Forest walks on the tiny island of Madeira

Madeira, a tiny island in the Atlantic, known for its wine and subtropical climate; has an astounding variety of excellent walking trails through Laurel forests – hence the name. Madeira means wood in Portugese.

Measuring 57kms x 22 kms Madeira lies at the top of a massive shield volcano, 550 kms West of Morocco. It rises 6kms from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean to a height of 1,862m at its highest peak – Pico Ruivo.

A mountain range extends along its centre, and sea valleys and ravines extend from this central spine. The north coast receives most rain, while the south coast is famous for its mini-bananas and custard apples.

The island was claimed by Portugese sailors in 1416, and settled in 1420. Until the end of the 16th C, Madeira was the main producer of sugar cane.

To help with cultivation, slaves were brought in from Africa, and constituted 10% of the population by the end of the 15th century.

During this time, over 2000 km’s of aquaducts, or irrigation canals, were built by these slaves and convicted criminals. They brought water down from the many springs high in the mountains, to irrigate crops on lower land, and supply villages near the coast.

Many of these ‘Levadas’ are cut into the side of the mountain or cut through tunnels, and still provide water to towns and villages, and supply hydro power. The Right: A coastal view. from a high point. Left: A bottle of local wine.