Madeira - Europe's safest destination in 2020 (and in 2021)

Travelling during the COVID pandemic is not an easy task and a privilege not everyone is entitled to. Restrictions, entry bans, extra precautions, extra tests, quarantine - these are all factors to take into consideration when choosing a country to travel to.

We decided upon Madeira at the very last minute as it was one of the very very few places which does not have entry ban, allowed anyone to enter (with or with pre-departure covid test) and that would not result in us having to quarantine when we get back. Bonus point - they do a covid test on arrival Free Of Charge! Results back within 12 hours.

Madeira is one of two autonomous regions in Portugal, comprising of four islands. We only visited the main island during our 2 week trip which was a good amount of time to enjoy parts of what the island offers and not feel rushed!

There are direct flights from many European countries to Madeira (skipping Mainland Portugal which would have its own COVID rules). And of course UK direct to Madeira too as that is a big market. 

Many people have chosen to holiday in Madeira because 

(1) it is its own island with its own rules (so whilst mainland Portugal may be banned, Madeira is usually assessed separately)

(2) free covid test on arrival which is good for those who cannot afford or cannot find a test provider in time for the flight. You get the results in 12 hours which is not such a big deal. Note: Rules have changed for vaccinated traveller. If you are not vaccinated, you need to show a PCR test either within 72 of departure or take the free one on arrival. Check the Visit Madeira website for more information.

(3) probably not as well-known a tourist hotspot as many other mainland european countries. When we were there, social distancing was super easy as there weren't that many tourists/people out and about. Except in Funchal center where the locals hang out

(4) there are some covid rules but because you're out in nature a lot, you are away from people mostly so the rules don't bother you much

(5) affordable. There are so many airbnb options out there and a lot of them offer so much value for what they cost! And with a lot of mountainous areas and hillside, you're not short on choices to score some cute cottage with amazing views for less than what you would expect! We lucked out when we scored a cute cottage for EUR40 per night up on top overlooking Calheta! 

View from our cute cottage with free wine

(6) adventure-filled. So much to do! Hiking, diving, snorkelling, surfing, mountain biking, paragliding. Endless

Where do we start? What do we do? Below I share what we did and our thoughts. This trip was taken in September 2020.

Visit Madeira has a lot of information on things to do, what are the covid rules, what you need to take note or any festivities happening. It is a good source of information to start hunting for adventure.

The page on walks is full of various routes you can choose with different levels of difficulty and terrain. This was a starting page for us to look into what hikes we can do and I can recommend some of the best!

PR1 - Must do hike in Madeira. You will NOT regret it. The most dramatic cliffs, mountains and scenery. It is a difficult hike but does not involve scrambling so anyone with a relatively good physical stamina and form will be able to complete it. It took us 5-6H to complete the whole loop. Go before the sunrise to view the dramatic cloud cover as the sun rises. Do take note that it is COLD in the early morning hours so bring a jacket but it then gets really warm as the day heats up so layering is key.

Waiting for the sunrise at Arreiro

At the highest peak

PR11 Balcoes - this is a very short walk, easy entry level but it is the destination that wows you. The walk takes you inside the forest and you end up at the edge overlooking the valley. At the right time of the day, you will encounter the cloud cover which provides an even more dramatic scenery. Go early for the cloud covers.

The balcony at the end of PR6

PR8 Sao Lourenco - this is the eastern most point on the island and you can see the shift in terrain. More deserty than the luscious greens of the island but still provides such a wonderful view of the ocean coastline. It is pretty bare out here so bring sun protection! I would suggest to go early as most people start after 10 or 11am.  

Sao Lourenco

Sao Lourenco

PR6 25 fontes - this is one of the recommended hikes but to be honest, not too impressed by the hike. The 3 hikes above had already blown us away by then. This follows the levada down to the bottom where you will see the waterfall. The waterfall was pretty nice, not too dramatic (probably because there wasn't enough rain?). Then at the end you reach a spring - which honestly speaking was a bit anti-climatic. But still makes for a good walk. The weather was not great when we did the hike and totally poured towards the end.

The waterfall of PR6

The house of Santana - I find it a bit gimmicky but we had a car so we drove up north. I would say skip it if you don't have the time or don't wish to spend it driving up north an back

Mountain biking (the easy trail)

Adventure sports - like canyoning, mountain biking, paragliding, diving etc.

We went with LokoLoko for our canyoning and mountain biking adventures. Nice people. We had 6 on the canyoning trip and I must say it was a lot of waiting than actually doing the canyoning as you need to clip on and clip off each of us to slide, glide, jump. It sounded a lot more fun than it actually was though the last part where we slid down the rock face was the best part. The mountain biking was fun but I am very bad at mountain biking so at one point I left the boys and went on the road whilst they humped it down. They enjoyed it though.

We found out we could paraglide in Madeira whilst we were there! And of course, with such nice weather and the scenery, we had to give it a try! We went with Madeira Paragliding. It was EUR75 each and very much weather dependent - so give them a call, drop them a whatsapp to enquire if they will be flying. It is a very chill setup and the instructors/pilots are super professional.

