Thanks to IBS, the British Embassy and Emirates, my girlfriend Zille and I chose Madeira as our destination for the World Tour competition prize. The islands, a few hundred kilometres from Portugal, are among the most famous and beautiful tourist destinations in the world. The wonderful nature, wildlife, architecture, and history of Madeira made it our choice for this special archipelago.
We had spent a long time researching the island's most unique attractions before our trip, so it was with a little fear that we boarded the plane, as Madeira's airport is one of the windiest in the world, making it difficult for planes to take off and land. Fortunately, our trip went without any problems. Our magnificent residence on the top of Cabo Girao, with its ocean views, swept us right off our feet. The Cabo Girao cliff is the highest cliff in Europe, at 580 metres, that plunges into the sea.
The next day we enjoyed our time in the hotel: we tried the tennis courts, the swimming pools, the ping pong table and the mini golf courses. In the evening we ended the day with a movie and prepared for the next days. In Madeira transport can be quite difficult due to the topography, so if you want to visit the whole island (and it is worth it!), renting a car is a must.
Our first stop was to see a beautiful waterfall, Cascata Dos Anjos, which was special because it fell in the middle of the driveway, so you could wash your car for free. We then headed to one of the famous hiking trails, the 25 Fontes. Our hiking trail took us past beautiful Maderian levadas, through waterfalls and valleys. After 9 kilometres of hiking, as the weather looked ideal, we drove to Fanal, a fabulous little forest covered in mist in the heart of Madeira. Then we went to the sea, where we visited Ribeira da Janela, the famous cliffs emerging from the sea. We finished the day with dinner in Camara De Lobos.
We started the next day at the famous black sand beach in Seixal and had a look at the naturally formed pools. The views everywhere were amazing. We then visited a masterpiece of local architecture. We then finished off with a hike to Ponta da Sao Lourenco, the island easern most point.. The most extraordinary thing about Madeira is that there is so much landscape and natural treasure in such a small area. We experienced this on this trip. In the evening, we hurried to bed, as the next day we were off for a day hike in the sunrise, and not just any hike, the most difficult hike on the island.
Pico do Ariero is the third highest point on the island, and from here a 6-kilometre-long hiking trail with a difference in elevation of more than 600 metres leads to the highest point on the island. After enjoying the sunrise and the sea of clouds visible from the summit, we set off on the hike. The 13 kilometres hike back and forth proved to be a very tough hike indeed, in the scorching sun, even though we had prepared as much as we could beforehand.
On our penultimate full day we decided to visit Funchal, the capital of Madeira. We visited the statue of Ronaldo, admired the local architecture, visited the local fruit market and artworks and tasted the famous Madeira wine.
After all the sightseeing, we spent our last day relaxing in our hotel and the next day we headed back to Cristiano Ronaldo airport and landed in Budapest in the evening.
It was a trip of a lifetime for both of us, thanks to IBS, the British Embassy, and Emirates for the opportunity!
