Gerry Sluiter English November 24th, 2009

Madeira is a walking paradise for any “Nature- Lover”. To ensure that you enjoy your walk, we strongly recommend that you walk with Certified Mountain guide. Your safety is paramount and to ensure that you receive the best possible service available on Madeira, we only employ local guides who are in possession of a Madeira Mountain Guide Certificate.

For obvious reasons, safety starts before the walk and it is crucial that everyone is prepared for the challenge what is waiting for them. Walking the Levadas of Madeira or any other Nature walk brings its challenges and therefore we advice that every walker is wearing layered clothing (what is easy to remove) and has water proofs with them. Other requirements are: sun protection and water (if possible a torch).

The highly trained mountain guides studied for 1 year, coffering everything in relation to walking on Madeira. This combination of responsibilities from both parties and Madeira’s walking facilities will give you a pleasant and relaxed walking experience.

Unfortunately, over the years more and more people have entered the walking industry, pretending to be a guide. These illegal “guides” are putting walkers life’s at risk, and are unable to supply the service, information and safety.

This situation has caused great concerns on Madeira and due to this there is an increase of accidents. To ensure that your guide is qualified with what he/she is doing we advise you to ask your guide to show you their license. Certified guides are proud with their profession and with their commitment to follow the very intensive guiding course.

Over the last few years we have seen more and more walking groups visiting Madeira. As walking lovers, we are very excited showing everyone this beautiful island. However some of these groups are bringing their own walking-leader who has no (Madeira) experience nor are qualified to guide. This is not only illegal according to the Portuguese law, it´s also very dangerous.

Tags: accidents, groups, guides, levadas, license, nature, newspaper, qualified mountain guides, safety, service, walking

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MW Editor English July 30th, 2009

Fanal is a place of rare beauty in the middle of the Laurissilva Forest (Madeira). Situated in the north of the island … in the plateau of Paul da Serra. To get there you need to drive to Porto Moniz and São Vicente, Ribeira da Janela and climb into the Paul da Serra.

Fanal became a very popular place to relax, hike, walking, enjoying the nature …. to admire the magnificent species of forest Laurissilva as Tis (foetens Ocotea) Folhados (foetens Clethra), Laurel (Laurus azorica), Vinháticos (Persea indica). Some of these specimens are over 500 years old.

There are several trails to hike, one of the most spectacular is the one that goes from Fanal to Chão da Ribeira (Seixal). Another tour starts in the beautiful area of Fanal, through the forest following the Levada dos Cedros, offering spectacular scenery to the parish of Ribeira da Janela.

A small but well preserved crater is possible to be seen just a few meters down the road entrance to the ranger’s house.

Tags: Fanal, forest, laurisilva, nature, Paul da Serra

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MW Editor English June 5th, 2009

An environmental documentary with the title “Home” will be available across the globe today … in open-air spaces as well as theaters, TV, DVD, and the Internet at www.youtube.com/homeproject (till 14th of June).

We recommend that you watch this movie. It shows stunning aerial views of the earth’s natural wonders … a great soundtrack …. but at the same time it shows incredible views of a great deal of areas where pollution, earth disruption and catastrophic climate changes are taking place. The images are combined with a message …. “It’s too late to be a pessimist.”

“In 200,000 years on earth, … humanity has upset the balance of the planet. Humanity has barely 10 years to reverse the trend.”

The film is created by Yann Arthus-Bertrand and the English commentary is narrated by Glenn Close.

It took almost three years to do this mega-movie, …. shot over 217 days in 54 countries, … providing 488 hours of footage.

Home Project Youtube

Tags: nature, video, YouTube

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MW Editor English November 4th, 2008

Rabaçal is a 360º of pure nature and amazing scenery where one can only may admire Mother Nature handwork.

The access to this beautiful place starts at the west part of Paul da Serra where you an park your car and follow a narrow road (that is restricted for cars) to the Rabaçal forestry guard’s house. The road goes all the way down and is approximately 2 km. You can go by foot or take a paid ride using a van that is provided by the council of Calheta.

Near the forestry guard’s house you can go straight ahead towards Risco (walking time approx. 10 to 15 minutes) which leads you to a fantastic waterfall surrounded by majestic green mountains.

After this scenery you can go back through the same path, which is parallel to the old Rabaçal levada, that will bring you to the sign indicating 25 fontes. Follow this path down until you find another levada. It will take you the opposite direction of the running water.

The levada path is on a flat terrain, though in some parts it can be narrow. Therefore it is not advisable for persons who are afraid of heights.

After approx. one hour walking you will find a small lagoon, surrounded by vegetation and small water falls from different springs. These are the 25 fountains. You are then a guest at a family gathering of Laurel trees, springs, birds, unspoiled pure air, and other nature’s relatives … all peacefully together at the ecological table as one big happy family.

Please, when visiting remind yourself that you are a guest and respect the environment.

Tags: 25 fountains, levada, madeira, nature, Rabaçal

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MW Editor English October 30th, 2008

Madeira is one of many destinations were Ecotourism plays an important part.

