The Fantastic Cascades

Andre’s first tour guide experience and he did great! The weather didn’t allow for views of the valley & waterfalls from the path due to rain, mist & intense fog! Quite a long hiking distance-12 km in 3 hours (round trip) and slower pace due to wet paths & standing water (plan for wet feet!). We enjoyed the experience!

We had a very interesting and beautiful hiking tour to ‘The fantastic waterfalls’ together with Gonçalo. The scenery was amazing with plenty of flowers, waterfalls, impressive fauna and on some spots – with great views over the landscape. No wonder why Madeira is called ‘The Hawaii of Europe’. We had chosen a native, private guide for this tour as we were very interested in learning about Madeira’s fauna, climate, and way of life. Gonçalo was an excellent choice. Not only does he know almost everything about the Island’s climate, fauna, history, economy, educational system - and what have you – he is also a very good storyteller and a very, very pleasant company. He is thoughtful and offers a hand or his walking stick when the paths become too slippery due to mud or water. We also enjoyed the coffee break we had at a small bar in the subtropical wood. The pause and the coffee were needed after three hours’ walk and prepared us well for the trip back to the car. Moreover, it was very convenient to be picked up at the hotel in the morning and be driven back again in the afternoon. We can highly recommend this tour. We took the 13 kilometers’ walk, but Gonçalo can easily adjudge the length if required. He offers many other tours that we did not have time for this time. But we will choose Gonçalo as our private guide the next time we visit the island. That’s for sure!

WONDERFUL experience and an amazing tour guide. He knew the ins and outs of Madeira and even gave us the treat of the local drink. Highly highly recommend doing this. You will NOT regret it!!!!!