- Time of past OR future Camino
- Some in the past; more in the future!
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Oh, no! @Camino Chrissy, don't tell them that. It'll only go to their heads and we'll never hear the end of it!!Awww, you two look adorable...ready, set go! Watch out for all those pretty, but potential ankle twisting cobblestones.
Ultreia! Are you writing a blog, or will you keep us up to date on the forum? Very excited for you.Tomorrow Wendy and I are starting not quite a Camino de Santiago, but a walking adventure nevertheless: the Caminho Real 23 on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
The caminhos reais (royal paths) are a series of paths linking population centres in Madeira that were created before automobiles and that have since been made redundant by highways. The 23 goes all the way around the perimeter of the island, so we thought it would be a great way to get to know Madeira as this is our first visit to the island. The route is shown on this stylised map on Journey Era, a website by Jackson Groves that is one of our main information sources for this fairly unknown hike.
View attachment 151094
We are taking it a bit slower than Jackson and doing it in nine walking days. We pre-booked all accommodation because of the difficulty in finding reasonably-priced places to stay in Madeira in summer, and are taking a rest day in Santana as well. It’s about 180km and there’s about8000m11,500m of ups (i.e.almost as much asmore than the height of the world’s tallest mountains), so we don’t expect it to be easy going, but hopefully the views and scenery will make it worthwhile.
We were pleasantly surprised to find out that there is an ‘association’ for the hike (made up of husband and wife Miguel and Isabel Gouveia). From them we procured credentials and matching Caminho Real hiking shirts (photo coming at some point!), and they will meet us again tomorrow morning to give us our first stamp. There are 37 places to receive stamps along the way, and we are told that these are actual postage stamps (selos in Portuguese, like the Spanish sellos, rather than carimbos).
We have spent the last three days in the capital Funchal, sightseeing in town, going canyoning yesterday, and preparing for the hike. Our start and end point will be the Funchal cathedral, built in the last throes of the Portuguese Middle Ages in the late 15th and early 16th centuries:
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It has a beautiful Mudéjar ceiling that is unlike anything I can remember seeing in Portugal:
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Another noteworthy place in Funchal is the Fort of São Tiago (!), so named because it was built during the 60 years of Spanish rule over Portugal from 1580-1640. Here’s a view of one of the turrets:
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So with our time in Funchal coming to an end, it’s time to get on our (proverbial) bikes and start walking!
This is so great! I can't wait to see what your adventure looks like.Tomorrow Wendy and I are starting not quite a Camino de Santiago, but a walking adventure nevertheless: the Caminho Real 23 on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
The caminhos reais (royal paths) are a series of paths linking population centres in Madeira that were created before automobiles and that have since been made redundant by highways. The 23 goes all the way around the perimeter of the island, so we thought it would be a great way to get to know Madeira as this is our first visit to the island. The route is shown on this stylised map on Journey Era, a website by Jackson Groves that is one of our main information sources for this fairly unknown hike.
View attachment 151094
We are taking it a bit slower than Jackson and doing it in nine walking days. We pre-booked all accommodation because of the difficulty in finding reasonably-priced places to stay in Madeira in summer, and are taking a rest day in Santana as well. It’s about 180km and there’s about8000m11,500m of ups (i.e.almost as much asmore than the height of the world’s tallest mountains), so we don’t expect it to be easy going, but hopefully the views and scenery will make it worthwhile.
We were pleasantly surprised to find out that there is an ‘association’ for the hike (made up of husband and wife Miguel and Isabel Gouveia). From them we procured credentials and matching Caminho Real hiking shirts (photo coming at some point!), and they will meet us again tomorrow morning to give us our first stamp. There are 37 places to receive stamps along the way, and we are told that these are actual postage stamps (selos in Portuguese, like the Spanish sellos, rather than carimbos).
We have spent the last three days in the capital Funchal, sightseeing in town, going canyoning yesterday, and preparing for the hike. Our start and end point will be the Funchal cathedral, built in the last throes of the Portuguese Middle Ages in the late 15th and early 16th centuries:
View attachment 151095
It has a beautiful Mudéjar ceiling that is unlike anything I can remember seeing in Portugal:
View attachment 151096
Another noteworthy place in Funchal is the Fort of São Tiago (!), so named because it was built during the 60 years of Spanish rule over Portugal from 1580-1640. Here’s a view of one of the turrets:
View attachment 151097
So with our time in Funchal coming to an end, it’s time to get on our (proverbial) bikes and start walking!
Thank you!Awww, you two look adorable...ready, set go!
Too late — we’re basking in our adorable-ness right now!Oh, no! @Camino Chrissy, don't tell them that. It'll only go to their heads and we'll never hear the end of it!!
Thank you! And on the forum, see above for Day 1!Ultreia! Are you writing a blog, or will you keep us up to date on the forum? Very excited for you.
It must have been dawn. Not a flower seller in sight. Buen Camino!
Your wish is my command!Nick, I have a request...I would love to see a photo every few days taken of the unique "stamps" you are collecting as you go along. I'm sure others following along would enjoy them, too.
Yay...I'm excited!
Good questions, Kaz!Yay...I'm excited!
Love the matchy-matchy t-shirts but what do they say? Not clear in pic.
Also Nick, how tall are you?!
Happy trails.
Thanks Kaz! Fortunately no sign of COVID this time…Yay...I'm excited!
‘Back to the Caminho Real’ (in Portuguese) in ‘Back to the Future’ style/typescript. One of my favourite childhood movies so we had to get them!Love the matchy-matchy t-shirts but what do they say? Not clear in pic.
Not as tall as I look here on the upper side of the slope! I’m about 184cm and Wendy is about 171cm.Also Nick, how tall are you?!
Great tip, thank you!Be sure to visit INSIDE the church in Ponte Delgado - I guarantee the ceiling murals are of a style that you’ve never seen in a Catholic Church.
Ponte Delgado is at the Açores, not at Madeira There is a hamlet called Ponta Delgada between São Vicente and Santana at the northside of Madeira. Beautifull area.My family comes from Madeira, so your journey is a treat and one that I will definitely replicate now that I know it exists! Be sure to visit INSIDE the church in Ponte Delgado - I guarantee the ceiling murals are of a style that you’ve never seen in a Catholic Church. Bon Dia!!!
Yes, the shoes definitely have lots of cushioning and have been working out great so far! They are a pair of New Balance that I got on the advice of a running gear store owner in Lisbon just a few days before this adventure. I forget the model name, though.Glad to hear Wendy's feet are holding up so far. The shoes she is wearing in that adorablepicture look very cushy and robust indeed.
Ponte Delgado is at the Açores, not at Madeira There is a hamlet called Ponta Delgada between São Vicente and Santana at the northside of Madeira. Beautifull area.
Let's hope it stays that way...don't put the mozz on yourself!Thanks Kaz! Fortunately no sign of COVID this time…
Thanks for the clarification Nick...I trust the movie is a favourite of Wendy's too? 'Sat there, watched that, hubby made me get the t-shirt....'‘Back to the Caminho Real’ (in Portuguese) in ‘Back to the Future’ style/typescript. One of my favourite childhood movies so we had to get them!
Ahh...the ol' higher standpoint. Wendy is by no means 'staturally challenged' but you look like a giant!Not as tall as I look here on the upper side of the slope! I’m about 184cm and Wendy is about 171cm.
Darn spellcheck! Yes, I know the difference between P. Delgada and P. Delgada but spellcheck doesn’t!Ponte Delgado is at the Açores, not at Madeira There is a hamlet called Ponta Delgada between São Vicente and Santana at the northside of Madeira. Beautifull area.
'Epic' is right.In a word: epic.
It starts just after dawn on a clifftop, with the darkness of thunderous storm clouds on the horizon mirrored in the incredible and endless expanse of the Atlantic Ocean.
— inside an amphitheatre of cliffs in faint light. Over an hour of constant descent, and we don’t see a soul; the only sounds are waterfalls.
Again cobblestones, again switchbacks, but this time we’re exposed on the cliffside, allowing for breeze and, finally, sun. The ocean sparkles, the weird and wonderful and spiky flora of Madeira comes alive, and the views are utterly spectacular.
