Madeira walking tour, private departure

Planet

Volcanic in origin the rugged interior of Madeira rises abruptly to over 1800 metres/6000 feet. Forests of pine, eucalyptus and laurel flank its jagged peaks. Over the centuries an elaborate system of levadas or irrigation channels developed, they wind their way across gullies and steep slopes bringing water to the coastal settlements and farms. The levadas in conjunction with local pathways are an ideal way to explore the island and access its stunning landscape on foot with minimal impact on your environment.

This slow style of travel not only affords you more time to appreciate the natural beauty of the region but, just as importantly, positively contributes to the regions that host you. As a hiker we encourage you stay on the marked trails to help avoid erosion.

We are aligned with “Leave No Trace”, an international organisation that has set the global standard for outdoor ethics. Through targeted education, research and outreach, its mission is to ensure the long-term health of our natural world while maintaining sustainable recreation in nature.

Our Waste Management Policy encourages our travellers to take their own reusable water bottles, coffee cups and reusable stuff sacks to avoid single-use plastics. We follow this same philosophy in our office as well as on the trail: in our London office we have banned single use coffee cups and water bottles. We use recycled paper in our office and we are working towards reducing the amount of paper we use, as well as recycling all of our paper and plastic waste.

People

Our preferred accommodations we use on this trip are locally owned small hotels and B&Bs; this way we ensure your tourist spend is staying within the area and benefiting local people.

For example, when available, we book the Amparo which is a small family run guest house; and the Hotel O Colmo which serves typical Madeiran and Portuguese cuisine in its restaurant. You will have some nights on half board on this trip, but we have also left some evenings free for you to choose a neighbourhood restaurant to help your tourist spend spread further in the community.

In 2000 we developed the award winning Responsible Travel Guidebook, which presented our Travel Group’s comprehensive policies on sustainable travel. Over the years our Responsible Travel Guidebook has evolved to meet the ever-changing landscape of sustainable travel. In March 2018 The Thoughtful Traveller booklet was launched, which is an easy-to-read document that empowers travellers with suggestions about how they can be part of the solution and collectively make the world a better place when they travel. Everyone is encouraged to read the Thoughtful Traveller ebook before departure.