we wanted to follow the map of the Madeira Island Ultra Trail, a killer ultra trail event where people actually try to cross the island while running. Insane! The entire route is about 115 km long, and has about 8000 m of ascent. The trail is known for its extreme difficulty and breathtaking views, so it seemed like the perfect challenge for us. This is how we experienced this crazy hike.
Anticipation and Fears
We prepared meticulously for this hike, reading countless blogs and gathering as much information as possible. So we had plenty of information but we had better spent a little more time on our physical preparation. But about a week before our departure, we read some unsettling news – two tourists were found dead on the island under mysterious circumstances. It was still unsure if it was murder or a hiking accident, but it definitely made us scared to go hiking.
Apart from this news, we also read that the landing on Madeira is one of the most turbulent and scary ones. Because of Roddy’s fear of flying, this was unsettling information as well. But despite all of our fears, we still flew to Madeira and landed safely on the Island.
The Journey to Madeira
To get to the Island, we had to take two different planes. And due to the layovers, we ended up sleeping at the airport twice. We barely got any sleep, and by the time we arrived on the island, the exhaustion was already killing us. But our trip was far from over; we still needed to take two buses to reach the starting point of our hike. The bus rides added up would take about 4h so we wouldn’t be able to start hiking until 5PM in the evening.
Day 1: Porto Moniz to Ribiera da Janela
We finally arrived in Porto Moniz around 5PM, completely worn out. After buying some bread and cheese for dinner, we started our hike.
The trail’s initial stretch was insanely steep, testing our already depleted energy reserves. We aimed to do 8 km on the first day, but we only managed to do 6.5 km. The heat was oppressive, and Céline ended up vomiting about 5 kilometers in. After this, we agreed to pitch our tent in the first good spot we would come across. We camped at a children’s playground that night, an unusual but quite comfortable camping spot.
Day 2: Ribiera da Janela to Seixal
The second day began with another steep climb. The terrain was relentless, and our bodies were still weary from the previous day’s exertion. We finally reached Fanal around noon, a touristy yet beautiful spot where we had lunch—protein bars stuffed between leftover bread. After Fanal, it all went downhill for us – literally and physically. The downhill trek from Fanal was brutal; our legs felt like spaghetti from the strain. We wanted to go to Estanquinhos but we were forced to give up halfway up the ascent. Exhausted, we pitched our tent on the only flat patch we could find on this steep slope, we had dinner, and then Céline puked all over the place again. And if that wasn’t bad enough, we barely had any water left. We finally went to bed, but it was extremely hot, and we were feeling very dehydrated and low on energy.
Day 3: Seixal
On day three, we started early because we knew we had to catch up on the extra kilometers we weren’t able to do the day before. Roddy had woken up very nauseous, feverish, and pale, but decided to go for it anyway. But after only 15 minutes of walking, we had to make a tough decision. It was clear we wouldn’t make it to the top in good health, and since we didn’t know what awaited us at the top we decided to stop hiking for the day and go to the nearest village, Seixal, to rest and recover. Our initial plan was to take a day’s rest and then continue hiking, but Roddy’s situation worsened quickly. He was vomiting incessantly, could barely move, and was drenched in sweat. That’s when we pulled the plug on our hiking adventure and booked a room in Seixal.
A Change of Plans
After a good night’s rest in a comfortable bed, we took a bus to Funchal and decided to shift our focus from hiking to relaxation. We booked a wonderful Airbnb, rented a car, and spent the rest of our days exploring and enjoying the island at a slower pace. Initially, we stayed in bed a lot, still not fully recovered. But when we were feeling better, we started exploring and enjoying Madeira.
We drove to Pico Ruivo, hiked to the top, and watched a magical sunrise. We also enjoyed a catamaran trip for whale and dolphin spotting, where we got to see sperm whales and two types of dolphins. Our other hours we spent walking around Funchal, enjoying the weather, and eating good food.
“Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”
― Marilyn Monroe
I guess that after everything that happened during this trip, we learned to appreciate the unexpected turns life can throw at us. Instead of a painfully long hike, we ended up with some amazing experiences and blissful relaxation. In the end, what seemed like a failure turned into an amazing adventure that brought us all the more together. Sometimes, the best memories are made when plans fall apart.