Leaving the South Coast for the Wild West (Western Madeira)

Member Name: Praskipark

Product:	Western Madeira
Date:	20/01/09 (155 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Charming villages and breathtaking scenery of a underrated area

Disadvantages: Can be windy and desolate

Most people who visit Madeira generally stay in the capital which is Funchal and totter around the outskirts. I suggest you swap the built up south coast with its popular sights for the charming villages and scenery of the underrated west.

You can sign up for a guided bus tour or hire a car or go so far by bus. The journey I did and am going to review for you takes a day so it might be wise to stay overnight in Porto Moniz.

The Place of the Wolves (Camara de Lobos)
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Nowadays, thanks to the fast new motorway, you can race into the Riveira Brava from Funchal in around twenty minutes. Well, you can if my husband is behind the steering wheel. However, at New Year we decided to take the old picturesque coastal road, which meanders out through the capital's western suburbs past volcanic cliffs streaked with yellow lava, terraces lush with banana trees and houses half hidden behind giant hibiscus trees.

Five miles along the coast you come to the Place of the Wolves (Camara de Lobos), named by the 15th century explorers, after the seals (seal wolves) in Portuguese - which they found frolicking in the ocean here. Today, the bay is full of open wooden fishing boats; this is one of the island's most important harbours as far as the local fishing industry's concerned.

Just behind the fish market on the bay's western shore there stands a little chapel. This is the Fishermen's Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Conceicao and it is worth a peek insde. It was the second chapel to be erected on Madeira and was built in 1420. Despite an extensive 18th century overhaul the building still has charm. I only know that because I was told, that the altar dates from that period. The nave is lined with paintings depicting scenes from the life of St Pedro Goncalves Telmo, patron saint of sailors, including one in which the apostle Peter fishes for espada (scabbard fish in Portuguese) on the shores of Lake Galilee.

On the pebbly beach you'll see fishermen methodically mending the long lines they use to catch espada. Now you might ask how do I know that and what is espada. Espada is Portuguese for scabbard fish which is a white fleshy fish and the mending of the nets is a regular scene in the fishing villages of the Algarve like Burgau and Salema. They also love to play cards which is very Madeirian as Portuguese love to play dominoes. I don't know if many of you know the Atlantic Ocean but it is wild and pretty dangerous and far too stormy for fishermen to take out their small crafts so you will find that they only go out to sea about three times a week.

It is a picturesque scene but this in fact is one of the poorest villages in Madeira. In the narrowest streets of the town you will see women embroidering, trying to oke out the meagre family income, and children dressed in rags. Some houses here rely on one tap per street, along with outside toiets and a communal bathhouse.

Just off the Largo Republica - the small main square in the centre of the village is the parish church of Sao Sebastiao, well worth a look inside for its blue and yellow azulejos (hand painted tiles). While the building dates back to 1430, it, too was extensively altered in the 18th century.

Now the road winds inland; just outside town a right turn leads to the Pico da Torre miradouro (observation point) which has fine views down over Camara de Lobos lovely crescent-shaped bay and east back to Funchal.

Back on the main road, bananas give way to vines as you climb through increasingly built up countryside, bristling with modern villas built by returned emigrants. There's not much to see in little Estreito de Camara de Lobos unless your visit coincides with the busy weekend market, when farmers arrive from all over the region to buy and sell livestock, vegetables and fruit. Another high point in the village calendar I am told is the September wine harvest. Harvested grapes in giant wicker baskets line the road sides, waiting to be taken to wine centres and crushed.

Now, carry on for another 5 kilometres following signs to Cabo Girao, the second highest sea cliff in the world. The sign at the viewing platform says 580 metres - the distance downwards to the dark, pebbly beach and the seagulls wheeling far below. Amazingly, there are even a few poios (terraces) clinging to ledges along the steep cliff face, which once you could reach by boat or by means of a precipitous staircase of stone, cut into the rock. Nowadays, thankfully, there is a way down that anyone can take - the Teleferico Fajas do Cabo Girao cable car which you will find down Rua Jose Avelino Pinto, to the east of the viewing platform. There's a snack bar near the viewing platform, with toilets and room for parking outside. This is also the starting point for an easy two hour ramble back down Camara de Lobos but I won't give you directions for this today - I may write a seperate review on the walks in Madeira.

