Published on Feb, 2022
Our guide Nuno picked us up at 8:30 at our hotel, in a great Land Rover Defender, and said the jeep was all ours, we were the only two on the tour, fabulous. Having been on Green Devil trips on previous holidays to the island, we knew we were in for a treat.
We set of along the west coast passing Camara do Lobos and down to R Brava, where we explored this charming town.
Then we climbed into the interior of the island, with Nuno giving excellent commentary along the way. The twists and turns and sheer steepness is breath taking.
At about 1100metres we ventured off road into the eucalyptus Forrest’s. Having been raining it gave the Defender a torrid time, as the track was slippery, Nuno battled to keep us going in a straight line~ great fun.
As we revved and twisted along the dirt track , our guide would stop and pick wild herbs such as oregano and rosemary to sniff, along with wild flowers and fruits.
Due to the weather we were unable to enjoy the roof being opened, but it did not spoil our adventure. We made it to the plateau, some 1600M above sea level and stopped for a well deserved poncha, which had been warmed ( very nice).
The rain had certainly poured down on the plateau, as makeshift ponds and lakes had appeared at the side of the road.
We rolled into a small village for lunch, a wonderful bowl of food with wine ( pork and bean stew) followed by the best cheesecake we have ever eaten.
With our bellies full we continued the “ Grates of Fire “ tour. Stunning scenery and waterfalls were a plenty.
We went from the most western point, Ponta do Pargo, all along the west coast, taking in
Paul do Mar, calheta, Madalena do Mar and ponta do sol.
It was a fabulous day, made so by our guide Nuno, and of course the trusty Land Rover.
Highly recommend Green Devil for your Madeira adventures. Thank~you