Blessed with great weather for flying

We also went for 2 dives - nothing spectacular but it was good to be back in the water again. 

Helming the wreck

A visit to Fanal - magical forest. Almost like stepping into fairytale setting! Best to visit when fog covers the area which will truly give you that magical feeling but still a beautiful place to visit anyway. We were not so lucky to have the fog cover but those trees - amazing!

Huge tree in Fanal

View of Fanal

Replica of Christ Redeemer

Went to the glass balcony and walked on it. Pretty nice view

Porto Moniz - this is the paid pool (not hot water)

Porto Moniz - this is the free pool (not hot water)

Of course we spent quite some time in Funchal - walking the tourist streets and visiting restaurants there. Another very touristy thing to do (and one which actually caught our eye from a TV show) was the toboggan ride. You take a cable car to the top, and a toboggan down halfway - and you either walk the rest of the way or taxi it. To be honest, it was a lot less exciting than it looked on TV. Apparently, they slowed the speed due to an accident so everything was a bit slow-moed.

When you enter Funchal, you will walk past the tourist walking street where you have lines and lines of restaurants to choose from. Basically every restaurant offers similar choices - the most famous is the black scabbard fish with passionfruit/banana. We tried but well, it's fish.

Poncha - a famous local alcohol. Passionfruit(my fav) and lemon flavours

Really liked all the colourful doors along the walking street. And remember, do not buy fruits from the indoor fruit market - all a scam! Walk out along the street and you'll find a lot of local fruit stalls selling the same at a fraction of the price!

We found our favourite restaurant in Calheta where we spent the 2nd week - Manifattura Di Gelato - it is an Italian restaurant that has some of the best gelatos and Italian food. Their pizzas are sooo good! We ended up going there for dinner on three nights! And a gelato a day while we were in Calheta! There are a few gelato shops in Funchal as well but I think this is the best (boyfriend preferred the gelato from Funchal but I think it's just the flavour he likes)

Proper woodfire pizza

Pizza for 1 or for 2?

There is so much more the island has to offer - there are good surf spot if you're into surfing. We didn't have the time to check the spots out as they are scattered around the island. Small as it may be, it is still a drive to get from one point to another. Wine tours - we did a small wine tour in Funchal but there are wineries all over the island where you can actually do a wine tour. Our concern is - Drink don't drive, drive don't drink - difficult to enjoy the wine if we're driving. You can also take a cable car down to a restaurant which has its own garden for a tour and lunch. We saw that in the program but didn't try it.

It was the flower festival + wine festival when we were there so there was a flower exhibition and a wine tent! Yes, we went to the wine tent and tasted some wine. They are quite generous with their portion when it comes to One Glass of wine. No complaints.

There's a lot more walks to explore (some are not even listed in the Visit Madeira website) and if you're an avid mountain biker, so much more to explore. Also water based activities like kayaking, SUP-ing or a boat trip around. Not to forget, Porto Santo - apparently it has one of the most beautiful beaches! 

If you're thinking of a destination to visit in Europe, give Madeira a try!

Of course, we visited during the pandemic. Things were obviously different pre-covid times (and indeed our airbnb hostess told us how she missed those old days where there was more of a festivity vibe). Hopefully we will eventually return to those times (though I must admit, I like it that it's less crowded now)

Swimming with the Winter Whales (aka Orcas aka Free Willy)

 A one in a life time experience to be up close and personal with Orcas and also the Humpback whales! There aren't that many places where you can get that experience but pretty sure it is way up high on the check list of many marine lovers. 

Back in Nov 2019, we did just that one trip of a lifetime!

How?

Norway is the most popular place to have such an experience. Every year in the winter months, you get the Orcas and Humpback whales feeding on the herrings in the Norwegian fjords. These are the best months to have a close encounter with them, plus the added benefit of the Northern Lights.

Northern Lights on board Malmo

2 ways to go about doing this - join a liveaboard (LOB) where you spend 5-7 days cruising the fjords or do day trips hoping you get lucky with them. Pros and cons for both methods - really depends on what kind of experience you're looking for!

LOB vs Day trip

Higher chance of getting a really good encounter with both Orcas and Humpback whales as you have more days to spare. Even better chance of finding bait balls! Which we did on one exceptional day! You have more freedom to explore more remote areas and having them all for yourself

It is a much  more expensive trip as a LOB costs upwards of EUR3,400 per person for a 7day trip. You don't get anything shorter than a 7 day trip. A day trip probably costs about EUR100-150.

Less flexibility with a LOB as you are stuck with the same schedule everyday for the duration of the trip. So for those who have never done a LOB before, this may not be the best type to start as days are short and nights are long. If you're short on time, day trip would be a better option.

Who

Do your internet research. There are a few companies offering such trips - either locals from Norway or international boats. We have seen a few UK companies offering such trips, some private trips as well. We booked ours with a Dutch company Waterproof Expeditions, through Dom at Dive Advice. Of course you can book directly with Waterproof, we just happened to book ours with the Galapagos trip and Dom is such a great guy and really helpful. If you're looking to book some LOB, I would highly recommend Dom at Dive Advice.

