{"id":2468,"date":"2026-07-15T11:18:33","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T09:18:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mat.travelblox.eu\/?p=2468"},"modified":"2026-07-15T12:19:45","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T10:19:45","slug":"my-experience","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mat.travelblox.eu\/en\/my-experience\/","title":{"rendered":"I hiked The Madeira Trail: My 5-day coast-to-coast journey"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Madeira<\/strong> had been on my radar for a while. Not because I was actively searching for it, but simply because my Instagram feed was flooded with it. Lush green cliffs, cascading waterfalls, and views that looked almost unreal. And every single time, I thought the same thing: I need to go there<\/strong>.<\/i><\/p>\n

For those unfamiliar with the island: Madeira is a tiny Portuguese dot in the Atlantic Ocean, actually closer to Africa than to Lisbon. It\u2019s volcanic, incredibly green, and so surprisingly diverse that it\u2019s hard to believe it all fits onto one single island. One moment you\u2019re standing on a mountain peak high above the clouds, the next you\u2019re walking along cliffs that plunge straight into the ocean. And the best part? Tucked between all those famous highlights are countless hidden gems where you\u2019ll hardly meet a soul.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Let me introduce ourselves, because I\u2019m not doing this alone: I\u2019m hiking this trail together with my boyfriend. We\u2019re both avid hikers, but we also appreciate our comfort. Adventuring to the fullest during the day, and crashing into a warm, cozy bed at night, that\u2019s our ultimate combination. No tents, no sleeping bags. Just muddy boots during the day and a good glass of wine with dinner.<\/p>\n

And that\u2019s how we ended up choosing The Madeira Trail<\/a>: a multi-day trek where you hike from accommodation to accommodation, taking in both the famous highlights and the quiet, hidden spots. And I\u2019ll let you in on a secret right away: it did not disappoint.<\/p><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Day 1: Four seasons before noon<\/h2> \t

We spent the first night at the hotel offered as an option<\/strong> by the trail organizers. Small detail, big difference, because it meant we woke up exactly in the right spot for the morning shuttle to the starting point. We had our breakfast and off we went.<\/p>\n

We set off in the sunshine and arrived in the drizzle. Madeira had officially introduced itself. The island has so many microclimates<\/strong> that you can easily experience all four seasons in a single day. The north side is lush and wet, the south is dry and sunny, and the mountains in between just make up their own clouds.<\/p>\n

As it happened, that moody weather was the perfect setting for the Fanal Forest. Picture this: ancient, gnarled laurel trees, mist drifting between the branches, and a soft, steady drizzle. This forest is hundreds of years old and is a UNESCO World Heritage<\/strong> site. It felt less like hiking and more like walking through a fairytale where an elf could pop out at any given moment.<\/p>\n

After about half an hour, we left the forest behind, and there waiting for us was the island\u2019s other main character: the stairs<\/strong>. On Madeira, these stairs follow one golden rule: no two steps are the same height. Your legs never quite know what\u2019s coming, and by the end of a climb like that, you definitely feel it. But you know what? It didn\u2019t matter. There is something wonderfully simple about a day where your only task is: left foot, right foot, repeat. No emails, no notifications, just you and the next stretch of trail.<\/p>\n

By late afternoon, things started getting busier, the universal sign that something beautiful is just around the corner. And sure enough: a waterfall. We quickly snapped a few photos and then set off on the home stretch toward our cottage in Raba\u00e7al. Waiting for us there were a coffee and a pastel de nata<\/i><\/strong>, which taste like a minor miracle after a full day of walking. Mind you, we weren\u2019t done hiking just yet; after a quick break, we headed out again to visit a second waterfall. The evening ended exactly as it should: pasta, a glass of wine, and a good chat with the group.<\/p><\/div>\n\t <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n