2022-36 Hiking Madeira | Pico Alto | Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo | 25 Fontes & Risco Levada

Join Mo and I for a winter break to the island of Madeira, where we hike above the clouds, enjoy a wonderful sunrise and search in deep forests of giant heaths for elusive waterfalls.

[@ervinslens]

Such a unique hike folks, this was filmed and edited truly fantastically! Scenery is beyond incredible, great presentation! Love it! 🔥🔥

[@daveoutdoorsscotland2854]

Good morning, thank you so much for such lovely comments, and very much appreciated. Glad you enjoyed the video. ATB, Dave and Mo

[@hikebikescotland9121]

Fantastic change of scenery! - As much as I love the Scottish winter you can't beat a break away in more 'pleasant' clims! - All the best to you and Mo for 2023!!

[@daveoutdoorsscotland2854]

Hi Tom, yes, it was great to escape the winter gloom for a wee while, although we did miss out on some good Scottish winter conditions. It has rained almost daily since we got back. The weekend weather is looking more hopeful though, so we might manage out with the teepee. Glad you enjoyed the vid. I can thoroughly recommend Madeira for hiking and scenery (busy though, and not a place to seek out solitude). Trust all is well with you guys. Wishing you a very happy New Year. Dave and Mo

[@hikebikescotland9121]

@@daveoutdoorsscotland2854 I must confess to having been gazing at OS maps myself today!! - maybe theres another outing in the very near future!!!

[@karenmacleod6816]

Kit and I enjoyed every moment although looking over a precipice left me a bit wobbly. We enjoyed looking at the vegetation and especially the birds. We had just taken part in our Christmas Bird Count here in northern Nova Scotia.

[@daveoutdoorsscotland2854]

Hi Karen and Kit, glad you enjoyed the video. Madeira is a lovely island and I was fascinated by the vegetation. The heath forest is really quite unique. Wishing you both a very merry Christmas and a happy new year. Dave and Mo

[@smoggiewalks578]

Beautiful hills, and what looked like a wonderful holiday for you both. And no fishing 🤣🤣🤣 Best wishes for the coming new year ATB Martin

[@daveoutdoorsscotland2854]

Good morning Martin, great to hear from you and glad you enjoyed the vid. I was sorely tempted on the fishing, to the extent that I searched out a tackle shop, with a view to buying a 'disposable rod'. Mo managed to talk me out of it, which was a good thing because even the cheapest rods were pretty pricy. We planned a boat trip durning the holiday, but it was cancelled due to rough seas. Overall, we were pretty lucky with the weather and were able to complete all our planned hikes and our flight took off for home just before the airport was closed due to high winds and low cloud. All best wishes to you and yours for Christmas and the New Year. Dave and Mo

[@garyb8528]

Merry Christmas Mo and Dave. I wish you both a very happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Thanks for the shout out. Love the falls! Some reminded me of falls I hiked to in Hawaii. Gorgeous. I guess you flew into Madeira airport. I am familiar with that airport. One of the world’s most challenging due to strong cross winds. I hope you had an enjoyable holiday. ATB. Keep the blue side up. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my fellow followers of Dave and Moe! 🎄

[@garyb8528]

This was so beautifully video graphed and edited. One of my favorites since I started following. Thanks so much

[@daveoutdoorsscotland2854]

Merry Christmas to you too Gary, glad you enjoyed the vid. We thought of you as we flew into the airport, wondering if you had experienced a landing and take off on the runway, perched above the sea and exposed to the strong winds. We landed quite heavily, but safely and disembarked to find warm humid air blasting across the concourse, soon to be followed by torrential rain. We were lucky to get down when we did as all the subsequent flights were diverted to Lisbon. The turbulent weather lasted a few days, keeping us out of the mountains, but luck was on our side and we eventually completed all our planned hikes. I hope you and your wonderful family have enjoyed a safe and peaceful Christmas. The weather in NY is pretty challenging just now, so please do stay safe. I confess to being a little envious of the extreme weather you are experiencing. I guess elemental forces attract me, despite the obvious dangers. Keep the blue side up and please do pass on our very best wishes to your family, for a safe, peaceful and prosperous 2023. Dave and Mo

[@mo9981]

Can the viewers believe that we didn’t even pack a swimsuit for a week in Madeira, especially when we stayed in a hotel right on the beach ?!😂😂😂

[@daveoutdoorsscotland2854]

I have no use for a swimsuit in the hills :)

[@murchiesmountains2820]

Brilliant video Dave😁..Thanks for taking us to the Mountains of Madeira..They look amazing 😍.You didn’t see Ronaldo(whose from Madeira) hiding up there after his World Cup display lol..Lovely video mate. Cheers Robert

[@daveoutdoorsscotland2854]

Hi Robert, glad you enjoyed the vid. We had a lovely time in the mountains, and our predawn starts ensured we enjoyed plenty of solitude. Interesting that you mention Ronaldo. We were staying in a hotel literally next door to his house in Funchal. We passed his house each morning on our way to a wee cafe, where we enjoyed coffee, juice and pastries for breakfast. Our hotel manager proudly told us that “Ronaldo runs past the hotel every morning when he is at home on the island”. Seems Ronaldo is highly regarded in his hometown, where he also owns a hotel and museum. His windows were all shuttered up, so I’m guessing he was busy kicking a ball somewhere else in the world :). All best wishes for Christmas. Dave and Mo

[@murchiesmountains2820]

@@daveoutdoorsscotland2854 Have a great time Dave and Mo 😁🎅🏻..Keep the videos coming 😁 Cheers Robert

[@Grangeburn]

Lovely video Dave. I walked one of the levadas about 6 years ago. Like you, I tried to get a decent map to decide which one to do without having to pay an extortionate amount for a guided walk. I eventually downloaded an app called WalkMe and selected the Ribeiro Frio to Miradouro de Portela levada - I can't recall its number. I chose that one because it was possible to get public transport to the start at Ribeiro Frio and from the end at Miradouro de Portela. The return involved a change of buses but it was a simple process. All the details of these transport links were contained in the app. Transport by public bus in Madeira, as you will know, is by 'dated' buses and the journey to Frio from Funchal was highlighted by the bus having to stop because it was overheating on the steep, hair-pinned route. A restaurant / bar marked both the beginning and end of the levada. The walk was about 12 kilometres if I remember correctly and had spectacular views. Looking forward to your next video back home.

[@daveoutdoorsscotland2854]

Hi Michael, your adventure on Madeira sounds wonderful, and very similar to our own experience. Initially, we were fairly disheartened by the apparent difficulty in accessing the interior of the island and some of the reps for the guided tours were quite pushy. However, we found the buses and the Bolt taxis to be both useful and inexpensive. I’d certainly consider a return visit to the island as I found the hiking (and native plants) to my liking. We are home in Scotland now and hope to get out with the cameras again soon. ATB, Dave

[@Grangeburn]

@@daveoutdoorsscotland2854 Have a lovely Christmas and a happy New Year both of you.

[@daveoutdoorsscotland2854]

@@Grangeburn Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too, Michael. ATB, Dave and Mo