We started our second day in Madeira by learning a valuable lesson: the cabin lights control all the power sockets. So, naturally, we woke up in a cold, damp cabin with zero charged devices. Classic.
To make matters worse, Ollie decided to fully embrace island time by refusing to get out of bed at the agreed-upon hour. He was eventually coerced into verticality, and we set off on our scooter towards Pico do Arieiro — one of Madeira’s highest peaks.
Mountains, Partridges, and Partial Trails
On the way up, a policeman was stopping traffic, but we got waved through to the top car park (small scooter privilege?). The views from the summit were genuinely stunning — peaks jutting out above the clouds like something out of a fantasy film. We took far too many photos.
Unfortunately, the main trail was closed — possibly due to a recent fatality, which really set the tone — but a 1.2 km section was open, and honestly, it was still worth it. Steep, step-heavy, and a real thigh-burner, but incredibly pretty. We even saw a pair of partridges strutting around like they owned the mountain.
Lunch-ish and Levadas (or Lack Thereof)
After hiking back, we went looking for a scenic lunch spot. We found a cute picnic area and then discovered Ollie had forgotten the actual lunch. Fortunately, we’d packed “snackages” (technical term), so we didn’t starve.
Post-snack, we headed out in search of a mysterious “Wassertunnel” that we were very ready to explore… except it turned out to be a pipe. The nearby levada was more of a path alongside a ditch than anything awe-inspiring. Still, the ride home was beautiful, with a stop to check out some old sheep pens nestled into the landscape.
Back at base, we finally had our wraps and Fanta, basking in some decent sunshine on the cabin’s sun loungers.
Levada Letdown and Machico Redemption
Later, we went for another walk hoping to find a nicer levada. Instead, we found a slightly sketchy path through what can only be described as “disappointment forest.” We didn’t stay long.
To cheer ourselves up, we grabbed some ice cream from the supermarket and got ready for a beach trip to Machico. Despite the overcast skies and surprise drizzle, it was warm enough to chill on the sand. Tiana read her book while Ollie passed out under the umbrella. No swimming today, but still a solid beach hang.
Bolo de Caco and Bonus Cats
Dinner was at Baía Beach Club — pizza for Ollie, an Italian toastie for Tiana, and our first taste of bolo de caco, Madeira’s traditional bread. Verdict: kind of like a garlicky English muffin. No complaints.
After dinner, we wandered through Machico, grabbed some fruit and drinks from the supermarket, then made our way up to some ruins that weren’t super exciting, but offered a great view of the town.
The drive home? Very steep. Very scenic. Bonus: lots of cute cats lurking along the roadside.
We wrapped up the day with showers and a chill evening, happily exhausted.
Ollie’s rating: 8/10 – “Would be a 10 if the walk didn’t suck. Still no actual tunnel.”
Tiana’s rating: 9/10 – “Would like more sun so I can swim.”