5 Day of Running Yoga Holidays in Funchal, Madeira Island

Facilities

Activity requirements

If you're physically active, enjoy nature, and have an adventurous spirit, don't hesitate and come run with Go Trail - Madeira Running Tours. Go Trail - Madeira Running Tours adapt their tours so that you have a pleasant and comfortable experience. Madeira has a wide variety of unforgettable trails, it’s just a matter of adjusting them to your kind of run.

Are the trails safe?

At Go Trail Madeira your safety is their main concern. The majority of their tours are done in marked and rail protected trails. Go Trail Madeira encourages you to pay attention to any root, loose rock, damp terrain, and a tree branch that can pose a threat. Guides at some points will reduce the pace or even stop if they see that safety is an issue.

How to keep yourself hydrated throughout the run?

When running, it's vital that you keep hydrated. Your wellbeing is extremely important for Go Trail Madeira. So much that it is mandatory that all runners initiate any tour with a minimum of one liter of water. There are water points along with the majority of their tours and Go Trail Madeira guides will indicate and stop at them.

What kind of terrain will you find?

The terrain will vary and depend on the chosen tour as well as weather conditions. On the trails, you can find a mix of everything - dirt, loose and wet rock, low and high grass as well as the beginning of the 20th-century handmade stonework flooring or even leaf-covered paths.

Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival - weekly briefing

After picking you up at the airport, you'll check into your accommodation located in the best area of Funchal, 10 minutes walk from the town center and also three mins walk from the front-sea promenade. You'll gather for your retreat briefing after which you'll head outside for a relaxed run (road running). After your run, you'll have some free time to freshen up before dinner.

Day 2: Larano - the lost world experience

Setting off from Machico outskirts, you'll quickly see yourselves running Machico's Levada towards Boca do Risco. From there on, the views over the ocean and the green that compose the high ground over you will set the tone for your climb to Funduras. There, you'll run deep inside the forest single tracks until you reach Degolada, a steep downhill single-track challenge, that will put your quads to the test.

This last downhill lead you to Vereda do Larano. With the sea on one side and the mountain on the other, you get to run some good eight kilometers in a Jurassic Park movie set like scenario. At the end of Vereda do Larano you will start your way back to Levada de Machico with its gorgeous views over the city and end up with this cool cinematographic running experience.

Evening Yin yoga - a passive practice that creates flexibility without strength, you hold the poses for three to five minutes in stillness, aiming to release the tension in the muscles, connective tissues, especially the fascia, while concentrating on the physical, mental, and emotional sensations that arise in each pose. It is great preparation for meditation.

Day 3: Encumeada - tunnels and waterfalls

Morning gentle flow: an active practice where you move slowly, holding each pose for a few soft breaths, to create some energy in the body, muscle activation while lengthening with awareness.

Encumeada is this running adventure starting point. Following the Levada do Norte path, with its stunning views over Ribeira Brava's Valley, you'll reach your first long tunnel cross. These 250 meters of the hand-made tunnel will take you to the north face of this mountain that holds a big portion of Madeira’s Laurissilva Forest.

After yet another tunnel crossing and some two kilometers, you start your ascend towards Paredão. ​After another fun run moment, you'll reach Levada da Serra that will get you to "Pinaculo", a point of interest that then will take you to the south face of the mountain once again.

Although you've already passed through countless waterfalls at this point, these next few ones won’t have much trail path to avoid the water, and some shower will be inevitable. A cooling, refreshing and much-welcomed adventure finish, after the kilometers you’ve already put in.

Day 4: Conquer the summit

After breakfast at the hotel, you'll drive out to Pico Areeiro. You'll head towards Pico Ruivo, the summit, the highest peak in Madeira, and the third highest in Portugal. A true challenge, only for the brave. For those who really want to put their skills to the test. But let's not be fooled by the "short" 12 kilometers.

It's a constant up and down with gorgeous views over the great central massif in direct contact with endemic fauna and flora. You will be put to the test in one of the most demanding but beautiful section of Madeira's "ultra-trail world tour" race.

There will be an evening Restorative yoga and yoga Nidra practice: same as Yin yoga but you take more support of the props to feel even more relaxed. Yoga Nidra contains several relaxation techniques based on breath, body scan, and visualization.

Day 5: Departure

Goodbyes and transfer to the airport.

This running & yoga holiday will take place at Madeira, Portugal. Hotel Girassol is located 2 kilometers away from Funchal's city center, which is a 20-minute walk away. Madeira Island is known as a paradisiacal island due to its views.

While running, you’ll reach places otherwise inaccessible, where you get to see and feel nature in a unique way. The forest, the Laurissilva, is home to all kinds of different endemic fauna and flora species. You can also glance at sunrise in Pico Ruivo or sunset in Madalena do Mar. It is encouraged that you take your camera with you, so that all world believes when you say you were in paradise.

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Breakfast included.

• Massages
• Jacuzzi
• Sauna
• Gym
• Diving
• Jeep safari
• Kayaking
• Snorkeling
• Sightseeing and hiking
• Cultural visits
• Surfing
• Horse riding
• Cycling
• Mountain biking
• Historical and cultural sites

• 4 trail running tours
• Easy to an advanced running program
• 4 yoga sessions
• Beginner to advanced yoga practices
• Certified mountain guides
• Certified yoga instructors
• 4 nights accommodation
• Breakfast
• Airport transfers
• Shuttle to and from trails
• Activity insurance
• HD photo and video package

• Everything not mentioned in "what's included"

Recommended Airports

• A reservation requires a deposit of 20% of the total price.
• The deposit is non-refundable, if the booking is cancelled.
• The rest of the payment should be paid 30 days before arrival.