Madeira: Between Disappointment and Enchantment (page 5 of 5)

Thanks for this beautiful account of Madeira—I’ll be visiting in a month!

Have a great trip ahead! ;)

hi Lol64

I can't find the link to your travel journal

And thanks for this message 😉 I hope you have a wonderful discovery of this famous “Island of Flowers,” which, with spring on its side, will certainly live up to its promises...

Good evening,

The beginning is on page 1 or right here https://voyageforum.com/discussion/madere-entre-deception-enchantement-d7068047/

Hi there, I followed the discussion that started back in 2015, and here’s our take after returning from our trip to Madeira:

Oh yes, THE DISAPPOINTMENT—far more than the dream!

- 1) The “Island of Flowers”??? More like the island of concrete and greenery.

- 2) No issue with welcoming the independent traveler: - No bus network map available anywhere. Instead, even at a vague kiosk at the tourism office on the Marina, there were tons of ads for yellow buses, red buses, jeeps, etc.—all high-profit options—and yellow taxis everywhere! The two young staff at that famous kiosk eventually gave us a photocopy of the island and bus map (photo), BUT no one told us that when leaving Funchal, you switch to a different “company” and have to pay extra!!! That info isn’t on the photocopy or the bus company’s website.

So we bought that famous day pass for 5 € at the tobacco shop next to the hotel (and discovered its quirks later). The next day, we were asked, “Do you have the old pass?” “No.” “Ah, because if you’d kept it, you’d have paid 4.50 € instead of 5 €.” Except no one told us that the day before!

No direction signs, no map of where the buses depart from.

- 3) We took a “tour” in a comfy minibus with French-speaking travelers from all over. The driver’s singing got to our stomachs, so we had lunch at the restaurant he suggested. And—oddly—at the end of the meal, the credit card “wasn’t working that day” (sic). We ended up paying in cash… hmm, curious that they didn’t mention that BEFORE we ate. Cash is… more convenient? More profitable? Less traceable?

- 4) The Lido: a pile of monstrous hotels, at the expense of elegant villas being destroyed little by little.

- 5) Câmara de Lobos and Cabo Girão: it’s like Cassis and the Bec de l’Aigle near La Ciotat, except the rock is black since it’s volcanic.

- 6) At the Marina, we wanted to take a tuk-tuk, but the two employees were too busy congratulating each other while polishing their vehicles to notice us. After a pretty long wait, we gave up because cruise ship passengers—those floating cities—were arriving in a steady stream. No worries for the tuk-tuk drivers, though; they’ll make their money. Meanwhile, 50 meters away, you’re constantly hassled by people pushing yellow buses, red buses, restaurants, etc.

- 7) The welcome at the hotel was fine, and the room matched what we’d requested.

Bottom line: if you’re heading to Madeira, book through a tour operator and make sure to tell them EVERYTHING you think is important. They’ll drive you around, give you info, and spare you some disappointments. Paying in full for this kind of trip guarantees you won’t be caught off guard.

You’ll then be lumped in with the tourists from Northern Europe—those who arrive in droves and reinforce the Madeirans’… indifference? toward mass tourism groups.

Visiting Madeira as an independent traveler isn’t really pleasant.

Hi

In short, a tip for going to Madeira: book through a tour operator

... or travel independently but rent a car—it’ll let you go wherever you like based on your interests and preferred vibe. Muriel

Following the wary messages—if only in the Madeira forum list—and elsewhere, regarding car rental companies... see the previous discussions about Madeira... and since we don’t speak Portuguese, we preferred to use public transport, unfortunately without much success.

Example: - The comments from "locals" about drivers... foreigners, like the incident on Sunday on Estrada Monumental, the poor tourist... - The behavior of tour bus drivers at the sights (our famous mini-bus excursion) to "help"??? or hinder rental cars???... and... pricing example: - Taxi from Lido to Porto Moniz, 90 km round trip, quoted at... 140 €. Diesel is at 1.22 € per liter...

Good evening,

What a shame you only discovered the negative side of Madeira. A trip is such a financial and psychological investment that it’s always tough to come back disillusioned.

I still believe that Madeira, even if it’s not the ideal island it’s sometimes sold as, has plenty of strengths and can charm visitors—but like Muriel, I think renting a car is the best way to explore it, along with... a good pair of hiking shoes 😉 (our walks on the island remain our best memories).

