Day 4 – Madeira: Hiking Pico Ruivo & Recanto Food Experience
Our alarm went off at 4am and our day started while it was still dark out. Today we were hiking Pico Ruivo to catch the sunrise. The original reason we booked this trip was to hike the 10 mile trail from Pico Areiro (2nd highest peak in Madeira) to Pico Ruivo (highest peak in Madeira) but unfortunately the connecting trail was closed due to fires earlier this year so we had to choose one. We went with Pico Ruivo since it was the highest peak and had a longer portion of the trail open (3.5 miles).
Stepping outside of our hotel at 4:30am, The weather was actually perfect – warm enough to wear shorts and a tank top but I knew it would be colder on the mountain so we brought layers with us. I packed leggings, a long sleeve, sweatshirt, and my windbreaker. Steli rocked shorts the whole time but also had a long sleeve and his windbreaker.
It was a 50 minute drive from our hotel to the starting point of Pico Ruivo and we were basically the only ones on the road. We arrived at 5:35am and it was still pitch black out. It was also MUCH cooler up here so we layered up before starting the hike. There were a few other cars there, some people were wearing headlights but our phone flashlights were enough to see. As we started to climb up the mountain you could see the first light over the horizon. It was unlike anything we’d ever seen.
As we got higher up the trail we didn’t need our flashlights anymore but had lots of steps ahead of us as we made our way to the peak. We reached the top by 6:30am and had 30 minutes to rest and relax as we watched the sunrise at 7:03 am. It was breathtaking. It was also extremely windy at the top so I was glad I layered up while Stelios regretted not throwing pants in his backpack and used my sweatshirt as a blanket.
After snapping some sunrise pics we started to make our descent down the mountain. For the majority of the walk down we were still above the clouds which was absolutely surreal, it felt like I was in a dream. There was also a big temperature change as we walked down the mountain and I ended up taking off all of my layers and finished the hike in shorts and a tank top. We reached the bottom of the trail at 8:30am and had worked up quite an appetite hitting over 10k steps just from the hike. There was a sign across the parking lot for a mountain cafe but unfortunately it was closed and didn’t open until 9:30am. While the view was lovely and would’ve been a great way to enjoy breakfast post hike, we were too hungry to wait around.
So we hopped in the car and started our drive down the mountain and ended up in a town called Santana. I googled nearby breakfast spots that were open and we ended up at Delicías da Bia, a local bakery, for coffee and breakfast. The breakfast pastries looked scrumptious. We ordered 2 of the ham and cheese pastries – 1 with a brioche bun and the other in a puff pastry (I liked the latter best which I learned was called a Folhado Misto). Stelios had a cappuccino and the Portuguese donut with vanilla crème and I had an espresso. The Folhado Misto was so good we ordered a second one and a Pastel de Nata to share.
It was very cloudy and grey in Santana, which was surprising because the whole hike down from pico Ruivo was clear blue skies. Rather than explore Santana on a gloomy day (we would be exploring the north side of the island later on in our trip) we decided to drive back to Funchal in hopes for some sun. It’s truly crazy how the weather is completely different after driving only 45 minutes. It was blue skies and sunshine back in Funchal. We showered and relaxed in the room, then I decided to go lay out by the pool. Stelios wasn’t in the mood to lay out so he walked to town to check out a hat store we passed yesterday.
By 4pm we both went back to the room to get ready for dinner. I had booked us the “Recanto food experience” – a 3 hour farm to table gastronomic experience, hosted on the plantation with a seasonal changing menu for only 50€ per person. It was about a 15 minute drive from our hotel and we were greeted at the door by our host Andres, and his friend Marcos who would be assisting him. Andres led us to the backyard which was a beautiful open air kitchen with a view of the farm and ocean in the distance. He told us that the land belonged to his grandfather (the original farmer) and has been in the family for over 75 years. He sat us at the table and we introduced ourselves to the other guests – a couple from Scotland, a couple from Ohio, a couple from the US Air Force, and 2 friends from the UK. The experience started with Andres showing us how the locals make poncha and served us each a glass. At this point Stelios and I were not a fan of the local poncha drink, but the one Andres made was definitely better than the others we had tried. Along with the poncha, he gave us each a piece of Bolo de miel (Madeira honey cake) which was delicious.
Andres then gathered the group and toured us around the farm, explaining what they grow (which was quite a lot – bananas, avocados, tomatoes, melon pears, bird of paradise flower, pepper, passion fruit, and more) he also explained how they used their Levada that runs through the house to irrigate all of the plants which I found very interesting.
After the farm tour, Andres took us to the indoor dining room where we continued to chat amongst each other and enjoyed our meal. To start, we were served white wine and bolo de caco (the classic Madeiran bread with butter, garlic, and parsley). Next we had salad made with cheese from the Azores, melon pear, papaya, and Greek yogurt dressing. The appetizer course was Portuguese clams from the mainland in a garlic white wine sauce, and the main course was Espetada served with roasted potatoes. We actually got to watch Andre’s grill the Espetada over the charcoal grill and it was cooked to perfection. The potatoes were also amazing, probably because the seasoning was grown right in his garden (thyme, rosemary, and oregano). The meal was finished with a sweet ending – panacotta with Brazilian jam. Overall an excellent local dining experience with great company and a fantastic way to end our last night in Funchal.
