Walking holidays for over 50s in Madeira
| country: | Portugal |
| location: | Madeira |
| trip type: | Moderate walking holidays |
| departures: | 2009: 11 Apr, 23 May, 27 Jun, 15 Aug, 12 Sep, 10 Oct 2010: 3 Apr, 1 May, 29 May, 28 Aug, 25 Sep, 23 Oct |
| price: | From £529 - £569 (8 days) including flights from the UK, from £399 excluding flights. Local payment €125 |
| offers: | If you organise a group of 6 – 9 people onto one of our adventures we will give you £50 off per person. If you organise a group of 10 or more people onto one of our adventures one person will go FREE. Offer can not be combined with any other promotion. The booking must comprise of a minimum of 6 people, with 1 lead passenger who all the booking correspondence will be sent to. Adult prices must be more than £900 per passenger. Valid on all trips departing before 30 Sept 2009. |
the amazing things you'll be doing
Levadas & the Far West
Your base for the first three days walking is a warm valley by the sea on the south coast of Madeira. Here you explore the ingenious water irrigation systems called levadas. Following the natural contours, the early settlers brought water down from the highest area to their sugar plantations using these man-made channels. Often flower-lined they meander through the terraced fields and small hamlets offering outstanding views of this mountainous island.
Cliffs, Peaks & Valleys
Driving along the dramatic north coast you change bases, walking through lush laurel forest to reach the beautiful Caldeirao Verde you take the old coastal path to the fishing village of Machico. The finale is an ascent of Pico do Arieiro for sunrise and a dramatic traverse to the highest point in Madeira, Pico Ruivo (1862m) where hopefully you’ll be able to see both coasts at the same time.
Your base for the first three days walking is a warm valley by the sea on the south coast of Madeira. Here you explore the ingenious water irrigation systems called levadas. Following the natural contours, the early settlers brought water down from the highest area to their sugar plantations using these man-made channels. Often flower-lined they meander through the terraced fields and small hamlets offering outstanding views of this mountainous island.
Cliffs, Peaks & Valleys
Driving along the dramatic north coast you change bases, walking through lush laurel forest to reach the beautiful Caldeirao Verde you take the old coastal path to the fishing village of Machico. The finale is an ascent of Pico do Arieiro for sunrise and a dramatic traverse to the highest point in Madeira, Pico Ruivo (1862m) where hopefully you’ll be able to see both coasts at the same time.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Fly to Funchal; drive along south coast |
| Day 2: | Walk on Levada Nova (4 hrs) |
| Day 3: | Walk to Pico Grande (6 hrs) |
| Day 4: | Rabacal walk to 25 Fontes (5 hrs) & drive on to Porto Moniz |
| Day 5: | Drive along north coast & walk to Caldeirao Verde (5 hrs) |
| Day 6: | Free Walk north coastal path to Machico (6 hrs). On to Funchal |
| Day 7: | Ascend Pico do Arieiro & then follow ridge walk to Pico Ruivo (7 hrs) |
| Day 8: | Fly to London |
small group adventure holiday
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.how this holiday makes a difference
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We stay in locally-run hotels and eat in local restaurants. These are part of the fabric of the community in Madeira and bring income and visitors to different parts of the island. Our local overseas leaders offer a great way to find out more about the local culture, speak the language, understand the day-to-day life around them and help to ‘open doors’ to a fuller experience. The local trekking guides used in Madeira operate a voluntary system and they have a set of environmental guidelines that they work with. Your Group Leader will share information on this with you during your trip.
Clients who travel with us will automatically receive a copy of our Responsible Travel leaflet. This contains details and advice on how you can make a positive difference when you travel. We work in partnership with Plan International. Plan works with some of the world’s poorest communities where three out of four children die before the age of five. We also support Friends of Conservation – an international charity committed to working with local people to develop a balance between their needs and the wildlife with which they share the natural habitat and ecosystems.  Global warming is a real issue and is a direct result of your travel. We have teamed up with Climate Care to give you the opportunity to offset the carbon emissions from your flight. You’ll be asked upon booking if you want to donate – with set amounts from £5. As a company we offset the carbon emissions from all staff travel in full. We’ve highlighted a few of the ways in which we offer our support, financially or otherwise, and now you can, too. We have set up our own foundation, which will administer funds donated by you. A small donation of GB £1 per person will be taken when booking a holiday and that money will be put to good use by one of our carefully selected projects. If you don’t want to make the donation, just tell us when you call. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |