Recommend a Madeira itinerary for 10 days?
 

Hi!<BR><BR>We're headed to Madeira on March 11 and don't know if we should stay put in one hotel outside Funchal--the Quinta da Penha da Franca--for 10 days, or if we should &quot;hotel hop&quot; around the island? What is recommended? How hard is it to drive around to each of the levada walks? (We love to enjoy nature and go for walks. We're not into clubs and nightlife.) Would you recommend staying in Ponta do Sol for the entire time instead of outside Funchal? If so, which hotel? What is the website?<BR>Thanks so much for your help!

Of course, so much depends, as always, on your individual preferences in travel, but I would think that the advantage of staying in one quinta for the whole stay would outweigh the driving times. Perhaps for the farthest northwest you would want to have an overnight elsewhere, but Madeira is not huge and there are many walks within easy reach of the Funchal area. (Lucky you...they are incredible.) <BR><BR>Don't forget to ride the wicker chairs down from Monte! That's been a tourist attraction for more than a hundred years now, and it's great fun.<BR><BR>Happy trails!

The island's compact enough that anywhere is easily reacable in a day trip from Funchal - even the far NW at Porto Moniz is less than a 2.5 hour drive these days. There's no practical <BR>reason not to use a single hotel as a base unless you have a particlar interest in staying at more than one.<BR>Now, as for the driving difficulty, this will depend a lot on your past experience with narrow mountain roads. Although there are modern upgraded highways in Funchal and along the south coast from Canico to Ribeira Bravo, elsewhere is more demanding, especially along the north coast and the breathtaking little &quot;road&quot; down into Rabacal. Hire a small car, be prepared for unexpected tight bends, steep inclines and on-coming traffic in the middle of the road (especially trucks and tour buses). Above all, drive defensibly. That said, the roads are very quiet oustide Funchal and driving is the best way to see some of the most amazing sights on the island, such as the Paul de Serra plateau and the Pico de Arreiro mountain, not to mention getting to and from the best levada walks. <BR><BR>Finally, Ponto do Sol is very pleasant little town, surrounded by cliffs laden with banana plantations - but there's not much there, maybe only one or two hotels, one of which is on the seafront though I can't recall its name off-hand.

Before the grammar police get on to me, make that &quot;DEFENSIVELY&quot;

I would stay in Funchal itself or just outside it. Or near it in Monte. I don´t mean the major hotel zone, but a little further. Just because Funchal is a lovely town, and outside it the island is very much &quot;countryside&quot;. In Funchal you have a good choice of restaurants ond some nice shopping, lovely parks and so on. It is also easier to explore the island with public busses, which are punctual and fun to use. And all leave from Funchal.<BR><BR>It is also very easy to arrange transportation to walks with taxis. You negotiate the price, and make a deal that the driver will take you where the walk starts, and will come and pick you up from the other end after x hours. Has never failed.<BR><BR>Naturally you can also hire a car, but it is not necessary. We have never done that. Mainly because we are there always in December, and at that time the weather is unpredictable. If the fog rises, it is so thick that you cannot see your own hand, let alone the road. And the roads and traffic are exactly like Gordon described. I just feel safer in a bus or taxi with a locel driver.<BR><BR>There are also tour companies who have these very comfortable small busses (max 10 people). They collect people from different hotels and take them to the beginning of a desired walk. And then come and pick you up after you are done with walking. Same companies offer different island tours.

I forgot. Buy a book &quot;Landscapes of Madeira&quot; by Sunflower Books. It has almost 100 walking suggestions with accurate maps. It even has bus timetables, but you should check in Finchal if those are still valid.<BR><BR>One hotel where you should stay a night is up on Pico Areiro. Nothing else, just that pousada. Then wake up early in the morning and watch the sun rise from behind of Pico Ruivo. It is unforgettable!