Madeira Walking blog is all about Levadas, the walks, travel information, weather, walking opportunities, eco tourism, culture, history, flora and fauna and so on. It is a collective blog in which hikers, tourists, guides, walkers across the world and from Madeira share their views, thoughts and experiences ... in their own language.
Het Portugese eiland Madeira kreeg het vorig jaar bijzonder zwaar te verduren door hevige regenval en modderstromen. De schade is intussen hersteld en in het bloemenparadijs kan vandaag weer volop gewandeld worden.
Madeira heeft niet onmiddellijk de reputatie een bruisend oord te zijn. Het is een bloemeneiland, een plaats waar gepensioneerden graag overwinteren vanwege de milde temperaturen en waar wandelaars hun hart ophalen aan zoveel groen. Hier vind je geen zandstranden of hippe discotheken, maar botanische tuinen en eeuwenoude bossen.
Every photographer has his or her favorite subject and interest to perpetuate it on an image. For most of them it means to travel around the world to find the desired objective. Only a few places in the world that one can find a large number of photogenic treasures into one place. Madeira Island is one of these places.
Madeira is truly a chest full of photographic gems and jewels that the photo-pirates can put their hands on. The island offers a large variety in photogenic subjects, from Mother Nature’s creations to modern man-made structures.
Madeira is well known for its beauty, peaceful environment and all year round pleasant climate, but Madeira is also a photographer’s paradise. Its natural infrastructure and biodiversity offers a lot of photo opportunities in a acceptable travel radius by short drive or walk.
Egypt has the Pyramids. Madeira has Pico Ruivo (1862 mtr).
Egypt has the Nile. Madeira has the famous Levadas (2163 km long).
Egypt has sand. Madeira has the UNESCO World Heritage Site “Laurisilva” Forest (19,000 ha).
Egypt is hot. The “Green Pearl of the Atlantic” is pleasant warm throughout the year (20°C / 68°F).
Egypt has Safaris. Madeira offers expedition/discovery excursions.
Egypt has diving at Sharm El Sheikh. Madeira has the Atlantic Ocean.
And Madeira has even more to offer:
Boat/Catamaran
Whale Watching
Big Game Fishing
Wind Surfing
Cycling
Horse Riding
Canoeing
Paragliding
Bird watching
Motor biking
Abseiling
Canyoning
Are you making plans to visit Madeira in 2011? Tip: add into your list one or more Nature Walk trips. Learn with the qualified Madeira guides about the Laurissilva, nature, flora, fauna, culture and history of the Green Pearl of the Atlantic Ocean.
I suppose that the Travel Channel crew could not stay long to film much of Madeira. A short report of Madeira Island in Travel Today by Travel Channel.
When walking on Madeira … take a moment to contemplate the surroundings and you will discover a different Madeira … a Madeira that tells you a nostalgic story. This is the story that the Levada da Calheta tells you …
Madeira’s levadas have long been considered one of the world’s great walking pleasures. Covering more than 1,200 miles, these narrow waterways link the wetter north to the dry south, every yard mirrored by shaded paths. The big relief to me was that most of these routes remained intact.
My best guess is that around 10 per cent of paths are affected by fires. As for those dreadful February storms, Andrew Zino, who runs walks company Nature Meetings, told me: ‘Forget storm damage. Madeira hass made an amazing recovery.’
O que o fogo destruiu em poucas horas na cordilheira central da Ilha da Madeira, demorará muitos anos a recuperar e exige um longo e paciente trabalho com o objectivo de evitar que a nova sucessão biológica seja dominada por espécies pirófilas oportunistas, que pintarão de verde o deserto pedregoso mas que criarão enormes dificuldades à recuperação da biodiversidade dum ecossistema que a União Europeia adoptou como Zona Especial de Conservação da Rede Natura 2000.
A expansão da carqueja (Ulex europeus) e da giesta (Cytisus scoparius) ou a plantação de resinosas exóticas como espécies pioneiras são práticas contraditórias com a filosofia conservacionista da Rede Natura 2000. Assim sendo, na extremidade mais alta do Parque Ecológico do Funchal, no Pico do Areeiro, e no Campo de Educação Ambiental do Cabeço da Lenha apenas deverão ser plantadas espécies indígenas para que paisagem reencontre o caminho certo em direcção ao estado natural.
