Trip to Madeira and Sao Miguel

Day 6 - Tuesday, February 20, 2024 - Funchal

Today we didn't have to meet our driver until 9:00 and we are exploring the western part of the island. Our guide said that between our 2 tours we will have seen 80% of the island. On our drive we saw lots of banana plants which grow in the lower altitudes. Our first stop was a little fishing village, called Camara da Lobos, that Churchill used to visit and was often found here painting. Next was Cabo Girao, Europe's highest cliff at 580 meters. Unfortunately the line to buy tickets to go on the platform was too long for our allotted time. Then we saw the church with the crystal chandeliers at Ribiera Brava.Our next stop was at Parque Florestal, Fanal, where we saw all the hugh Bay leaf trees. The views along the way were stunning, the roads narrow and winding and the terracing of the land a marvel. Another lookout was Ribiera Da Janela. We stopped at a beautiful restaurant, Lapa Bay, in Porto Moniz for lunch and had a delicious meal. I had duck, Ron ordered tuna and we shared. Next we checked out a waterfall and the very narrow road that used to be used at Veu de Noiva. At Sao Vicente we saw the church and cemetery. Finally we had our last drink together as a group at Taberna da Poncha. Poncha is a mix of Rum, lemon and honey which the fishermen drank to keep warm. It was a full day. We returned at 7:00 and again we opted not to go to dinner as we were still full.

Camara de Lobos