Walking Tour
What if the official story of Madeira is wrong?
"…here are the Elysian Fields and the home of the blessed, of which Homer sang."
— Plutarch, ancient Greek historian, c. AD 100
In 800 BC, Homer described a paradise beyond the western edge of the known world. In 80 BC, a Roman general heard sailors describe a remote island in the Atlantic and became convinced he'd found Homer's Elysium.
The official record says Madeira was found accidentally, empty and unknown, in 1419. The evidence that survived tells another story.
Madeira Mysteries is a sunset walking tour through the heart of Funchal, tracing 2,826 years of history, mythology, and science, and ending at the water's edge with a poncha as the sun goes down.
Starting in Funchal's most beautiful public garden, you'll learn some of Madeira's best-kept secrets. We will then walk past the main sights, with an optional picturesque short swim stop. The tour ends at a miradouro above the Atlantic where the ocean floor drops 4,000 metres into an unmapped abyss.
Dip. Sip. Sunset.Optional Atlantic swim + poncha (€4)
Leila is a British expat living in Funchal. She is a polymath, a death doula, an organisational consultant, and someone who likes to dive deep and question what we think we know. She leads small groups through the city at golden hour, and also runs Silent Disco Walking Tours every Friday evening.
"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."
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