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The east and the mountains
Visiting the east should not be missing on any trip-plan. Here the entire variety and contrast opens to the visitor - in only one day. Combined with the west-trip you can state from yourself to know the whole island Madeira.
The first station is the pico do Ariero. This is the highest passable mountain of Madeira. It is approximately 1820 meters high. The highest measures about 1860 meters of height and is passable however only by feet. Already on the way to the pico do Ariero you will be exhausted of the Flora, which is offered to your eyes. Many small terrace fields, on which wine is cultivated alternate with sugar tubing fields, flowers in all variations and hill combs. Many smaller hills and mountains seam the way. The change of the landscape is impressive. At the foot of the mountain you find meadows, shrubs and terrace fields. A few road turns you'll see the laurel forest, which is also called "fog forest". This is the largest laurel forest of the world, and ranks among the world nature inheritance of the UNESCO. All seven kinds of laurel unite here to an almost unclear forest, that is partly so dense that you cannot see the sky. It is called fog forest, because in this height the clouds remain sometimes pushing themselves over the hills and hanging there in the woods. A nature-drama of first choice. Hardly one has gotten used to the sight, the area becomes more meager slowly. Tree-high heath shrubs alternate with fields. Now and then a few sheep or cows on the road, which go aside however voluntarily. Arrived above at the summit, you first not dare at all to get out first. Am I here on Mars, or what? Gigantic reddish rocks, a small footpath to the summit cross, no vegetation (besides a little moss maybe), and an almost breathless silence lies over all. Now and then, a few fog-veils come over the summits, and only the blue of the sea, that one can see far behind, reminds you that you are on Madeira.. Breathtaking. I could listen to the silence for hours here.
After you freed yourself from this enourmous view, it goes downwards again, direction Santana. This is a small village, which is known for its small houses. These houses, which you could find everywhere on Madeira in former times, seem too small in the first moment to believe that in former times nearly everybody lived in such small huts. But the first sight deceives. These houses are rather deep, and in former times a family always possesed three of them. One for living, one for cooking and one for supplies and agricultural devices. Whereby the families were larger than nowadays. Often parents, children and grandchildren lived together there. A further characteristic apart from the size are the roofs perfectly covered with straw. These are outstanding climate-installations and the reason for the strong decline of this construction on Madeira. While grain was grown on Madeira in large amount earlier, you hardly find hay grain-fields nowadays. The cultivation became too pedantic and too expensive because of the small distracted terrace fields in the mountains. Grain for these roofs must be imported today. And so the reversion of the circumstances occurs: while the Santana-houses were an indication of poverty in former times, today only rich Madeirian can afford those little houses.
Afterwards, we continue via the Portela- pass to Porto da Cruz. This is a small village, which was rich because of the sugarcane-plantations and the shipping of the same in it's heydays. Today, wine is grown there, because also the sugar-export became meaningless, as other countries could manage this more favorably. To in 20th century Porto da Cruz was attainable only via the sea route. Partially, the merchandise were brought to Funchal also over dangerous ways via the mountains. Of this time it is reminded annually to the wine-celebrations. Then, the "borracheiros" (the tractor-convoys) carry the wine from the vineyards into the village. Presumably, the name of the wine-bearers is program: borracheiro comes is based on "borracho", and that means "drunk".
Further to the east cape, here the world is apparent to end. It is past with Fauna and Flora. But nevertheless, or exactly because of the contrast to the remaining Madeira, this cape is very impressive. Also here, you can go only to one certain point by car: the rest wants to be conquered only by feet.
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