Today Bob and I took a full-day Discover Madeira tour to the west and then north of the island. We had a full van of a driver and 14 guests.
We learned a little bit about Madeira. First, bananas are a main crop, and we saw banana trees all over the terraced slopes of the island. The bananas are only exported to mainland Portugal due both to limits of production and EU standards for size, etc of fruit. Sugar cane is also a main crop, and we saw lots of eucalyptus and then laurel trees, one variety of which provides the bay leaf for cooking.
It is also an island of tunnels, with almost 200 on the island to facilitate transportation. We had 8 stops during the tour.
Stop 1: A viewpoint of the fishing village, Pico Da Torre
Stop 2: A pay to view stop at Cabo Girao. There is a glass floor viewing platform here.
Stop 3: The small, pretty community of Ribiera Brava.
Stop 4: We then drove to the top of the west part of the island to Fanal, which is a UNESCO site to help preserve the native laurel trees.
Stop 5: A brief photo stop at the Ribeira Da Janela, as we came back down the mountain before reaching our long stop for lunch
Stop 6: A 1.5 hour stop at Porto Moniz in the north of the island. This town is known for its rock with a window and its natural pools.
Stop 7: A photo-op of a waterfall near Seixal, also along the north coast
The 8th stop was another photo-op of a waterfall, this time near Sao Vicente
Peckish Travels 
2 replies on “Go West, Pecks, and A Little North (2/20/26)”
Looks beautiful, lots of green Hope the weather is kind to you. Sorry to hear Bob is troubled with his hip, wishing him well with a steady wind at his back 😁👍
S.J.B
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It is a gorgeous island. The van tour worked well for getting us both out to see more of it without too much strain on his hip. We have an appointment with orthopedist when we get back to see what the diagnosis is.
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