Canyoning, Sea Kayaking, and Birthdays!!
June 15, 2025
Olá family and friends!
Since we last wrote to you the group has had an incredible time exploring more of Madeira and getting to experience activities and views that felt straight out of a dream! What a special stretch of the trip it has been.
On day 7, we caught an early ferry to Porto Santo, and it was honestly way more exciting than we expected. It had a movie theater, crepe stations, and arcades… apparently pretty standard around here, but feels very luxurious to us. Once we arrived, we walked to our hotel along the coast and were immediately stunned by how small and beautiful the island felt. For lunch, we had a spread of charcuterie, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and a wide selection of Madeiran cookies to try! In the afternoon, we went to beach and did some reading, tanning, snorkeling, and sandcastle building by Caroline, Shila, and Keltin! Then we headed out for sea kayaking, which ended up being one of the highlights of the trip so far. Our outfitter, Gonzalo, even took drone footage while we paddled, capturing the clearest blue water and our little colorful boats below. Louise was the first to jump off the rocks during our swim break, curating the vibe with her usual enthusiasm and zero hesitation. Lola and Caroline were kayaking partners and just seemed to be having the best time and really soaking it all in. Shila, of course, didn’t miss a chance to swim. She’s always the first one in the water, no matter where we are. We had dinner at a fun pizza place! It was just the comfort food we needed after a full day in the sun. We were also able to learn about cellars that were built in the ground to protect the islanders from pirates back in the day which was super cool. That night during Moonup, a surprise downpour sent us all running inside mid-sentence which made it so memorable. Lots of laughter and a great end to an awesome day.
Today was a very special day!! Libby’s birthday!!!! We celebrated with a coastal adventure that led us to a black rock pebble beach for snorkeling in the cove, beach naps, reads, and lunch. Shila found an octopus which was so cool! In the afternoon, we swam at the hotel pool and wandered into town to do a little shopping. One shop had a bunch of handmade jewelry, and many of the girls picked out pieces they loved. Libby loved her cupcake balloon by the way!!!! Dinner was at a restaurant right on the beach, which we ended with a red velvet cake for Libby and a sunset moonup on the beach. The timing was nothing less than perfect. The sky was glowing, and the group opened up in a really sweet way. Emily helped guide the conversation and created space for everyone to share something personal, and it ended up being one of our most thoughtful moonups yet. Also a huge thanks to Carrington for helping make the whole day feel so special for Libby.
We spent our last day on Porto Santo doing a big hike across the island, which gave us some amazing views of the coast and the mountains. We had a picnic lunch outside a beautiful old church tucked in the hills, and in the afternoon, the girls had some time to relax before we caught the evening ferry back to the main island. Some of the group went down to the pier to swim in the sea and Ellery was the first to jump in! We then made the walk back to the ferry for an evening ride back to Porto Santo. Bella was so helpful with getting dinner organized on the ferry! She’s always one of the first to offer help without being asked! We had pizzas, burgers and hotdogs, and, of course, ice cream! After we arrived, we went to a quiet mountain hotel that we all agreed felt really peaceful and homey. There happened to be a wedding reception going on, so we got to catch a quick glimpse before moonup and settling in for the night.
On day 10, we woke up and hit the road again, driving through the mountains for our second day of canyoning! The scenery was spectacular and we were all the way up in the clouds! We had some awesome singing parties on the way up and Anna was loving Olivia Rodrigo. Today during canyoning all 11 girls jumped off of every waterfall they could!!! We spent 3 hours going in and out of the most beautiful river – it was a definite wow moment and a great way to start the last portion of our trip. Our guide, Ivone, was so impressed by the girls today and she has absolutely loved getting to know them over the last 4 days. She has become another member of the group and we will be so sad to leave her! After our fun day of canyoning we made it to Porto Moniz, a charming town full of Madeiran locals. We spent the afternoon soaking up the sun in the natural salt pools. Lola and Shila spent most of their time telling their funny stories to the rest of the group from laying in the “crash zone” of the pools. We have a wonderful hostel all to ourselves and ended the day with yummy pizza and a beautiful sunset moonup. Tomorrow we start our trekking section of the trip and we could not be more excited.
P.S. We haven’t forgotten that it’s Fathers Day today! All of the girls have been talking about how much they love and miss you dads, and they’ve been thinking of you throughout the trip and especially today. Thank you so much for sharing them with us on your day!! They’re all so grateful for this experience, and it’s so clear how much you mean to them. Thank you for raising such truly incredible humans. We feel lucky every day to be here and spend this time with them.
Emily: Happy Father’s Day Dad! I love and miss you SO much. I’m still having so much fun!! Everyone here is so amazing but I miss you and everyone else a lot. See y’all soon! 💗💗
Anna: Happy father’s day dad!!! I miss you lots and i hope your having a good one, and i just know mom got you a hat or something related to your favorite bands…..Anyways love ya how you had a good day!!