Ribeira Brava
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Double back from the cape and turn left at the crossroads on to the main road again. It is 12 kilometres from here to Ribeira Brava through a series of broad valleys densely scattered with villages. The resort of Ribeira Brava itself is a bustling little place, with a small market and a paved seafront promenade lined with modern cafes. It also has a surprisingly grand parish church, Sao Bento, built in the 15th century and located just off the main street, Rua do Visconde. Like so many churches on the island, Sao Bento was given an extensive facelift during the 18th century but some Manueline features have survived - notably the carved stone pulpit and the prodigious baptismal font, adorned with mythological figures and set in its own chapel just to the right of the entrance.

Further inland is the excellent Museu Etnografico da Madeira (Madeiran Ethnographic Museum). This is housed in a former convent that was later turned into a sugar cane crushing mill and rum distillery. The museum's exhibits cover every facet of island life, from fishing and transport to agriculture, weaving, house building and the wine industry. There are craft demonstrations such as embroidery and weaving, and the museum has a small craft shop and cafe. (Rua de sao Francisco - Open Tues-Sun 10am until noon, 2-6pm).

The Coastal Road
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A relatively new road, and remarkably straight by Madeiran standards runs between Ribeira Brava and Calheta, tunnelling through the lava-streaked coastal cliffs where it cannot arrow past their feet. Between two long tunnels, at Lugar do Baixo, you will emerge into the daylight to catch a glimpse of a sleepy seaside hamlet with a remarkable stylish cafe and visitor centre, built beside the pebble beach and some small duck-filled lagoons. Some 4 kilometres west along this route is Ponta do Sol, another seaside village with an unusually splendid parish church, again built with sugar money. This one has a green ceramic front which was a gift from King Manuel 1, along with some rare yellow 17th century azulejos, but the real highlight is the chancel's carved Mudejar style wooden ceiling which dates back to the early 1500's. Ponta do Sol's other main claim to fame is its uninterrupted westerly views. Bars and hotels in the village make a feature of the colourful sunsets you can view from their windows.

The coastal road continues on through Madalena do Mar to the town of Calheta, southwestern Madeira's main settlement. Subject to considerable investment in recent years, this now has Madeira's only golden-sand beach, albeit an artificial one, with associated hotels, shopping centre and good seafood restaurants. Drive out of the town up the steep exit road to find the massive grey church, begun in 1430 ( the elegant stonework on the main portal here is Manueline) but subsequently renovated several times over.The church is usually locked but if you wish to go inside then ask at the sugar mill next door as they have the key. Treasures include a giant silver and ebony sacrarium, kept in the chapel in the side aisle, and the beautiful preserved wooden Mudejar-style ceiling in the choir.

The sugar mill next door is one of only two on Madeira that still produce sugar-cane spirit (aguardente) and molasses. The owners are very happy to give you a tour of this rare surviving example of an industry that once brought great riches to Madeira.

At Calheta, the road climbs up and inland to rejoin the 101, the winding old main road. The 16th century Capela dos Reis Magos, the main sight at Estreito da Calheta some 3 kilometres further west, is reached down a narrow lane leading off to the right just before the turn off to Jardim do Mar. With its white washed belfry and miniature windows, this tiny building is a refreshingly simple affair, despite the coat of arms of its wealthy landowner founder, Francisco de Gouveia, carved in stone above the entrance.
The chapel is always kept locked, but the key may be obtained from the house next door on request. It's worth the trouble: the altarpiece inside is over 460 years old, its wings marvellously decorated with Flemish panel paintings, and with a splendid carving at its centre depicting the Adoration of the Magi.

