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MADGICAL MYSTERY TOUR Madeira is traditionally a popular holiday island for older folk but is now attracting adrenaline seekers
Aderenaline-junkies are flocking to the island of Madeira to enjoy abseiling, cycling and trekking on its varied terrains.
MADEIRA is shedding its reputation as a popular haunt for old folk and is attracting a new generation of travellers.
The island is a continent in miniature with a mountainous terrain that makes it ideal for adrenaline-fuelled activities such as abseiling, cycling, abseiling and trekking.

And it’s easier than ever to get to this sub-tropical paradise with all-inclusive packages and flights from six UK regional airports available from Superbreak this autumn.
We had a gentle — if at times bumpy — introduction to the adrenaline-fulled activities on a Green Devil Jeep Safari.
Hugo, our driver for the day, took us off the beaten track in an open-top 4x4 Land Rover to scenery ordinary cars are unable to reach.
Our afternoon trip took us past spectacular waterfalls, lagoons, villages that time forgot and breathtaking cliffs and ravines.

Best view of all is from 5,965ft Pico do Arieiro, the third-highest peak on the island.
We stopped for a break at a quaint mountainside inn where we sampled the most popular traditional drink — not Madeira wine but “poncha”.
It’s a potent and tasty mix of white rum mixed with lemon juice and honey.
Look out for the levadas, mini canals chipped into the rocks by ancient settlers to bring water from the rain-drenched mountaintops to the sun-baked coastal towns.

There are 2,500 miles of these channels, some going through man-made tunnels, and an army of workmen keep them running to this day.
They make great hiking routes and there are plenty of levada walks you can join.
When you’re ready to crank up the excitement, take a cable car from capital Funchal to the mountain village of Monte.
It’s not the ride up that gets your blood pumping but the journey down — a high-speed, glide down steep, winding streets in a basket sledge.

Your steering and braking system are two straw-hatted Madeirans perched on the back, who use a pair of ropes and their rubber-soled shoes to keep you on course as you hurtle round bends at up to 30mph.
Toboggans were first used as a quick way of transporting wine down the mountainside but are now a popular tourist attraction.

- Surrounded by playful dolphins -

Funchal is a base for exploring the island — but has a lot to offer itself.
We booked into the five-star Hotel Pestana Casino Park, overlooking the ocean with its own casino on site.
It’s a 15-minute walk to the old town where you can pick from an array of lively restaurants.
From the nearby harbour you can catch a whale and dolphin-watching cruise.

Funchal is a base for exploring the island — but has a lot to offer itself.
We booked into the five-star Hotel Pestana Casino Park, overlooking the ocean with its own casino on site.
It’s a 15-minute walk to the old town where you can pick from an array of lively restaurants.
From the nearby harbour you can catch a whale and dolphin-watching cruise.
Slap on the factor 30 before spending an afternoon relaxing as you skim the waves.
We were surrounded by a small pod of playful Atlantic spotted dolphins and saw three different species on the trip.
Superbreak packages come with a free sightseeing tour thrown in.
There are several to choose from, exploring everything from the heart of Madeira to a panoramic tour of 99 miles of rugged coastline.
To the west of the island lies pretty Camara de Lobos, a fishing village with pretty pastel-coloured houses and a boatyard painted by Sir Winston Churchill in the Fifties.

Don’t miss Cabo Girao, Europe’s highest sea cliff and the second biggest sheer drop in the world.
For those with a head for heights, there’s a new glass walkway that allows you to experience the thrill of walking on air at 1,903ft.
For the faint-hearted, the views are still enough to take your breath away.
Another highlight is the viewpoint at Eira do Serrado, which overlooks the beautiful Nuns Valley, a village nestling hundreds of feet below.