Keltin: HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!! I love you and I miss you guys. We are about to start trekking. I assume you are still at Rockmont so say hi to Palmer for me. See you soon😜
Shila: DAD!!!!!! Happy father’s day to my favorite dad. I’ve been thinking about you and mom a lot today. Thank you for always reminding me that life is not a dress rehearsal. I love you guys so much!
Bella: Happy father’s day dad! I am having so much fun! We start our trekking tomorrow and I am excited for camping. Miss you!
Carrington: happy father’s day dad! i miss you so much and i hope you are spending it well with some quiet time because liza mae is still gone right? i am having so much fun you would love it here but excited to see you and tell you all about it! 🩵
Lola: Hii Daddd!!! love you soooo much!!! HAPPY FATHERS DAY!! i miss u like words can’t describe! Thank you for teaching me to always be your best self!!! always thinking of you, your fav daughter 💗💗😜
Libby: Happy Father’s day Dad!! I love you so much and miss you. I can’t wait to see you and tell you all about my trip!
Caroline: Happy Father’s to the BEST dad in the whole wide world and my soulmate!!! I love you SOOO much and am so grateful for this opportunity to grow and experience such amazing things. Fun fact for you: they filmed a part of the new Star Wars movie here. BTW we start our trekking tmrw 💗💗💗
Louise: Happy Happy father’s day dad!!! I love you so so much!! I’m so grateful to have you as my dad! I hope you had an amazing day!! I’m having so much fun here with all my new friends and leaders! I can’t wait to tell you all about it at home! love you so much!❤️❤️
Ellery: Feliz dia del padre! I hope you and mom are having a great time on your trip i can’t wait to see yall. wishing you an amazing, fun filled day in Switzerland. i can’t wait to see yall in a week!!!! love and miss you guys 😘
Hi from Madeira!
June 11, 2025
It’s only just the beginning and already this place feels like home. The views are unreal, the weather has been perfect, and everyone is bringing such amazing different personalities to the group! There’s been a lot of laughter, great music, a surprising amount of ice cream, and such amazing time spent together.
Our adventure started in Lisbon with big smiles and excitement all around before we flew to Madeira and officially kicked things off! Once we got to Madeira we grabbed Mexican food for lunch, took some time to settle in, then wandered around Funchal for a bit. The city is super charming! Keltin found a playground gym setup and absolutely impressed us all with her skills! We can’t wait to watch her thrive during rock climbing. After pizza and our first Moonup in a secluded little plaza, Andrea, Shila, Louise, Lola, and Anna ran down to the water to catch a firework show, which was such a warm welcome to the island and a truly magical way to end the first night of the trip.
Our first full day was amazing! After breakfast, we went canyoning which was so awesome and everyone really leaned into it. Caroline and Emily were our first LODs and set the tone with such excitement and thoughtfulness. Bella was also especially sweet and helpful, even offering to carry the bag without being asked. She is always offering up ways to help others!! After a fun day we then made our way up to a house at the top of the mountain, with a view that stretched across the entire city! It honestly felt like a postcard! There, we had a cooking lesson with a local family, and it quickly turned into such a fun and memorable evening. We helped chop vegetables, skewer meat, and prepare some of Madeira’s traditional dishes. Ellery was a natural at chopping garlic and Libby loved cutting up tomatoes! We got to try the island’s famous honey cake, and bolo de caco a warm, garlicky bread that was an immediate favorite. The family was incredibly kind and welcoming, and their little boy and two dogs added so much life and laughter to the night. Gelato and a Moonup in a peaceful park wrapped the day up perfectly!
Day 4 was a big hike day for us! We did São Lourenço and it was absolutely beautiful. We took our time and kept up the energy! Shila summed up the adventure by explaining to the group what us Moondancers sometimes call “type two fun” with saying “Y’all, now that we’re done with that hike… it was so fun”. During the hike we got to sit and enjoy lunch with an incredible view. And after lunch we got to take a dip our first swim in the Madeiran ocean!! What a memory.!! After the long and fun hike we had a relaxing afternoon. We cooled off at the beach, had dinner, and ended with Moonup led by Shila and Bella.
The next day was a slower morning with a late wakeup. The group surprised Ansley with a Madeira hat and socks for her birthday and sang to her at the beach with a cake! The beach day was so special! The girls had great conversations and truly have become such good friends. Lots of swimming, soaking up the sun, and eating fresh fruit and cookies. Keltin made friends with locals and jumped into a volleyball game. Surfing was our afternoon/evening activity. We took a short bus ride to a nearby beach and jumped right in to the surf lesson. Carrington and Shila were even helping the instructors teach us all the tips and tricks. The waves were big and the girls had so much fun!! Surfing was a huge hit that’s for sure. We ended the day with a really special Moonup led by Keltin and Carrington with lying under the stars, listening silently to one of our favorite songs called Second Thoughts by a band of former Moondance leaders. Just as the song was ending, we saw the most incredible shooting star. It was such a magical moment.
