We’ve officially arrived at our third stop, Madeira! Like São Miguel in the Azores (where we just came from), Madeira is a small Portuguese volcanic island in the Atlantic. But while the Azores felt peaceful and untamed, with rolling hills, crater lakes, and endless hydrangeas, Madeira is bold and dramatic, with jagged peaks, sheer cliffs, and a bustling capital city. Both are stunning, just in their own separate ways.

We landed in Madeira close to midnight, and the first thing I noticed as I stepped off the plane was hundreds of orange lights twinkling in the distance, like fireflies in the night sky. After picking up our rental car and winding up the steep, mountainous roads toward our hotel, I realized those twinkling lights were actually street lamps, visible from far away because the island is practically built vertically. The mountainous terrain makes driving here a bit daunting, with narrow streets that sometimes reach inclines of up to 45%. Engineers had to get creative with the infrastructure, stitching together roads with hundreds of tunnels and bridges. The airport is also very impressive, although a little infamous. With no flat stretch of land long enough for a runway, it was partly built on a platform extending out over the ocean. Strong winds, nearby mountains, and a relatively short runway make it one of the most difficult airports to fly into - something that made me particularly anxious as we touched down. Thankfully, runway extensions and special pilot training have made it much safer over the years, and now here we are!

A Tale of Three Trails

There’s no better way to explore Madeira’s natural beauty than on foot, so we strapped on our hiking boots (or in my case, my trusty Tevas) and hit the trails on our first three days on the island.

On our first day, we tackled the Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço, a 7-kilometer trail on the far eastern tip of Madeira. Normally we like to start hikes early to avoid the crowds, but after our late flight the night before, we didn’t make it to the trailhead until early afternoon. The upside? We easily found a parking spot and the trail was far less crowded than expected. The downside? There was no shade whatsoever, and I was wildly unprepared for the blazing afternoon sun (extra embarrassing since I’m constantly reminding Hanqing to apply sunscreen). By the time we finished the hike, I had turned a deep shade of crimson from the neck down, with the exception of a pale line where my camera strap had been slung across my chest. Still, it was more than worth it for the amazing panoramic views of red volcanic cliffs plunging into turquoise water on both sides.

The next day, after slathering on aloe vera and diligently applying sunscreen, we set off on the Vereda do Pico Ruivo, a 6-kilometer trail to Madeira’s highest peak. Unlike the harsh sun and stark cliffs from the day before, we walked above a white sea of clouds alongside incredible views of mist curling around the mountains. When we reached the peak, it felt like we were standing on top of the world - definitely one of the top three hikes I’ve ever done.

Our third day in Madeira was a bit cooler and rainier, perfect for heading north to hike the Levada das 25 Fontes. Unlike the vereda trails we hiked the first two days that offered sweeping coastal and mountain views, levada trails run alongside irrigation channels that were built centuries ago to carry water from the rainy north side of the island to the drier south. We followed the irrigation channel through a lush, mossy tangle of ferns and trees to a hidden grotto where water trickled down from “25 fountains” (I didn’t bother counting them all) into a crystal blue pool. After the hike, we continued our mystical, magical adventure at Fanal Forest, where we wandered through fog among majestic laurel trees with twisting branches and moss-covered trunks. A fun surprise: there were a bunch of cows roaming freely in the forest, making the experience feel even more fairytale-like.

Peaks and Valleys

This week hasn’t been without its disappointments. On our second-to-last day, we set a 5:30am alarm to catch the sunrise above the clouds at Pico do Arieiro, one of Madeira’s most famous viewpoints. But the moment we stepped outside and felt the drizzle, we knew it didn’t look promising. As we drove up the mountain, the fog thickened, the wind picked up, and the rain only got heavier. When we reached the summit, we sat in the car for 15 minutes debating whether to tough it out or cut our losses. Eventually, we decided to get out of the car and give it a shot, but after just a few blustery minutes on the trail, it was obvious we weren’t going to see anything. So, damp and defeated, we headed back.

That evening, things turned around with a sunset cruise along Cabo Girão on the southern side of the island. We sailed along the coast and watched the sun dip below the horizon, painting the sky in incredible colors. The vibes on the boat were immaculate as well, aided by an open bar, and we had a great time hanging out with some of the other couples onboard. Meeting fellow travelers from around the world and hearing bits about their lives has been one of the most unexpected highlights of this trip so far. At one point, one of the girls pulled out her phone to show us photos she took at Pico do Arieiro the day before and urged us to give it another shot.

On our final full day in Madeira, Hanqing kept a close eye on the live webcam feed at Pico do Arieiro, refreshing every hour or so. The fog finally appeared to clear in the mid-afternoon, and we immediately jumped in the car and drove back up the mountain. This time the views did not disappoint. At the peak, we took in breathtaking views of mountain ridges rising above the clouds, glowing in the late afternoon sun. Walking along the narrow ridgelines with sheer drops on either side was a bit terrifying though. Maybe with enough exposure therapy on this trip, I’ll eventually get over my fear of heights.

On Cloud Wine

Beyond its stunning landscapes, Madeira is also known for its namesake wine. There are only eight Madeira producers on the island, and we visited two - H. M. Borges and Vinhos Barbeito - to learn about the production process and sample a few varieties. Unlike Port, another Portuguese fortified wine we’d just learned about in Porto, Madeira is produced through a unique heat-based aging process, giving it distinct nutty, caramelized, and acidic flavors. Hanqing and I both preferred it to the richer, sweeter flavor profile of Port, and it felt like the perfect way to toast our amazing week in Madeira.