Madeira Island East Tour – A – Framed Houses

On the East Madeira Tour heads for Camacha. The road is lined with orchards and in summer, with blue blossom of the agapanthus. Camacha sits on a high plateau on the northeast of Funchal. At Camacha you will visit “O relogio”, the largest outlet on the island for wicker products and nobody will pressurise you to buy. Demonstrations of wicker weaving can be seen in the basement.Camacha is also the first place were soccer was played in Portugal in 1875.

We then uphill heading for Pico Arieiro, 1818m (5965 fts). It is the third highest peak in Madeira. As you climb, the green woodland gives way to bare rock. There are tremendous views over an endless succession of knife-edge ridges and sheer cliffs. Cotton-wool clouds hang in the valleys.

Leaving Pico Areiro continuing your journey up hill, through small terraces lining the road where you can find all types of fruits before you reaching Ribeiro Frio is a delightful spot set among the Laurissilva forest This Forest was classified in the World Heritage by UNESCO in 1999.

Santana.- Presenting a picture of domestic and agricultural prosperity. The predominant colour is the greens of the terraced fields and the hay meadows, interspersed by apple, pear and cherry orchards, dotted among the haystack are triangular thatched buildings, used by local farmers as cow sheds. Traditionally people lived in these ingenious structures. You will discover how spacious the Santana ´A` farmed buildings are when you visit one.

Driving down to the North Coast, to a rural village of Porto da Cruz. Located at the foot of a Rock called Penha d´Aguia, and on the other side, steep terraced slopes. The only running sugar mill in the north coast is located in this village. Its brick chimney stands up high in the village. It has a beautiful sea promenade.

Machico´s bay was the first place where Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira landed when Madeira was discovered. It has an uncommonly shaped valley, which looks as if a balcony overlookes the sea and the mountains, in a municipality with great abundance in water. The sugar cane crops and its mills activities made it become very important for Madeira’s economy until the 17th century. The eastern side of Machico bay is dominated by Pico do Facho a 320 mts (1050 ft) a high peak. It was named after the beacon (facho) that used to be lit here to warn residents of approaching pirates.

Ponta de São Lourenço. The eastern most point of the island. The area around Caniçal and Sao Lourenço has a similar climate to that of the island of Porto Santo. It is noticeable that the nature vegetation is different here .The north and south coast can be seen simultaneously. On a clear day Porto Santo can also be seen. Beautiful rock formation can be found in this region and one of the coast plants, the ice plant.