Part 2

Bus trip form Santana to Funchal

Time of the year: June

Day 5 - city break in Funchal

Time of the year: June

Day 6 - Hiking route: PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço

Time of the year: June

This hiking route stands in contrast to the rest of the island, offering the few indices of the island's volcanic origin. It is classified as a Partial Nature Reserve heritage site, home to rare plants and a diversified fauna.

Besides one of the largest colonies of seagulls in the region, and protected seabirds such as shearwaters and Bulwer's petrels, at Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço you may, with some luck, observe marine species in their habitat, namely the monk-seal. Boat trips are available all year long.

Day 7 - Hiking route: PR11 Ribeiro Frio - Vereda dos Balcões und Levada do Poço do Bezerra

Time of the year: June

From the personal experience for stroll enthusiasts i would say there are at least two weeks (if not three or more) necessary to fully explore the entire potential of what Madeira has to offer.  Although there is an extensive public bus transport system, the busses do not use the highway system and they have a lot of stops, making the trips usually longer than with a rented car. And if you want to hit the more remote corners for hiking routes or beaches, you’ll almost certainly need a car.  In this just one week one has the feeling, that it barely scratched the surface of the amazing diversity which the island contains, like  tropical climate with a variety of  mountainous landscape covered in luxurious green rainforest and exotic fauna and flora.