We follow the levadas in and out of forests while figs and apples float in the water and wildflowers splash the landscape with colour.
Back out in the open and it’s afternoon by now but the views, still, take your breath away: the green of the earth set against the blue of the ocean, and both colours seem impossible.
Yes, the shoes definitely have lots of cushioning and have been working out great so far! They are a pair of New Balance that I got on the advice of a running gear store owner in Lisbon just a few days before this adventure. I forget the model name, though.
Actually the locations in Madeira and in the Açores are both called Ponta Delgada. We are not staying in the Madeiran Ponta Delgada on this walk, but we will be sure to check out the church when we pass through.
Nick, I absolutely agree with Kaz. I was awed by the beautiful, descriptive wording of your day 4!Oh Nick...a picture tells a thousand words, but your words paint the best picture of all...
Oh Nick...a picture tells a thousand words, but your words paint the best picture of all...
Thank you both for your kind words!Nick, I absolutely agree with Kaz. I was awed by the beautiful, descriptive wording of your day 4!
Not yet but the next two days will be the test of that. Certainly the ups and downs are more than on a ‘standard’ camino, so it’s not for the faint of knee, but we haven’t felt any danger at all yet.If the cliffside walks get a little "hairy", as in dangerous or contributing to a bit of vertigo, do let us know.
Just wondering how you're going with accommodation? Type, choices, costs, availability on trail, etc?Caminho Real 23 Day 5 — Ponta do Pargo to Porto Moniz: ~18.5km.
Today’s stage didn’t reach the literal heights of yesterday, but figuratively it went pretty close, as we had another fabulous day of walking on Madeira.
We started and finished our stage looking out over the ocean, but the part in between was the biggest highlight. Specifically, we spent over an hour walking in an enchanted forest alongside a levada (water channel) that was one of the best forest walks I can remember doing.
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At the end of the stage, we approached Porto Moniz from on high, enjoying spectacular views of the ocean and mountains while descending on the original Caminho Real cobblestones — basically, many of the best elements of this walk all in one go. Then, a swim in the town’s famous sea water rock pools (as mentioned upthread by @Camembert) to finish off a glorious day.
View attachment 151767
Some practicalities:
— We’re 5/5 in stamps over the last two days to coincide with the best two days of the caminho so far. As we’re in a more remote part of the island, there haven’t been as many stamp points per stage as on the first three days.
— Today’s levada (levada do moinho) was off the camino, as were yesterday’s. It’s worth mentioning that the association has tried to stay true to the original routing of the CR at every opportunity, which I support in theory. But when that means directing walkers onto a modern road where the CR once existed but no longer does, and a levada forest walk as stunning as the one we did today is just off that road, then I think walkers should take that alternative every time.
We booked everything in advance, which is not what we prefer to do but it seemed prudent on Madeira in summer. It’s been a mix of hotels and apartments so far and we have a private room in a hostel tomorrow night. Price-wise, we’re paying more than we’d like (about €75/night average) but them’s the breaks. Especially on the south coast, towns are spread out a lot in an almost suburban way and aren’t that well suited to walking, so we had a couple of places that weren’t that close to restaurants/shops, but we managed. So the availability is there but it does require advanced planning, I would say.Just wondering how you're going with accommodation? Type, choices, costs, availability on trail, etc?
Yikes...!
Have you tried mapy.cz? It was great for some of the coastal alternative routes on the Norte.This does highlight something that has been a bit of an issue for this hike, namely that Google Maps is often not great with walking directions on Madeira. I think we overestimated some stage distances early on because Google’s directions, which can often be an effective if quick and dirty way of estimating distances, were convoluted and not as efficient as the actual path
I’ll post that at the end with some extra notes. Great that you’re planning to do it!If it’s not too much work for you, providing a short summary of your stages and accommodation names would be delightful for us future hikers. My plan is for 2024!
We have the tracks on maps.me, so we’re not really using Google Maps, but I just plug things in there from time to time and occasionally get weird responses like that one.Have you tried mapy.cz? It was great for some of the coastal alternative routes on the Norte.
