By Fábio, CTO at SeaBookings, who fell in love with coasteering in the Algarve, and repeated the coasteering adventure in Madeira.
At SeaBookings, we like to visit the places where we operate so we can better understand what are the best things we can offer to our sea lovers. This adventure was in Madeira, a Portuguese gem in the Atlantic coast north of Africa.
Untouched Nature in Madeira
From the sky, right before landing, we could see that Madeira landscapes live to their fame. You have the feeling that everything is still very raw, very natural. The vegetation and vertiginous cliffs are spectacular, and one of the reasons almost all of its territory was considered a total preservation area and by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage. We could start to feel the excitement.
From the Airport to the coasteering adventure
From the airport, you have multiple options to get to Funchal, the capital city of the island. By shuttle, by bus, by taxi or by car rental. If you truly want to discover Madeira and its nature, you will have to move around so we recommend you to rent a car, since you will be driving a little bit.
Having landed in Aeroporto Cristiano Ronaldo, we immediately started our adventure. We already had scheduled coasteering online so we had to get going. Luckily, the guides just picked us up at the Airport to help us make it on time.
The preparation for the experience
After 20 minutes, we arrived at the eastern part of the island, close to Ponta de S. Lourenço. This trip was a pleasant collection of stunning landscapes and vivid colours. And it gave us time to get to know a bit about this tour operator and the guides who were going to take us coasteering. Once we arrived at the spot, we were provided with the proper equipment for coasteering: wetsuit, boots and a helmet. After a clear safety briefing by our guide Fabrício, we were ready for some epic coasteering in Madeira!
The coasteering adventure
Moving down the path of a trail, we were approaching the sea and its blue turquoise colors. It’s hard to describe the sights with words. The panoramic wild environment is breathtaking. As soon as you get to the edge of the cliff adrenaline starts pumping and you feel it’s about to start!
You are in a natural reserve and everything around you so beautiful, natural and untouched. You can finally feel in complete symbiosis with mother nature.
And then…. You jump!
You feel the mild water and you feel in total connection with the stunning surroundings of wild Madeira. Madeira is a volcanic Island and you will be able to see that on the cliff’s walls and in the several caves you will visit in this tour.
For the next 2 hours, you will swim, you will jump, you will climb and you will hit the repeat button many times. You simply can’t get tired of this. It’s you, your mates and the wild nature. You’ll have the chance to visit hidden beaches and caves that are only accessible via the sea. And since this is a natural reserve, you won’t find any motor boats.
[youtube height=”300″ width=”615″]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZrkwd9k-08&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]
There are jumps of many different heights and you can pick the ones that you can feel comfortable with. Everything jump is optional, so if you don’t think you can make it, you can skip it. The grand finale is a 15m high jump… if you have the courage!
For the photo addicts, the guides will have a camera and take pictures so that you don’t have to worry about carrying extra stuff and can fully enjoy this experience. If you really want a take a personal view of the adventure, we recommend you to take a GoPro or equivalent with you.
The last surprise
There is a surprise lurking for you at the end. When walking the last hill back to the carpark, please look around for a few minutes. There is a landscape with magical colours you won’t forget.
This is the time to breathe in and think about everything you have just experienced. You will feel fulfilled, wanting to come back. This was the beginning of our adventure in Madeira, and just by experiencing this, it was already worth it!
We’re sure that coasteering in Madeira is one of the best outdoor activities in Madeira Island. It’s the best way to explore the untouched uncrowded side of the famous Ponta de São Lourenço. If you want to know more about this experience or about the best things to do on Madeira, feel free to contact us any time!
