Great trip - each day was different The trip was very well put together going from the mountains to the sea. Each day was different in terms of terrain, scenery and for our trip, the weather too - we had all sorts but luckily, not real rain, only drizzle, but that added to the atmosphere.The trip notes could be improved as in places they were vague e.g. stop for lunch at the quaint cafe (what's the name of it?); you must visit the Our Mother's Church (where is it? which town?). Also on one of the days, on reading the trip notes, it recommended a transfer to a certain location but with no reason or details of how to arrange it.What actually would be great for all self-guided trips is for an online blog of some kind where other travellers can put in their experiences, their recommendations and tips. On this trip, one of the bridges we have to cross is closed and looks like it's closed for a long time, so it would be good to warn future travellers of this...we were helped by a kind Portuguese cycler who also needed to cross the bridge, and we followed him to find another route.
The walks were well planned and we were lucky to have a well rounded and very pleasant group.The first two days were rather "easy" but after that the walking took us further afield and we spent plenty of time off the beaten track in some wonderful landscapes. Overall I think the walking could have been a bit more challenging, overall only just a "moderate" walking grade.The hotels were fairly modest, they were simple, but fine, twice there was no wi fi in the rooms though.Funchal worth a visit in its own right.
Having spent a couple of days in Lisbon arranged by ourselves prior to the start of the holiday, we joined up with the group tour back at Lisbon Airport at the start of the trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the week walking along the cliff tops and down to the beaches; the group was so friendly and dynamic. This was a full group with 15 people which really added something with people from other parts of the UK, US, and Canada. Francisco and Ines were amazing and probably two of the best leaders we have ever had on a group holiday; they were very thorough with their briefings and couldn't do enough for us all. Their knowledge of the flora and fauna was very extensive, and what they weren't sure of they looked it up instantly in a reference book! The three hotels we stayed in were all very good quality. The weather was fantastic, sunshine every day with a cooling breeze.