We get up early today. First stop: the roof of Madeira — Pico do Arieiro. At 1,818 metres it is the island's third-highest peak (the two taller summits are Pico Ruivo at 1,861 m and Pico das Torres at 1,851 m). It is the only one accessible by road, making it Madeira's most visited mountain.

The summit is reached via the road from Poiso (1,413 m). At the top you will find a large car park, souvenir shops, a restaurant and a radar station.
From the viewing platform you are rewarded with a fantastic panorama of the surrounding peaks.
Before driving up, check the weather forecast. We were very lucky and enjoyed outstanding visibility — the mountains of Madeira rising out of mist and clouds under brilliant sunshine.

On clear days you can sometimes spot the neighbouring island of Porto Santo about 50 km away, the Ilhas Desertas, and even Ponta de São Lourenço. Occasionally in winter there may be snow and ice on Pico do Arieiro.

After Pico do Arieiro we head to our next destination: Queimadas. From here we set out on one of Madeira's most spectacular (and most popular) levada walks — the hike from Queimadas into the green cauldron of Caldeirão Verde. It starts near Santana at about 900 metres elevation.

The trail is not particularly demanding and covers 13.5 km. Walking time is roughly 4.5 hours return. The route runs fairly level, in places along steep drop-offs, but everything is well secured in our experience. Only the tunnels are narrow and low in spots — watch your head — something we learned the hard way…

The walk begins at the idyllic picnic area with a duck pond and two thatched-roof houses. The path leads through an almost mystical conifer forest lined with giant hydrangeas (sadly not in bloom during winter), laurel trees, tree heathers and ferns. The rock walls drip with moisture, so we walk through an incredibly lush green landscape of moss, fungi, ferns, lichen-draped trees and countless tiny streams.

Disappointingly the fog limits the views, but it makes the forest all the more enchanting.
Along the way there are three tunnels to pass through (don't forget your torch!), two impressive waterfalls and stretches carved into the cliff face. The final destination is a fern-covered basin surrounded by towering rock walls, where a waterfall plunges more than 100 m into the depths, forming a small pool ringed by boulders. The water is refreshingly cool — a swim in winter is rather unlikely.
This is the perfect spot for a long break to soak in the scenery before heading back the same way.

This levada walk on Madeira combines well with a visit to Santana (theme park, colourful thatched houses).

To round off the day we drive up to Pico Ruivo. At 1,862 metres it is the highest peak on the island.

The road is very steep and takes us to the car park at Achada do Teixeira (1,592 m).
From here you can hike roughly 2 km (about one hour) to the summit. The path is steep, but the views across Madeira and its unique mountain scenery are more than worth the effort. The crowning moment of the day, however, is the sunset above the clouds — a sight we are lucky enough to enjoy before hurrying back to the car park by torchlight.

Important: there are several shelters and a forestry lodge along the way where you can stop, but you should definitely bring proper gear (warm clothing, food, water, a torch and good shoes) as the weather up here can change rapidly.

On the way back we are hungry and stop at a restaurant in Santa Cruz. The food is fabulous, and a quick price comparison shows that restaurants here are about 30 % cheaper than in Funchal.