Madeira

Last week Dorothy and I flew to Madeira where I was leading walks for HF Holidays. There is plenty of good walking on the island but it is a bit more built up than La Gomera (see previous post). Some of the walking is along Levadas.

Levada Walking in the Laurisilva Forest

The Levadas stretch across the island carrying water from one place to another. We walked through agricultural land, moorland and Laurisilva Forest.

There is huge variety of plants on the island including exotic plants like cacti as well as plants you might find in the UK like Gorse.

Gorse in bloom

We didn't just walk on Levadas. There was a sightseeing day around Funchal, a day high up in the mountains and a day on the St Lawrence Peninsula with its dramatic cliffs.

St Lawrence Peninsula

La Gomera

I have just got back from leading walks for HF Holidays in La Gomera, in the Canary Islands. We fly to Tenerife and then take the ferry. The island has been described as looking like a lemon squeezer because of all the ridges and valleys (barrancos) that run down from the highest point, Garajonay. The walking is on good paths but many are very rough and often on the sides of cliffs that look as if they'd be impossible to climb or traverse. Above Agulo is the amazing glass Skywalk.

Skywalk above Agulo

Above the Skywalk there is a landscape of red earth reminiscent of the Australian Outback. La Gomera is volcanic but has not seen any seismic activity for two million years. That's plenty of time for erosion to create all the barrancos and expose the rock beneath.

Mount Teidi on Tenerife looms over the Skywalk building

Plugs of harder rock have been left behind creating interesting shapes and structures with lots of basalt columnar jointing like the Giants Causeway in Ireland.

The path below El Sombrero and other rock structures

Walking on Basalt in the beautiful Guarimiar Barranco

Everywhere you go you are surrounded by Prickly Pear Cacti, Euphorbia and Agave. There is layer upon layer of strata caused by different types of volcanic eruption and caves where gas bubbles in the lava once were. Often you get views of the sea and other Canary Islands. Some walks take us to remote beaches with crashing waves. It really makes for fantastic hiking.

The Hermigua Valley

Great to get some sun at this time of year. Today it snowed in Hebden Bridge!