Jardim do Mar (Garden of the Sea)
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It is about 4 kilometres to Jardim do Mar, along a side road that winds steeply down past banana tree-clad cliffs. The unspoilt village of old stone houses, cobbled streets and lush gardens overflowing with flowering trees and vines has an almost Mediterranean atmosphere; it is certainly one of the most beautiful spots on the island. Jardim do Mar is also gaining fame among young surfers for its big waves and classic break formations. Evidence of the beginnings of a surf culture in Madeira can be found in the posters and photographs pinned to the walls of the village cafes.

Now we have to retrace our steps to Estreito da Calheta and continue the route west. The road winds high above the sea, through tranquil forests of aromatic pine and eucalyptus, mimosa and sweet chestnut. There is a sense of increasing isolation, for the only signs of human habitation are scattered along the mountain ridges; deep ravines seperate the villages here. The cliff hamlet of Prazeres, some 10 kilometres further on, is typical: unplastered one room houses built from dark basalt in the old style, clustering round an oversized church with looming towers.

To the Most Westerly Point
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More peaceful rural scenery is in store as you drive on to the most westerly point on the island at Ponta do Pargo. Apple and pear orchards line the road; small brown cows graze in the fields; women farmhands in bright headscarves and wellies stride by, hoes (enchadas) slung purposefully over their shoulders. Modern life scarcely seems to have intruded here for decades.

At the village, follow the yellow signs for the farol (lighthouse), a bit of a 2 mile detour. Perched on a rocky headland tufted with thistles and heather, this sturdy red-tipped building overlooks a vast sweep of sea; next stop, America.

You'll be lucky tp pass more than two or three other cars as you head north to the seaside resort of Porto Moniz. The quiet cliff-top road meanders through a few isolated villages, but the scenery here is mainly broom and eucalyptus forest, banked with flowers and bracken. The local farmers protect their land from the wind and salt with hedges of heather: the little look out, just before you reach the turn off for the town, has good views of some chequered countryside down at sea level.

Porto Moniz is where many Madeirans come on holiday, and its handful of boarding houses and hotels get extremely busy, I should imagine, during the peak summer months, when various seasonal seafood restaurants also do a roaring trade. The resort's main drawcard is the volcanic rock swimming pools down on the beach front, gouged by waves and weathered out of a single tongue of lava that poured into the sea thousands of years ago. Away from the crowded pool area, there is a palm fringed seafront promenade which leads on to a small aquarium housed in a former fortress.

Last leg of the Journey
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The last leg of the journey heads inland, returning to Funchal over a vast stretch of windswept moorland known as the Paul da Serra. To find the turn off, retrace your steps through Porto Moniz and backtrack for about 7 kilometres along the way you came. The moor is signposted off to the left: it's 77 kilometres roughly back to Funchal from here which is about a 90 minutes drive, with stops to admire the views. The road that climbs up to the plateau is a dramatic one, winding through thick cedar and laurel forest and passing broad valleys which drop away abruptly to the sea. The moor itself is remarkably flat, and cloaked in scrubby, goat-nibbled heathers; mist sweeps by like smoke from a huge bonfire. If the clouds part as you cross the Paul da Serra moor you'll certainly be rewarded with glimpses of all the south coastal villages that you drive through earlier on this route.

And that is the end of my tour of western Madeira. It is a long day but worth doing in one go. You have to bear in mind that all the coastal villages are very small and once you have had a walk around and perhaps a drink of coffee then there isn't much else to see. I know some of my journeys seem like a whirlwind but this is how I have always travelled. I try to cram as many towns, views, churches in one visit so I can move on and go somewhere else.

All car rental companies are based in Funchal.

Just a few words regarding driving on the island. Madeira may be a paradise for rally drivers, but it can be quite scary for the average motorist. It is not unusual to hear someone honk approaching a sharp curve and have them overtake you in a daredevil manoeuvre. Yet although most Madeiran drivers appear to take more notice of the prevailing conditions than of the traffic signs, it's worth driving carefully and being considerate. Don't forget to drive on the right. Seat belts have to be worn and drink driving laws are very strict and random checks are frequent and on the spot fines will be issued.

Don't let that put you off - western Madeira is an area of great beauty and I recommend a real tour of this area. It will take your breath away.

Summary: A spectacular area of Madeira