Day 6, we started with a yummy breakfast and a hike up a beautiful mountain in the town of Machico. We ate sandwiches at the top with a view of Madeira. We were able to watch a few planes take off and land up close, which was so cool! On our way down, we ran into some billy goats!! It felt just like a scene from a movie! Afterwards, we treated ourselves to gelato, which really hit the spot, especially since it was such a warm and sunny day. We hung out at the beach for a bit and read our books before getting ready to go surfing again! The surfing today was extra fun. We got to dive right into the ocean and get going. Everyone was able to get up and the instructors were so impressed by their skills. Everyone’s already starting to feel like a little family, and we’re so excited for what’s ahead. Thank you for sharing your amazing girls with us. We feel so lucky to have these few weeks with them! More soon!
Andrea & Ansley
Shoutouts:
Emily: Hey guys! I’m having so much fun!! Everyone here is great and I have made so many close friends that I can’t wait to tell y’all about. Love and miss yall so much!
Bella: Hi! I’m having lots of fun – it is really pretty here and everyone is nice. Love you!
Caroline: HAIII!! I’m having so much fun and made such good friends!! Please keep extra good care of Mollie and Mr. Pickles and give them extra kisses for me. Coopppiieeeeeeeeee I love you and miss you soo much!! Dad – I finished the hunger games book and it’s SO. GOOD.
Anna: Hiiiii mom and dad plus sally and Ginny I’m having lots of fun!! And I’m lowkey bad at surfing but I enjoying doing new stuff and pushing my body to do more!! Make sure you walk Mr bear and willie and take pics of possum and fluff for me! Love yall thanks for letting me go on this trip!! Love all of yall
Keltin: Hola mom dad and Palmer I am having so much fun. It is so pretty here and the weather is awesome. I hope you guys are enjoying North Carolina. Say hi to Johnny and Woody for me. I miss you guys and can’t wait for the rest of our summer adventures. I love you sm.
Carrington: hiiii I hope yall are having a good peaceful week! Happy birthday mom I am sad to miss!!! I hope Liza Mae had a good time at starter camp and did well. I can’t wait to hear about it. I am having so much fun and made lots of good friends but I am excited to see yall!
Louise: Hi Mom, Dad, Frances, Wills, and Walker!! I miss yall. I am having so much fun here, it’s super pretty. Lots of hiking and good views, I can’t Wait to tell y’all about it. I hope all Is well at home!! Give Woody and Lucy a snuggle for me. Love yall!!(p.s please feed my fish he only eats the really small pebbles in the container, you kind of have to sort through them in the cap to find them)
Shila: Hey Mom and Dad!! I’ve been living great here in Madeira. We’ve done things like canyoneering, hiking, and surfing! We’ve been surfing at the most beautiful beach I’ve ever seen. It’s surrounded by rocky cliffs and blue water. I’m writing you this now sitting on the beach with a view of the mountain we hiked this morning. I hope you guys are having a great time in Italy!! I love y’all so much!
Ellery: Hi Mom and Dad! I’ve been having the best time here in Madeira. My favorite thing has been surfing and we saw a shooting star last night. It was the coolest thing ever. I hope you guys are having a good trip so far in Switzerland! Send pictures and updates on the fam group chat. Miss and love yall so much! I can’t wait to show yall pictures and videos of my trip. ❤️❤️❤️
Lola: Hi Mom and Dad and whoever is seeing this!! It is beautiful here and I am having a blast! Right now we are chilling on the beach in Machico, a small Madeira town, but the beach sand is imported from Morocco. Also we did a steep hike to a gorg view! I miss yall so much and can’t wait to see you!!! I loved surfing and I can’t wait to hit the waves again today because I was just getting the hang of it. We also did canyoneering which was soooo cool and I wish I could share that fun with you!! I am so excited to show yall all the cool pics I’ve taken. Give Mav a big hug for me!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Libby: I am having fun here in Madeira! There are lots of new foods I am trying. We have been staying in hotels which have been nice so far. We have done 2 really hard hikes that were super difficult but they had beautiful views and I took lots of photos which I can’t wait to show yall. I have met a lot of new girls and some of us have mutual friends. My birthday is in 2 days and I’m excited. Can’t wait to tell you a lot about it and see yall! ❤️ Lou: I am missing the cat but sometimes I don’t even think about it so I’m doing okay. Please tell jack I said hi!! Miss you so so so much and hope you are staying busy.
Landed in Madeira
June 7, 2025
Hello Madeira Families!
We heard from our leaders this morning that the group has landed safely on Madeira! The group is so excited to start their adventure together!
Please remember our leaders and students will be unplugged during their trips, but we will be posting trip updates throughout the next week! This will allow you to follow along with the trip. You can also follow us on Instagram, @moondanceadventures, to see more of what we are up to!
-Moondance HQ