This one today was probably the hairiest so far as the path was cut into the side of a cliff high above the ocean. The railings were reassuring enough for us but you can be the judge of how vertigo-inducing this is!If the cliffside walks get a little "hairy", as in dangerous or contributing to a bit of vertigo, do let us know.
A very beautiful view, Nick, and exhilarating! The railing definitely helps a lot, but think I would probably still only be able to sneak a peek down below. I'd be looking straight ahead or over at the wall to keep fear and vertigo at bay. I recall having to do that a few times on The Fisherman's Trail in Portugal.This one today was probably the hairiest so far as the path was cut into the side of a cliff high above the ocean. The railings were reassuring enough for us but you can be the judge of how vertigo-inducing this is!
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P.S. Too exhausted to write today’s report now but will do it on our rest day tomorrow!
This one today was probably the hairiest so far as the path was cut into the side of a cliff high above the ocean. The railings were reassuring enough for us but you can be the judge of how vertigo-inducing this is!
View attachment 152040
P.S. Too exhausted to write today’s report now but will do it on our rest day tomorrow!
Well, those lovely ceiling paintings are definitely quite old then!he was the parish priest there in the late 1800s/early 1900
Wow, Nick and Wendy. Bravo. What an epic day.Caminho Real 23 Day 7 — São Vicente to Santana: 32+km.
Well, that was a day and a half.
Who knows how far we walked or how much we climbed, but we left at sunrise (7am) and arrived 10 minutes after sunset (9:30pm). Our phones always have a big discrepancy regarding walking distance but never this much: mine says we walked 32km and Wendy’s says 57km! As for the ascents, there were four big ones and we’ve seen recorded tracks that indicate it was 2000m+.
Yes, I was very happy with that! The fog/cloud around forested mountains is also a nice effect and creates a mystical atmosphere, but I still prefer blue skies, so we had a bit of everything yesterday. Madeira’s weather is very micro-climate-like. We could even sense after one of the climbs that just crossing the pass at the top led to different weather on the other side.Wow, Nick, for starting out with a cloudy day, how lovely the heavens opened up, not with rain, but beautiful skies and you didn't miss out on all the remarkable views after all.
Love a good scandal!So happy you visited my grandfather’s church! And it is literally my grandfather’s church as he was the parish priest there in the late 1800s/early 1900s….yes, it’s a bit of a family scandal!
Yes it was a nice little walk after the recent big ones. We have seen a few of those types of waterfalls here because we’re in the dry season so the volume of water is not at its peak, but there are so many steep cliffs and mountains to create long drops.Still a great little walk you had today, mostly flat but you still captured some "sweet" views. I was impressed with that very long dropping, but extremely straight and very skinny waterfall. I'm not sure I've seen many (if any) like that one before, even on my Youtube armchair travels.
Thank you!Wow, Nick and Wendy. Bravo. What an epic day.I’ve never had such a long day on any walk. You must have felt exhausted but hopefully with a tinge of exhilaration and satisfaction. I was thinking this walk could be one for me and The French - until this Day 7. Any way to split it?
Anyhoo, fab photos and great reporting as always. Thank you
I am sorry I missed keeping up, as I do love the reports from Wendy and yourself. Maybe next week I will get time to retrieve the posts. Yes, the stamps are truly special. Thanks once more for your really valuable contribution to the forum, both of you.Here is one of our complete credenciales with all the stamps.
View attachment 152485
The stamp aspect of this caminho was fun, and different from ‘normal’ caminos. It was something like a ‘treasure hunt’ to go to specific places for stamps and it also made for an interesting way to break up each stage, with ‘How far until the next stamp?’ serving as a question that often dictated our rest stops.
The 37 stamps represent the 37 juntas de freguesia (parish councils) that the CR23 passes through, containing photos (some old) of each one.
Faboulous!!!! ThanksSome random observations / practicalities about the CR23:
— Contact the association (more than just Miguel, as it turns out) in advance and take cues and guidance from them. There is some misinformation floating around about the CR23 (and the tourist office in Funchal is one of the spreaders of this misinformation due to a political dispute), but the association will have the latest and most accurate information. This is a safe trail and we did not find it dangerous in any way. Here’s their website but they are more responsive on Facebook.
