Day 9 – Madeira: Ponta de São Lourenco & Luxury Catamaran Ride
My alarm went off at 5:15am. Today was our last full day in Madeira and we planned to make the most of it. We got dressed for a hike, brought along a change of clothes and bathing suits to throw in the car. This morning the plan was to hike PR 8 Sau Lourenco Viewpoint on the eastern most side of the island which we hadn’t really explored yet. It’s supposed to be a beautiful sunrise hike but unfortunately there was a big dark grey cloud hovering over that side of the island as we drove towards it.
The starting point of the hike was 30ish minutes from our hotel and we started at 6:45am. The hike was a coastal 5 mile out and back trail to the tip of Ponta de Sao Lourenco. It was extremely windy in between the mountains in the areas where they weren’t blocking the wind. I was very grateful we had our windbreakers on and had to tighten my hat so that it didn’t fly away. In the gaps between the mountain peaks the ocean on the left side was choppy and rough but on the right side was completely flat and serene. There was also a small camp ground about 3/4 of the way to the top where people can do the hike, stay overnight and wake up to watch the sunrise. The hike took us about 3 hours to complete. We finished by 9:45am and the crowds were rolling in. From tour buses, to people in rental cars, this trail was about to get a lot more crowded, so I was happy we woke up early to do it. Back at the parking lot there was a juice truck that looked enticing but it was a trap. They charged Stelios 5€ for a tiny cup of OJ that was definitely not freshly squeezed. Oh well.
We hopped in the car and drove back to our hotel to try and catch the breakfast served at Hibiscus that was included in our stay before it was over at 11am. I had 3 eggs, a croissiant, and pastel de nata and was so hungry I forgot to take a pic. After breakfast we lounged by the pool at the hotel until 1:30pm. I had booked us a catamaran boat tour this afternoon through VIP Dolphins to hopefully see some whales and dolphins in their natural habitat.
We left the hotel at 1:30pm and walked 20 minutes down to the port of Funchal. We were told to arrive 30 minutes prior to our reservation time, but in reality we didn’t need to be here that early. The sun was hot at the marina and there was no shade on the dock. Rather than standing and baking in the sun for 25 minutes, we walked up a few steps and sat under a tree. We realized we were getting bit and attacked by mosquitoes under the tree so we had to leave and go back to standing in the hot sun.
At 2:30pm sharp a crew member came to gather our group and board the boat. There was about 16 people in our group and the luxury catamaran was massive – it was 2 floors, had a full kitchen, 3 bedrooms, and couches to hang on the back of the boat or pillows and seats to lay out on the front. I quickly and strategically secured us 1 of the 2 pillow beds on the front side of the deck – prime real estate.
I’ve been on a lot of boat excursions on other trips, but this crew was absolutely phenomenal. There was the captain, and 2 women who were 1st and 2nd mate and also serving us throughout the day. The boat ride was 3 hours and 75€ per person and included an open bar and local Madeira snacks. I drank sparkling white wine from Lisbon and Stelios had the local Coral beer. For the snacks we enjoyed quejadas, pastel de nata, croissant sandwiches, and cod fish bites.
After 45 minutes of riding out to sea, we stopped for a swim in a cove. The water temperature was absolutely perfect – refreshing but not too cold and I could’ve swam in it for hours. After our swim we got back on the boat and Maggie, the 2nd mate, spotted dolphins through her binoculars. At first we saw a group of bottlenose dolphins in the distance swimming away, but a few minutes later we passed by another school of dolphins (the Atlantic spotted dolphin). Apparently the younger dolphins are more adventurous and like to play with boats the so they were swimming alongside and in front of us jumping out of the water. Dolphins are such beautiful creatures and it was wonderful to see them out in their natural habitat. By 5:30pm the boat docked back at the marina in Funchal and we thanked the crew for an excellent experience at sea.
It was our last night in Madeira and we didn’t have any set dinner plans, so we decided to stop at Akua on the walk back to see if they had any tables available later tonight (Akua focuses on seafood dishes and is the sister restaurant of Kampo, the meat focused restaurant we throughly enjoyed earlier in our trip). We got lucky and they had a table for 2 available outside at 8:30pm – perfect! We locked in our reservation and walked back to our hotel o shower, relax, and change for dinner.
By 8:15 we were both very hungry and we walked back to the downtown of Funchal. For dinner we ordered bread with butter and tuna tartar to share, Stelios had the sardine appetizer, and I ordered the codfish tacos. For our entree we shared the Seafood rice with Grouper. Out of the appetizers the tuna tartare was my favorite. I think they either messed up our entree and had the junior chef redo it or forgot about us because we while the appetizers came out in a timely fashion it took 40 minutes to get our entree. Once it came, it was worth the wait. The seafood rice was warm and comforting on a slightly chilly evening and it had a rich flavor. Too full and tired for dessert, we got the check and walked back to the hotel at 10:30pm. A full and fun filled last day in Madeira
Bonus Day By the Pool
It turns out our flight was delayed and instead of leaving at 11:30am this morning, it wouldn’t be taking off until 9:25pm tonight. Luckily our hotel said we can store our luggage with them and use the amenities all day. We packed up our bags and checked out by 12pm, then had lunch at Alameda, an outdoor garden restaurant by the pool. We ordered coffee, a Greek salad, mushroom risotto, and octopus to share. The risotto was my favorite.
After lunch we took the elevator to the 16th floor and reserved a daybed by the adults only infinity pool. It was the perfect extra afternoon in paradise spent lounging, swimming, and relaxing before traveling home.
