The best things in life aren’t things. They’re the experiences and connections that shape us and travel has always had a place in my life from the time I was a boy until today.
In 1998, Yim joined me on the adventure and our big trips are still to come.
I enjoy writing about our travels and using my photography to illustrate them as a way of recording a life I am grateful for. I hope you find something you enjoy.
Getting ready for our three week journey to Madeira, Portugal was a big deal this year. We planned it for almost four months before we left, finding a nice home we both liked in an area of the island that we both liked. After considerable research, we decided that we would stay in Ponto do Sol…
This was the last hike we did during our three week stay in Madeira. For those of you that have been reading my posts on our trip to Madeira, you’ll know by now that a few of the hikes we did were in the municipality of Santana, like Pica Ruivo, Vereda dos Balcoes and Miradouro…
Miradouro do Guindaste is located on the northeastern coast of Madeira Island, within the municipality of Santana. I had seen a lot of photos of this spot and most of them seemed to show a person standing on the far ledge of a cliff jutting out over the water. As it turns out, that section…
One of the day trips we had planned was a visit to the Achada de Cruz Cable Car, located on the northwestern coast, which transports visitors 1,500 feet down the cliffs to one of Madeira’s Faja’s. The cable car, costing just $3 Euro per person, claimed to have a vertical drop of 98 degrees, the…
Situated in the heart of the dense jungle that surrounds Rabacal, the Levada das 25 Fontes is considered Madeira’s Best Levada walk. We left Ponto do Sol and arrived at the parking lot just before 9 am and it was 90% percent full. After we geared up, we started down the two kilometre paved road,…
Vereda dos Balcões, located in the Ribero Frio Forest Park, is the perfect trail if you are looking for an easy 3 klm hike. To get there, we took the longest route from Ponta do Sol through Sao Vincente, Boaventura, Sao Jorge and Santana, before heading up ER 103, because I preferred the drive. After…
Geologically, Penha d’Águia stood out as one of the most impressive features on Madeira to me. We first noticed it while scoping out Levada do Larano as a potential hike we could do. While up in the mountains to the east, it started to rain and a rainbow appeared over the ocean and behind us.…
If you are touring Madeira with a car, you will certainly notice signs for Miradouro’s. Miradouro’s are viewpoints with spaces to sit and rest. They are scattered all over the island and are generally found at the highest points of the particular hill or mountain they are located on. For the first few days in…
Often referred to as ‘The Dragons Tail’ trail, vereda da Ponta de Sao Lourenço leads you along a narrow stretch of rugged coastline along the far eastern tip of Madeira with beautiful views of dramatic cliffs and ocean vistas in every direction. At 7.5 kilometres in and out, this trail begins on a well maintained…
I wanted to see Nuns Valley from above so one afternoon, we wound our way up and around the mountains Miradouro Eira do Serrado. At an altitude of 1095 metres, the viewpoint offers an unobstructed view of the parish of Curral das Freiras, otherwise known as Nuns Valley, which is surrounded by the grandeur of…