We rented a car, and even without speaking Portuguese and taking all the necessary precautions regarding insurance, the rental company’s reputation, etc., we didn’t have any problems. So it’s definitely doable 🙂 As for driving, we didn’t find it difficult either. We were on vacation, exploring, so we took it easy 🙂 and besides, Madeira isn’t the Parisian suburbs, thankfully 😏

The bus probably isn’t the best way to discover Madeira, based on your experience. However, I’m not sure a tour operator would guarantee a better trip... The best thing is to have the means and time to wander off the beaten path, but unfortunately, time is something most visitors don’t have much of. As for the downsides of mass tourism, they’re just part of tourism in general...

I hope you have other wonderful trips to make up for this unfortunate experience.

Hello,

I read your story with great interest and really enjoyed your photos. It makes me want to go there so badly! This will be really helpful for our 3-month trip from January to March 2019, so we can escape the winter in France. However, I’ve seen in several comments that since the island is small, you can explore it quickly, and I’m worried that 3 months might get a bit boring. We’re prioritizing this destination for the climate, as my partner needs sunshine and relatively dry weather for her health. I read that temperatures are around 17–19°C at that time of year—is that really the case? (Obviously, just an approximation!)

Thanks in advance for your reply, Best regards, ... Alain

Hello,

However, several comments suggest that since the island is small, you can explore it quickly, and 3 months might risk becoming boring. We’re prioritizing this destination for its climate, as my partner needs sunshine and relatively dry weather for her health. I’ve read that at this time of year, temperatures range between 17 and 19 degrees—is that really the case? (Approximately, of course!).

Thanks in advance for any reply, Best regards, ... Alain

Hi, That’s exactly what crossed my mind when I read about your plans—getting bored. Plus, I don’t think Madeira has a dry climate; it’s actually quite humid, which is why the vegetation is so lush everywhere.

Hi there,

I’m so glad you enjoyed my story!

Unfortunately, I’m not sure I can help much with your current questions. Since I only stayed on the island for a week in the spring, it’s hard for me to say what the weather’s like in winter. But there are plenty of websites out there with that kind of info—you shouldn’t have any trouble finding it.

As for staying on the island for 3 months, that really depends on you and what you’re looking for. If it’s a relaxing, restful trip, why not? For me, though, with my regular case of "itchy feet" 😉 I don’t think it’d suit me.

Sorry I can’t be more helpful. If you’re looking for a dry, warm climate in winter, you might want to look further south, toward the Mediterranean. Something to consider!

Wishing you wonderful discoveries in Madeira or elsewhere! 😎

Hello,

Thanks for your reply and your kindness. I think we’ll need to do some thinking... Best regards, ... Alain

Hi Laure!

Thanks for your story—it’s really funny and detailed. I’m going to use it for inspiration for my trip during the last two weeks of May on this island!!

On another note, I’d like to offer fellow Madeira lovers (there are plenty on this post!) the chance to swap my topoguide and the Rota Vicentina map (a hiking route on the west coast of Portugal), which I won’t be using anymore, for a Rother hiking guide for Madeira. I’m based in Paris.

If I don’t find a taker, no worries—I’ll just order the Rother Guide, which looks really comprehensive. But in the spirit of exchange, I wanted to give it a shot while also thanking Laure for her travel journal.

Have a great day,

Yalena

Hi Laure,

Well, to celebrate VoyageForum’s reopening, I just dove back into this travel journal about Madeira. So many great memories coming back!!

Which has me really wanting to write a journal about our 2021 trip to Madeira...

See you soon, C&JF

Hi Jean François (& co 😄), so glad to see you back on the forum—we missed you! I’d love to post a little travel journal about our Namibia road trip from last May too. Just need to find the motivation… and the time 😅 Have a great day, and maybe see you soon on your journal or mine! 😊

Hi Laure, so nice to see you again after all this time! I hope you and your family are doing well. Looking forward to reading your travel journals! I’m trying to do the same, though it’s gonna be tough with so little time. Hugs, Hélène

Hello everyone, and especially to Laure, whose account I literally savored more than 10 years after she wrote it. What beautiful writing and so much poetry in the description of the island—huge kudos! 😎

I just signed up for this forum, specifically looking for information to prepare our trip, as we’re heading to Madeira in 9 days for two weeks of discovery and, above all, hiking. So, of course, I took note of your ranking of the hikes you’ve done with great interest!

From my research and reading, it seems the island has changed a lot in 10 years. Today, most hikes are paid, you have to book a day and a time slot to do them, and pay in advance. However, the most iconic hikes (Pico Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, Ponta de São Lourenço, 25 Fontes, etc.) are already fully booked if you want to do them independently. There are only spots left if you go through a local tour operator, as most are reserved for them. Since we don’t want to hike with a guide and a group, I think we’ll do others instead.

But I won’t clutter this beautiful account with my concerns—I’ll post a new message to see if I can find answers there instead 🙂

Happy travels to everyone,

Pascal