Contactos
"Caminho real", ou "estrada real", é a designação atribuída às principais vias terrestres construídas antes da implantação da República. Na Madeira, a maior parte surgiu por iniciativa dos governadores ou dos capitães-generais, funcionando como alternativa e complemento às ligações marítimas...www.caminhoreal.pt
— The best sections (in our opinion) were the stages on the west and north coasts (our days 4-7). If you had limited time but wanted to do some of the CR23, I would choose this part as it’s more ‘wild’ and the nature is more dramatic.
— It’s a serious hike. 1000m up and down is a pretty standard day on the CR23, so you have to be prepared for something that is more strenuous even than a tough camino like the Salvador/Primitivo. And some of the ups/downs are steep and slow going.
— There are a lot of water fountains, so we were fine with a 1L bottle each despite needing to drink a lot because of the climbs.
— If you stay in São Vicente, the town itself is set back from the coast and the caminho by quite a way, but there are several hotels on the coast road. Our original booking would have required walking 3km more each way but we found an (expensive) alternative on the caminho and cancelled the other one for free.
— Several other towns are also strung out quite a bit without a true centre containing everything you need. So when booking accommodation, pay more attention than usual as to where it is and how far it is from services (Arco da Calheta, Ponta do Pargo and Santana are examples of these types of towns).
— There is no waymarking signage, which means you could do this clockwise or counter-clockwise. The association’s 2023 tracks are on Wikiloc here:
2023 Volta 1º Dia
2023 Volta 1º Dia Hiking trail in Santa Luzia, Madeira (Portugal). Download its GPS track and follow the itinerary on a map. VI Volta à Madeira Pelo Caminho Real 23 Dia 1 Funchal - Ribeira Bravawww.wikiloc.com
— The cobblestones represent (at a guess) around 20% of the trail. The rest is road or dirt path walking.
— There are more supermarkets (e.g. Pingo Doce) on the south coast, which is more populated in general.
— Most of the stamps are in bars so there are places to stop for a drink/rest every day, and also potential lunch restaurants most days.
— As mentioned upthread, calculating distances and elevation changes to plan stages was a bit tricky. Mostly stages were actually a bit shorter than we thought they would be, except for our big Day 7.
If I think of any more nuggets, I’ll add them. Or if anyone has any questions, fire away!
I think our multi-day walks are done for this year but we have a surprise or two up our sleeves in the coming monthsSo, where are you taking us next? Just kidding; we'll let you rest & reflect on this one for awhile first.
I'd never heard of the Azore islands prior to my son flying reueling jets in our military and he'd spent time in the Azores. I never knew that they were part of Portugal. Are you taking a little R & R before heading back to Lisbon?I think our multi-day walks are done for this year but we have a surprise or two up our sleeves in the coming months
It turns out we are not very good at R & R!I'd never heard of the Azore islands prior to my son flying reueling jets in our military and he'd spent time in the Azores. I never knew that they were part of Portugal. Are you taking a little R & R before heading back to Lisbon?
Gorgeous! It would be difficult to stay put with views like that!It turns out we are not very good at R & R!
Today we walked a 20km trail around the Sete Cidades lakes on São Miguel.
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Thank you!How did I miss this account in real time? Only finding it today. And of course it is an absolute pleasure.
Many thanks to you both.
I use an ‘actual’ camera, but not a fancy/pro one — just a compact (point and shoot) Panasonic.Are you both old time camera users - or is it a mobile phone. Looking to update mobile. Hope your recovery is going well.
I am curious about Wendy's walking shoes. Looks like a lot of cushioning there (which I also need).
Hi wrote a fairly detailed description of the shoes in this recent thread started by @Stephan the Painter . I was really happy with how the shoes performed! They were the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn on any Camino.I am curious about Wendy's walking shoes. Looks like a lot of cushioning there (which I also need).
Thanks for the link, it was nice to be transported back to the levadas of Madeira!Although you have moved along further in your travels I trust that you and Wendy have strong memories of hiking in Madeira. I just read this reportage from BBC and thought that you would enjoy it also.
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