Many organizations on Madeira say that they promote Ecotourism, but unfortunately not many of them realize what Ecotourism really stands for:

Ecotourism, also known as ecological tourism, is a tourism market based on an area’s natural resources that attempts to minimize the ecological (negative) impact of the tourism. This is achieved through responsible travels to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of the local people. (TIES, 1990)
See also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ecotourism

In order to practice and support these goals Nature Meetings has become member of an international Eco organization.

Due to the conditions within the Eco Industry, Nature Meetings takes this membership extremely serious and to ensure that all the requirements are met. Before promoting this facility Nature Meetings is investigating every aspect:

1. Nature Meetings has started sharing vehicles with other companies, collecting all staff members into 1 vehicle, performing changes into the vehicles to reduce the damaging gasses and usage of a minimum amount of vehicles for its clients;
2. The materials that are used for its services are reviewed and replaced, such as recycle batteries for the torches, picnics (recycled paper bags, local and organic ingredients);
3. Reducing unnecessary entrance into the natural environment;
4. Collect any waste during the services and walks;
5. Using local facilities for their clients.

To share our passion for Ecotourism, we are currently looking at projects that we can start to implement environmentally friendly services, such as:

A. Nature maintenance.
B. Reduction of traffic.
C. Education.

Our goal is to commit ourselves to promote and take a leading role in the development of an island-based Ecotourism industry on Madeira.

Tags: ecotourism, madeira, nature

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MW Editor English October 23rd, 2008

Madeira completely relies on the tourism, however the authorities have gone a step too far and the nature will now be paying its toll for this.

On this beautiful, subtropical and paradise island, we are proud that UNESCO (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_heritage), have recognized the Laurisilva Forest (15000ha) as the Worlds Natural Heritage, see: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/934.

Natural heritage is the legacy of natural, not man-made, places, objects and intangible attributes encompassing the countryside and natural environment, including flora and fauna, scientifically know as biodiversity.

This unique forest (at Rabaçal) is going to be ravished with concrete, cables and other unnatural materials that will mold into a huge cable car construction!

The authorities have decided to go ahead with this million project and their argument that it will add value (??) to the Flora & Fauna and Natural reservation on Madeira … by building a cable car (??).

As a Nature lover, I do believe that everyone is invited to enjoy the nature environments with its magnificent Flora & Fauna; however I do NOT believe that building a cable car is the way in doing so! With financial support, many walks are now accessible for even the elderly and disabled people. With the facilities that is offered by various organizations, young & old island visitors can enjoy this unique forest with its waterfalls & fountains.

To ensure that my opinion is being heard, I wrote to the UNESCO and asking them their opinion on this matter. Also to know what actions will (can) be taken to avoid that this project will start.

Otherwise if this project takes place, then it will not stop there. Commerce and authorities will consider the following: Now that we have a cable car at Rabaçal, why not also build restaurants, hotels, parking lots, shopping centers etc.

If you are as passionate as I am for the little bit of nature that is left on earth, please consider any kind of action you can take to avoid that this project will gash the heart of the World Heritage Forest.

Photo taken by Markus Rieder

Tags: cabel car, laurisilva, madeira, nature, protest, Rabaçal, UNESCO

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Gerry Sluiter English February 18th, 2008

Nature Meetings has introduced a weblog, as we see this as service between walkers across the world. Walkers can share their experience with stories and pictures.

Every walker should be aware of the safety, and it is crucial that every walker is fully prepared before they step in their boots to explore their chosen route.

Madeira has fantastic walking opportunities, with a net work of Levadas (small water channels) covering large parts of the island. The sub tropical climate makes Madeira a walking paradise the whole year around.

How can you beat exploring your holiday destination on foot? Walk through the nature with its exotic flora and the unique Laurisilva forest (Unesco World Heritage). The Levadas on Madeira are spread out over all main parts on the island, available for all ages. However, as Madeira is a volcanic island you might pass locations with vertigo and tunnels. Therefore we would recommend that you study your walking route before entering the beautiful nature of Madeira.

Every holiday maker has worked hard, saved and made all the necessarily arrangements to enjoy their break. To ensure that you make the most out of your visit to Madeira, we strongly recommend that you walk with a guide.

Transport on Madeira is satisfactory; however you will experience problems to find the hidden Levadas. Bus services to/from these locations are very difficult and it will take a lot of your pressures holiday time. A taxi service is an alternative, however you will pay more than a guided walk, secondly you won’t receive interesting information relating to the walk from our Qualified Mountain Guide. As your safety is paramount, all our guides are “First Aid” trained and are fully equipped during the walk.

The weblog is available for everyone, you can write in your own language, write about anything on Madeira, and if you have a picture you want to share with us please add them to your article.

On behalf of our team do I wish you an enjoyable reading time.

Gerry Sluiter

Tags: guides, laurisilva, levadas, madeira, nature, Nature Meetings, qualified mountain guides, walking

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