Natural Lava Pools...

After lunch we went to our final destination: the natural swimming pools formed by volcanic rock along the rugged coastline. We lucked into free entry tickets at the restaurant. 

I took these two photos before we dropped our stuff off in a locker, so couldn’t take a photo of Ashlynn jumping or Jimmy diving off the high dive. I was quite relieved that he didn’t hurt himself as it dawned on me that there was absolutely no way that I could have driven back to our house.

After we got out of the water, which was a bit chilly, the girls joined a Zumba class for a few dances.

Once back at the house, the girls treated me and Jimmy to a three-course anniversary dinner. Definitely a nice way to end a great day.

Heading North...

After our hike, Jimmy continued along the road that went across the summit of the island towards the northwest. Along the way, we saw some cows in the road...

...and some insane crazy fog.

We stopped at a viewpoint and saw the Risco Waterfall in the distance.

I kept my eyes closed for much of the journey, but when I dared to peek I saw the breathtaking views coming down into Porto Moniz.

There was a festival going on, so finding parking was very difficult. We had a very nice lunch at a waterfront restaurant.

A Waterfall...

On our return hike, we were glad that another hiker stopped us to recommend that we take the cutoff for the trail to Risco Waterfall as it was well worth the extra distance.

While the trail didn’t go all the way to the foot of the falls, it did get us close enough for great views of the 325-foot (100 meters) falls.

It was also the perfect location to have a family photo taken. Our timing was perfect when we arrived at the trailhead as we were able to take a bus back up the long road to the parking lot.

Crazy Things We Do for Photos...

Veronica planned ahead to take a self-portrait, so brought along a nice lace dress.

Rather than use the self-timer, Jimmy took photos on her camera, while I took some from another angle.

You can’t even tell from her face that the water was very cold.

Here’s Veronica’s favorite of the shots Jimmy took. 

A Beautiful Lagoon....

Our efforts were rewarded when we arrived at this beautiful lagoon.

Ashlynn and Jimmy couldn’t resist jumping in despite the very cold water, but neither stayed in for long.

Cool Trees...

We loved how the trees grew over the path. As you can see, I took lots of tree shots along the six-mile (ten-kilometer) round trip.

25th Anniversary Hike...

On our anniversary, we piled into the car after breakfast and drove further up into the hills to go hiking. Most of Madeira’s hiking trails are narrow paths built alongside levadas, stone irrigation canals dating back to the 16th century used to carry surplus water from the wet northwest of the island to the more arid parts. The hike we chose was the Path of 25 Springs, which began with a long walk down a road.

Formed on top of a volcano, the island is very rugged and hilly, which makes for great scenery.

The path to the levada itself was quite steep...

...but most of the route was flat and easy going.

Along the way, we caught sight of a waterfall.

Jimmy was so enticed by the clear water in the levada that he put on Ashlynn’s goggles to take a closer look.

Guessing this was 1 of the 25 springs.

As we got closer to the lagoon, the path turned slightly uphill so the levada was terraced.

First Day in Western Madeira...

I was originally determined to rent a villa with a private pool for the entire week, but had to compromise with just four nights in Arco da Calheta in the western part of the island. Although I was initially disappointed, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise as it allowed us to have two entirely different experiences.

The house was lovely, but the journey there scared the crap out of me.

I let Ashlynn navigate as she’s not scared of the winding mountain roads like I am. This is the view from the parking lot when we stopped for lunch.

I love this shot that Veronica took!

The main road across the island through a series of tunnels was relatively flat, but once off that we encountered a bunch of incredibly steep switchbacks. Although there was always a guardrail, I still found the roads terrifying.

Jimmy doesn’t share my fears and drove with confidence. He clearly had too much confidence when he attempted to drive up a road with a warning sign about its 32% grade. As he neared the crest, he realized that he wasn’t going to make it. Luckily there was no one behind us and he was able to back down into a driveway to turn around.

After a trip to the grocery store, we relaxed back at the house.

We ate most of our meals by the pool...

...where we enjoyed this beautiful view.