Due to the weather conditions in February, Madeira has noticed that visitors canceled their holidays as they believe that Madeira is too much affected with landslides and damages on roads, and that it will spoil their holidays.
With the support from various organizations can I inform everyone that Madeira has returned to be (again) the great location for you to enjoy your holiday!!
Funchal, is now a full operational town with all its beauty and the many locations of interests; all the hotels are available to welcome every clients and the island is accessible to all its viewing points and Nature walks.
Obviously, not everything is as it was before (due to the dramatic weather on 20th of February). However, Madeira has recovered thanks to the support of the local community, businesses and government. Also the with the International help and Madeira lovers abroad. The only thing we ask of you now is to visit Madeira again once more … that way you will help and support the local people and businesses who have suffered from the 20-2 flood.
Help Madeira and (re)visit this beautiful island!!
The torrential rain on Madeira caused floods and mudslides on several locations on the Island on the 20th of February. However with the impressive effort from the entire Madeirense population and international help, Madeira returned to be again an attractive travel destination.
The airport, that was not affected except it was closed on the day of the floods, is fully operational and all the main roads are now open to the public. Unfortunately there are still some locations that are isolated (Tabua, Serra da Agua and Encumeada), therefore we advice everyone to make first inquiries before traveling towards these areas.
Many footpaths on Madeira had problems with fallen trees and landslides; however the majority of these walks are now repaired and accessible to the public.
Nature Meetings daily walking program is now fully operational, with the exception of the full day walk on Sunday: “Slopes and Valleys of Calheta” and Wednesday: “Laurisilva Landscapes”. The Full day walk on Sunday has been removed from our program and we only offer our half day Levada walk: “Amazing Vistas”. The full day Levada walk on Wednesday is replaced with a Laurisilva Levada walk from Santo da Serra to Portela (this is temporarily, as the original walk from Ribeiro Frio to Portela should be open in May 2010).
We advice all walkers on Madeira prepare themselves for the walk they intent to do, as there can be obstacles on the walking paths, and be aware that it can be slippery as it requires some time to dry out.
In particular, it is crucial that people don’t do a Levada walk on their own!! There might be unexpected situations that can result in a premature end of your holiday her on Madeira. Therefore we (including the authorities on Madeira) strongly suggest to make use of the services of a walk guide through the various qualified walking organization.
To various people we asked the following question: “What are the advantages of a guided tour in comparison with D.I.Y. tour?”. Here a the responses …
Marco Ferreira:
“Part of the fun to know Madeira with a knowledgeable guide is to socialize with the local culture, habits and ideas that only a local guide is able to share with you right away from the beginning. You have to keep in mind that a local guide shall cover the several aspects of a big diversity of themes that may take you a lot of time to gather from the different sources available now days.
The great difference between a guided tour and a D.I.Y. is the fact of sharing information, opinions and emotions with a caring person that might at any time change your views about what you have established already as a conclusion.”
Madeira is a sub-tropical Portuguese island in the mid Atlantic Ocean. Every January it hosts a week long walking festival providing three or more daily guided hikes with various levels of difficulty. The event is the brainchild of writer and photographer Terry Marsh who, this year, had to supervise from a distance as he was recovering from heart surgery. He needn’t have worried; for many of the participants this was their third year and they knew exactly where to go and what to do.
Five pathways closed. In less than a month, bad weather and landslides have forced the closure of five footpaths and levadas which are included in the official walking circuit of the serras of Madeira. The official ‘Turismo’ site alerts walkers to the closures and the Regional Director of Forestry acknowledges that the renovation of such extensively damaged areas will be expensive. Levada do Rei, Caldeirão Verde, Caminho Real da Encumeada, Levada da Fajã do Rodrigues and Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal are the five closed footpaths. The worst affected is the Caminho Real da Encumeada, especially the section Boca da Corrida at Encumeada. Almost all the walking paths on the island have been damaged by the bad weather, the ones least affected are near the south coast and on Porto Santo. Before work can be undertaken, a survey will have to be carried out and a firm contracted.
A video walking impression of the Levada do Alecrim (Levada of Rosemary). The walk went till its mother waterfall at Ribeira do Lageado. The starting point of this Levada walk is located near Rabaçal.
No background music was added to the film, but contains instead the original sounds of the surroundings during the walk … which gives a better impression of the environment.
The author warns that, even though he filmed with the camera fixed to his body, always walk the levadas in a safe way. Always keep your eyes on the path (and not looking at the viewer of a camera) when walking.
On January 12, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti. With these tragic events in Haiti, the guides at Nature Meetings decided to donate all the money that they received during the Madeira Walking Festival to the International Red Cross. As this gesture is very much appreciated, the management of Nature Meetings decided to triple the amount donated by the guides.
Others around the world are joining efforts to assist the earthquake victims. Your donation can help disaster victims rebuild their lives and their communities.
Some walking routes in the island are in current undergoing maintenance to ensure the safety of walkers. Access to these routes may be limited or even not allowed so that these works can be concluded the soonest possible.
It is easy to assume that exposure to excessive heat is a common problem here on Madeira. Cases of severe sunburn and/or heat exhaustion are not uncommon. Here are some tips you should consider to avoid the problems.
Food and Water
Maintaining your energy levels and avoiding dehydration or electrolyte depletion are crucial.
Walking
In high temperatures, do the minimum of walk that is necessary. Try to keep out of the sun during the hottest part of the day. Take regular breaks.
Protection
Use high protection skin creams on all exposed areas not forgetting under your chin, your lips and the tops of your ears. Do not forget to include sunglasses that block out both UVA and UVB and insect repellent to ward of those pesky midges.
Clothing
Developments in fabric technology mean that there is clothing readily available that is breathable and will wick away moisture so that sweat evaporates more quickly.
Wear loose, lightweight, light colored clothing. Consider tops with long sleeves that can be rolled up and down.
Hats are also really important in the sun. Try to wear a hat made of a breathable fabric or one that has mesh vents. It is also worthwhile considering a hat that provides additional cover for the back of your neck and/or a visor.
Adjust your clothing as conditions change throughout the day – do not struggle uphill wearing waterproof clothing when that shower has stopped.
Backpacks or Rucksacks
It may seem obvious but carefully check the amount of gear that you are taking – take the minimum without compromising your safety.