Waterproof Expeditions have one of the better priced LOB for snorkeling with the Winter Whales. 

What to pack

You'll be provided with all the gear and equipment but highly recommend you bring your own snorkel and mask. You get the dry suit with option to rent additional thermal underwear for the cold. The tip is do rent the thermal underwear unless you have your own or you're good with cold water. The water was about 4-6 Celsius and you will be out in the Zodiacs for few hours. Gloves and fins are provided. 

For all you free divers out there, you cannot free dive with the dry suit. You cannot dive at all period. The dry suit is super buoyant and there aren't enough weights on the boat to keep you down. Bring your own freediving suit and fins if you want to free dive. Ian brought his own and he moved like a seal in the water while the rest of us flapped. And according to him, he was not cold at all!

Do note that the boat did not carry much weight (they aren't really equipped for it), so either bring extra weights or make sure you communicate to the company about weight requirements!

Geared up for action

Waiting for Orcas

On board the boat, it is pretty warm inside so you don't need much. A light pair of shoes or flip flops for walking about inside would be helpful. You'll need to pack clothes for walking out on deck but if you have rented the thermal from Waterproof, then you can wear those on deck waiting for watching the whales! It is super warm to withstand the harsh wind and cold temperatures. But of course, in case you get to dock on land, it is best to be prepared to walk in the cold. 

Daily schedule

A typical day starts with breakfast at 8:00am and our guides would start look out at first light, around 9:00-ish. We usually don't get into the Zodiacs before 10:00am, sometimes even close to 11:00am. Then you'll spend the whole day on the zodiacs and when a good opportunity comes, you get in the water and try to have a good experience with the Orcas. At around 13:30 we head back to the boat as light turns to darkness. 

IF you don't want to get into the water, you can do whale watching

Amazing fjords

First close encounter with Orca

Then it's a light lunch and free time until dinner at 19:00. Most days, there'll be lectures/presentations around 17:00 on Orcas, northern lights etc. 

The boat usually docks somewhere for the night but there is no guarantee that you'll get on land on any of the nights as you can't book a spot on the docks. We only managed to get on land on 1 night and that was a much needed break away from the boat to have a walk and stock up on snacks!

Getting to touch and lick some Arctic ice

Food

Talking about snacks - make sure you stock up on some munchies as you do have a lot of free time on the boat and on our boat there weren't really snacks provided. Lunch was a quick one - usually soup, or pasta, whilst dinner is a 2 course meal (starter + main or main + dessert). These were all delicious and especially dinner was professionally presented, but for most of us dinner portions were sometimes not enough. On the last night, we got a chef dinner with 3 courses! This was so very different from our Galapagos LOB where all meals were buffet style and snacks were abundance throughout the day!

Cabin fever?

You do get a lot of time stuck on the boat. Unlike other LOB in tropical locations where you dive 3-4 times a day and hardly have time to relax, you are out for 2-3 hours max a day and the rest of the long nights on the boat. It gets dark by 14:00 at that time of the year and the day gets shorter as the winter season deepens. So pretty much a lot of inactive time - bring your books, download your movies/shows to kill time. Our cabin is pretty compact (no space to do any sort of activity) and the boat doesn't have much to offer except the deck - you wouldn't want to spend much time out there in the dark. We also had a bunk bed cabin - no option for double beds with our boat Malmo.

Our mini cabin

There are other boat options out there too - with Waterproof they also have Freya which has a sauna and better cabins. I saw that they have another boat M/S Polar which seems to also run for Winter whales and that boat looked like it has more space to do other stuff indoors. Of course different boats have different rates and run on different dates. Have a look, or shop around different providers. We had a last minute offer on a private catamaran which looked pretty luxurious.

Of course, you get the option to do a Polar plunge on one of the nights! Some of us do - obviously Ian took up the challenge TWICE! And I didn't...

Worth it?

It started slow - day 1 was not too much action and we were with too many other boats but most people had some good close experience. Of course with nature, it is always a hit and miss, you can never predict what will happen. From many other people's experience, it pays to stay in the water away from other people and wait patiently for the Orcas to come closer to you. And of course, if you're in a free diving suit, you have a better chance to get closer and faster to them as you're less restricted by the dry suit. 

Mum & baby orcas

We hit jackpot on the 2nd to last day - with 4 bait balls in a day! That day made it all worthwhile! The exhausting swim in dry suit to get to the bait ball and be surrounded by too many to count Orcas and Humpbacks - all so close to you. We were damn lucky and so grateful for it.

My Close encounter with Humpback

More humpback

Close encounter with Orca

So Hell yeah! It is such an awesome experience! Even if you hadn't had a bait ball experience, to be able to swim so close to them by itself is already very impressive and not something that can happen on a normal dive. But I would caution on not having too high an expectation. A few people on our boat were on their 2nd trip as they didn't get to swim with any Orcas at all during the 1st. Whilst a Japanese diver was on his 2nd because he had too much fun the 1st time! 

Also special thanks to our great guides - Birgitta and Szymon