Madeira is a wonderful destination for walkers, offering a breathtaking diversity of landscapes; lushly verdant slopes, towering volcanic peaks, dramatic gorges and soaring cliffs surprise and amaze the newcomer. Add the levada network, primeval forests, subtropical flora and the superb landscaped gardens - little wonder that the island is fondly called "The floating garden of the Atlantic". Shirley Whitehead, Madeira's resident walking expert, has brought together over 40 'Leisure Walks' adventures suitable for a wide range of abilities and age groups. Madeira Walks volume 1 offers a wealth of choice for every walker and explores the best areas the island has to offer. With Madeira Walks in your pocket, your visit to Madeira becomes an unforgettable adventure.Each 'Leisure Walk' description includes:- Route Summary giving overall view of the route and access information; Ratings for Effort, Time, Distance, Ascents/Descents, Refreshments, and Vertigo risk (where applicable), in an easy to see pictorial 'Summary' box; fully detailed walk description, including frequent timings to aid navigation and check your progress; gps waypoints at every key point on every route (subject to reception); full colour 1:40,000 scale mapping for each route taken from the latest edition of Madeira Tour & Trail Map. Shirley is an expert on Madeira's flora, describing the varied and exotic plant life we encounter on each Leisure Walk. For gps users Discovery Walking Guides provides free gpx waypoint files for Madeira Walks as a zip file download from its website.

About the Author
The authors, Shirley and Mike Whitehead, settled in Madeira in 2002 and live in Jardim do Mar on the south west coast. Both born in Lancashire England, they lived for many years in Yorkshire where they pursued their interest in walking and the environment, particularly in West Yorkshire and the Yorkshire Dales.Since moving to Madeira they have spent much of their time discovering the island's diverse landscape and its natural and cultural history, walking the levadas, forest trails, moorland and mountain tracks and coastal routes as well as visiting many of the towns, villages and hamlets across the island.Their previous walking guides, 'Shirley Whitehead's Madeira Walks' and 'Walk! Madeira' with Shirley & Mike Whitehead, were published by Discovery Walking Guides Ltd with subsequent editions produced in 2011 and 2012 respectively.They are also the authors of companion volume 'Madeira Walks Volume Two Challenging Trails and High Altitude Routes'.

Reviews
Great book (by MickyD on 29 March 2019, Amazon Verified Purchase) This book is a must if you intend to go walking in Madeira. It sets out the most popular walks very clearly and is very useful in advising of the local transport to get to the start of each walk. Our first trip to Madeira and found it excellent (by Allen PF Norris on 02 January 2018, Amazon Verified Purchase) We took this little book with us for our first trip to Madeira and found it excellent. We did a guided walk first but found that this little book really gave excellent descriptions on its own. Rather typically I only found out we could have downloaded the gps way marks after we arrived but even without them the guide was clear. Anyway we were so taken with the island that we are returning in the spring to do some more walking using this little guide and yes this time I have downloaded the waypoints in advance. All in all a great little book. A must for Madeira walkers (by Paul C on 13 November 2017, Amazon verified purchase) Essential read for anyone planning to walk on Madeira, whether you want a leisurely stroll or something for the more experienced. Useful descriptions and clear directions including GPS waypoints, transport links and refreshment stops.



Book Information
ISBN 9781782750581
Author Shirley & Mike Whitehead
Format Paperback
Page Count 160
Imprint Discovery Walking Guides Ltd
Publisher Discovery Walking Guides Ltd