"25 Fontes" Walk / With Trail entry Fee Included (PR 6)

Great tours - not responsive back office

We did several tours with Feeling Madeira: Nuns Valley, East Tour, 25 Fontes, and Pico Areeiro/Pico Ruivo. The tours were great and the tour guides were truly excellent. We booked the tours the day we arrived, but my wife fell ill after we completed the first tour and was unable to do any of the remaining tours. We notified the office and were told that the next one was too late to cancel but the remainder would be cancelled. Despite this, we never received a refund (in whole or in part), the office didn't return calls, texts, or emails. It was disappointing and an expensive lesson.

via Tripadvisor

Overcrowding also damages tourism

There was great expectation about this walk on the island of Madeira, motivated by the comments and images on the company’s website; however, some important information was not recorded there, for example, the need for waterproof shoes and the existence of a relatively long and narrow tunnel to be travelled on foot (people may suffer from claustrophobia). In addition, the high number of people on the trail made it difficult to move in narrower places, forming queues, as well as impeding man's interaction with nature. I suggest that those interested in hiking on the island, choose other levadas.

Response from the operator: Estimada Valeria, Estamos muito gratos por ter escolhido a Feeling Madeira para a sua experiência de descoberta da nossa ilha e por partilhar connosco o seu feedback. Lamentamos sinceramente saber que a caminhada às 25 Fontes não correspondeu às suas expectativas. Esta é, sem dúvida, uma das levadas mais procuradas e emblemáticas da Madeira, precisamente pela sua beleza única, o que naturalmente significa que, em determinados dias, poderá haver um número elevado de visitantes, algo que está fora do nosso controlo, mas que compreendemos poder afetar a experiência individual. Relativamente às informações da atividade, gostaríamos de salientar que, tanto na descrição disponível no nosso website como nas plataformas de reservas, incluímos uma explicação detalhada do percurso, com fotografias reais que refletem fielmente o ambiente da caminhada, bem como a menção clara à existência de túnel que faz parte do percurso. Esta informação encontra-se disponível em várias línguas para garantir a acessibilidade a todos os visitantes. Além disso, estamos sempre disponíveis por diversos canais (email, telefone, WhatsApp, redes sociais e presencialmente nos nossos escritórios) para responder diariamente às dúvidas dos nossos clientes. Temos um enorme prazer em ajudar com todas as questões que possam surgir antes das atividades, desde o que esperar, ao que levar, como se preparar, e por isso lamentamos não termos sido contactados antecipadamente, pois teríamos ajudado com toda a certeza! Agradecemos verdadeiramente o tempo que dedicou ao seu comentário e esperamos que possa dar-nos uma nova oportunidade de lhe mostrar outras experiências menos concorridas e igualmente deslumbrantes na nossa ilha. Com os nossos mais sinceros cumprimentos, The Feeling Madeira Team

via Tripadvisor (translated)

Safe and sound

What a great experience .the beauty of the area on the hike is stunning. As a solo traveller I met some lovely people on my tour but my guide Tim made this tour very special with his very safe driving to and from the hike .Tim gave us plenty of information about area and was very aware of everyone's abilities on hike .a true gentleman. Many thanks .

via Tripadvisor

Guided Moderate Levada walk.

Our tour on the 2/10/2024 had a delayed start due to some admin problems for the pick up.(not from our hotel). This may have caused the walk to have been hurried. The group was too large which meant that the guides minimal dialogue was not audible to all. The walk could have been better orchestrated by him having a microphone and going at a slower pace which would have kept us closer together in view of the large group. The overall trip including the driver who did our hotel pick up/return drop off could have explained the situation and compensated by giving some useful commentary on route to meet the guide and people who were late in joining the bus. While the Lavadas are emblematic of Madeira the popular ones are becoming crowded.

Response from the operator: Dear Customer, Thank you very much for your feedback and for taking the time to share your experience with us. We’re sorry to hear that the tour did not fully meet your expectations, and we would like to clarify a few points with complete transparency and courtesy. Madeira Island is, fortunately, becoming an increasingly popular destination internationally due to its unique natural beauty. As a result, some of its most iconic locations, such as the Levadas, may occasionally experience higher visitor traffic, especially on the more popular routes. Nevertheless, we continuously strive to offer the best possible experience, even in these circumstances. Regarding the slight delay at the start, we sincerely apologise. We work hard every day to ensure punctuality, but occasionally, unforeseen situations such as traffic or late arrivals from clients—factors beyond our control—may occur. Even so, we always do our best to minimise any impact on the group’s experience. As for the suggestion of using a microphone during the walk, we would like to inform you that this practice is neither recommended nor allowed in protected forest areas, as it may disturb the local wildlife and the surrounding natural environment. Additionally, due to safety reasons, Levadas are narrow trails that run alongside small irrigation channels, which means participants must walk in single file. This configuration naturally limits the guide’s ability to communicate directly with every member of the group. To overcome this, we plan strategic stops along the way for explanations and clarifications. With regard to group size, we always adhere to safety and quality guidelines, and our groups are consistently kept below the average size typically seen in similar activities on the island. Return to the hotel is usually carried out by the driver, although on some occasions, the mountain guide may accompany the clients. During the journey, our drivers are available to assist whenever needed, although their main role is to ensure a safe and comfortable transport. Lastly, we would like to highlight the importance of wearing suitable footwear for walking, considering the nature of the trails. We always send a message the day before the activity with all the essential recommendations to ensure the safety and comfort of all participants. We appreciate your understanding and your trust in our company. We sincerely hope to welcome you again on a future visit to Madeira, with an even more positive experience. With our best regards, The Feeling Madeira Team

via Tripadvisor

Not as expected, far too crowded and disappointing end views.

Chose this walk on a paid tour based on the photos which I would say are not a good representation of the actual waterfall area. Whilst the walk itself is not strenuous you do have to go through a pitch black tunnel for approximately 20 minutes so take a torch or use your torch on your phone. I would definitely not recommend this if you suffer with confined spaces. There are 3 sets of steep steps so be prepared for those. The path is so overcrowded with people in both directions although one part of it is supposed to be one way. The scenery on the way to the waterfall was the best part although you are in the trees most of the time so can't see much else. There is no real no room to enjoy eating at the waterfall due to people clambering over all the rocks. It definitely did not look like the wide angle photographs and was a dark, wet area. I didn't even bother taking photos there. There's nowhere nearby to sit either, just on the side of the walkways. For me this was a very disappointing tour which was padded out by a stop at a roadside cafe on the way back to fill the time, not a full day of sightseeing in my opinion.

Response from the operator: Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We appreciate your honest feedback regarding your recent tour to the waterfall. We're sorry to hear that the actual experience didn't meet your expectations. We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the pitch black tunnel. We strive to provide enjoyable and memorable experiences for all our guests, and your feedback will certainly help us in improving our services. We regret that the scenery and overall ambiance fell short of what you had hoped for. We will review our itinerary to ensure a more fulfilling day of sightseeing for our guests. Once again, we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with us. We hope to have the opportunity to welcome you back in the future and provide you with a more satisfying experience. If you have any further concerns or feedback, please don't hesitate to reach out to us directly. Feeling Madeira

via Tripadvisor