In my last post, we landed in Madeira, Portugal, and I brought you along on our first day. This is my last post about Madeira before we head to Porto for the final part of our trip and then head back to the States.

After our long first day, we got a good night of rest before waking up to head to the start of the Levada 25 Fontes e Risco hike. The first leg of the hike was completely downhill, including a step decline and many sets of stairs. This leveled out and took us along the path with flowing water running along it and plenty of shade. The hike took us to a fonte (fountain) which was a waterfall and lagoon that offered us a good spot to rest and take in some of the beauty the island has to offer. On our walk back, the steep descent to the fonte became an uphill battle — 113 floors according to my Apple Watch — but eventually we made it to the top.

After completing our hike, we were tired and in need of some lunch. From there we drove to Porto Moniz, passing some beautiful cliffs and herds of cattle, very different from what we passed closer to sea level. Once we arrived at Porto Moniz, we enjoyed some drinks and an authentic Madeiran lunch including limpets, which reminded me of a cross between mussels and clams, and scabbard, a black swordfish. We drank a few beers to recover and spent most of the remainder of the afternoon napping by the pool. After, we drove over to Seixal’s Black Sand Beach to check out the views before heading back to the Airbnb for dinner. As this was our final night in Madeira, we took in the last views on our balcony before our early-morning flight to Porto the next day.

— Aly Evans, administrative assistant