The Isle of Myth - Sunset Walking Tour
"Here is Elysium and the home of the blessed, of which Homer sang."
— Plutarch, Life of Sertorius, 105–115 AD
In 800 BC, Homer described a paradise reserved for the blessed dead 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. In 1351, the Medici Atlas named this island 'wood' seventy years before Portugal did the same.
The official record says Madeira was found accidentally, empty and unknown, in 1419. The evidence that didn't burn suggests another story.
Explore Madeira's secrets in the golden light of the dying day and take your place in paradise.
Madeiran 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 from pre-history. 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.
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.