From the terraced vineyards of the Sao Vicente river valley, via the photogenic Cascata Veu da Noiva waterfall, to the seawater swimming pools of Porto Moniz: Madeira’s remote north west has some of the islands most-remote and impressive natural landmarks. These monolithic rockfaces, precipices and promontories have been at the mercy of sea for five million years – the human population of the north for slightly less time, but they’re still a hardy bunch who’ll always offer visitors a warm welcome.
Inland, the high Paul de Serra plain is quite a contrast to the rest of Madeira, and when the cloud and mist drops you could be forgiven for mistaking the Serra for the highlands of Scotland. It’s the start-point for some of the more-popular walks on the island – the famous Levada das 25 Fontes walk begins here – and the Japanese Cedar forests across the western slopes of Pico da Padreira are home to some of the best mountain biking trails on Madeira.
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