Our group gathered round the mini-van in the sunshine, reluctantly donning green waterproofs. We were about to ascend a gently sloping mountainside, clutching stout sticks and following one of Madeira’s 1500 miles of irrigation ditches or levadas. Our guide Alvaro had predicted showers, but we were sceptical: although it was early January, the sun was warm with harmless-looking fluffy white clouds high in the sky.

An hour or so up the mountain he was proved right – a sudden downpour hit us then moved on leaving the green hillside – and us – dripping and steaming as the sun re-emerged. 

This was the high point of my short stay on Madeira, in both senses. I realised why so many of my keen gardener friends had raved about this sub-tropical Atlantic island of fertile volcanic rock – we were like Victorian plant-hunters exclaiming at each new botanical discovery. All along our route flowers bloomed which we recognised as the vigorous cousins of our puny pot plants back in England.

Clinging improbably to steep slopes here and there were little vegetable gardens, already in full growth. We marvelled at the skill and physical exertion needed to work land at such an angle and so far off the beaten track.

Madeira’s levadas bring water from the north of the island where rainfall is plentiful to the dry south. Maintenance paths alongside provide walkers with a means to explore the hidden Madeira. One minute we were strolling along gazing at the steep green valley that stretched away from us, and to the sea beyond, and the next we were edging gingerly across a slippery stone bridge, watching water gush down the rocks below. Our sticks were essential, especially in places where the banks had eroded, leaving paths no wider than a pair of walking shoes.

Alvaro’s intimate knowledge of the terrain and the fl ora, along with his fund of anecdotes, kept us entertained for hours – when we weren’t concentrating every sinew on where to put our feet!

Down in Funchal, Madeira’s bustling capital and a busy cruise port, the Christmas lights and decorations were still up, lending a surreal feel to a sunny spring-like day.  Cascading pillars of poinsettias graced the squares, along with modernistic Christmas trees and angels. Yet only a short drive out of the city were fields of ripening bananas and avocado trees.  The market was brimming with locally grown exotic fruits and cut flowers.

An excellent museum near the cable car station traces Madeira’s evolution from volcanic eruptions to discovery by the Portuguese in the 15th century and its historic links with Britain. Churchill holidayed here several times in the 1950s and the British are still the island’s main visitors.

Anyone with an interest in wine should visit Blandy’s Wine Lodge in Funchal where you can have a tasting, take an informative tour and of course, buy the renowned Madeira wine.

We were staying at the top of a hill overlooking Funchal (everything is either at the top or bottom of a hill in Madeira!), in a delightful old ‘Quinta’, one of the luxurious country house hotels surrounded by beautiful gardens and so redolent of a colonial age.  The thrill-seekers in our group decided to go down ‘the Monte’ into town by toboggan (a wicker basket on runners pushed by a ‘gondolier’), but I recommend the cable car with its fabulous views over the red rooftops of the city.

A lot of EU money has gone into improving Madeira’s road system, with massive new tunnels allowing fast connection between the airport and Funchal and opening up the sparsely populated north. Now it’s possible to take a day trip to idyllic spots on the northern coast like Porto Moniz where a giant swimming pool has been carved out of the rocks and nearby cliff s plunge into the deep blue ocean.

Madeira may not have sandy beaches and pulsating nightlife, but for many people this only enhances its charms. Penny Kitchen was a guest of Charming Hotels Madeira which you can find in the Classic Collection brochure. Visit www.charminghotelsmadeira.com and www.classic-collection.co.uk for details.

A floral celebration

Although there are trees and plants in bloom all year round in Madeira spring, and particularly following Easter each year, Madeira celebrates its fl oral diversity with a week-long flower festival. The culmination of the celebrations is a procession of children that snakes through the streets of Funchal and ends with the participants building a flower wall of hope, or Muro de Esperança, in the main square.

Flowers growing all year round

Popcorn Bush, Bird of Paradise (above), Anthurium, Bougainvillea, Cape Honeysuckle, Begonia, Morning Glory, Tibouchina, Hibiscus, Flamingo Flower, Pinnate Lavender, Plumbago Madeira’s climate enables most fruits to be in season all year round.

Further information

Madeira, the comprehensive and highly illustrated Insight Guide (price £14.99) is good for all aspects of the island including its geography, history and flora. For a smaller and more specific guide on walking the levadas, Madeira Car Tours and Walks by John and Pat Underwood (Sunfl ower Books, £12.99) contains maps and detailed directions for 42 routes, giving level of diffi culty for each, in a format that fi ts easily into a pocket or rucksack. Gardens at the 5-star Quinta das Vistas. An oriental flavour in the Monte Palace Gardens. The swimming pool at Porto Moniz on the north coast is carved out of the rocky shore.