Olá de Portugal!
July 1, 2025
We miss you all dearly and hope you’re doing well. It’s hard to believe the kids left home a whole week ago, time is truly flying. We’ve already accomplished so much, and we’re excited to share everything we’ve been up to. Starting the trip with trekking isn’t easy, but it’s brought this group together faster than we ever could have hoped. Their determination, resilience, and constant support for one another have been incredible to witness. It already feels like they’ve been friends for years. We feel so lucky to be leading such a special group, and we’re excited for everything still to come.
Wednesday: The group landed in Lisbon bright and early, where we met them at the airport. As we waited for our flight to Madeira, the kids began getting to know one another and quickly started to click. When we touched down on the island, we were greeted with warm sun and stunning views.
We loaded up the vans and made our way to the far side of the island, enjoying the scenic drive along the way. After settling into our hostel, we headed down to the natural pools for a swim. The waves crashed up over the ledges as the kids sat at the edge, laughing and taking it all in.
Back at the hostel, the boys pulled out a deck of cards and kicked off a game of “ratta-tat-tat,” which turned into a running tournament with an ongoing score that’s still going strong. That evening, a local pizza chef came to cook for us, making artisanal pies that were a crowd favorite. We ended the night with our first Moonup, where we passed out gifts to everyone and reflected on the start of this adventure.
Thursday: Will and Libby stepped into their roles as our first Leaders of the Day and cooked everyone breakfast. Their bacon and eggs were delicious and gave us the energy we needed for our first day of trekking. We tackled a challenging loop around Porto Moniz with some serious elevation gain, but the views were worth every step.
After the hike, we cooled off with ice cream and spent time exploring a few local shops. The boys proudly bought matching Ronaldo jerseys, fully embracing his Madeiran heritage. Later that evening, Tyler, Hatcher, Cooper, and Baylor made us tacos for dinner, and the group took on a spontaneous hot sauce challenge. Margaret and Mary Alice proved to be the bravest, earning respect from the whole group.
Friday: As we drove to the next section of the trek, everyone kept each other entertained telling an endless supply of jokes and funny stories. Will led the group on the trail and stayed strong through the toughest terrain we’ve seen so far. At one point, we stopped at a freezing waterfall, and the entire group jumped in without hesitation.
When we arrived at the campsite, Will, Maggie, Abby, and Eli cooked up a delicious pasta dinner. The dish crew, led by Graham, kept things lighthearted-especially when he tossed a pot towards Eli, who couldn’t stop laughing after. Later, Abby showed off her spike ball skills by defeating Hatcher and Eli in a fierce game. We ended the day with a sunset overlooking Pico Ruivo, the tallest peak on the island and a challenge we’ll be taking on very soon.
Saturday: We woke up to the sound of mooing because an entire family of cows had wandered into our campsite at sunrise. After a quick breakfast, we hit the trail again. Spirits were high as we hiked through stunning mountain scenery and made our way toward the island’s famous tunnels.
The air inside the tunnels was chilly and damp, but the group had fun turning on their headlamps and hearing their voices echo off the stone walls. After a long day on the trail, we rewarded ourselves with more ice cream and surprised the group with a stay at a cozy mountain refúgio. It was a welcome change from camping, complete with warm showers and a hearty dinner.
After the meal, Baylor, Hatcher, Abby, and Maggie went outside to play football with a local boy whose family runs the refúgio. It was such a sweet and thoughtful gesture, and his parents were incredibly appreciative. We watched another gorgeous sunset together and headed to bed, ready to take on Pico Ruivo the next morning.
Sunday: We woke up after a restful night in the refúgio and were greeted with an incredible breakfast spread-yogurt parfaits, bacon, sausage, eggs, croissants, fresh rolls, coffee, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. It was the perfect fuel for the big day ahead: summiting Pico Ruivo, the highest peak in Madeira.
The trail began deep in the Laurisilva forest, an ancient and enchanted landscape that felt like something out of a movie. As we weaved through the dense trees, the kids ducked under branches and climbed over moss-covered rocks, fully immersed in the natural beauty around them. Eventually, we reached the base of the final staircase to the summit.
With huge smiles and a contagious sense of accomplishment, every single person made it to the top. Libby and Will led the charge, but the rest of the group was close behind. Once we reached the summit, there were hugs, high fives, and a group lunch with sweeping panoramic views, it was a moment we’ll all remember for a long time.
After descending, we loaded into the vans and drove to our next campsite. Everyone was feeling the effects of a big day, so we pulled out bags of candy and cookies for a little pick-me-up before dinner. That evening, the group split into teams for a lively football game. Tyler and Cooper stepped up as quarterbacks, leading their teams through a game full of friendly competition and nonstop laughs.
Monday: When we went to wake up the group, we found them all outside, sound asleep in a giant circle under the stars. It was one of those little moments that showed just how close this group has already become.
We kicked off the day with pancakes, thanks to a special request from Mary Alice, and then hit the trail one last time to complete the final leg of our trek. The path led us all the way down to Funchal, where we capped off our trekking journey with a ride on Madeira’s famous carrieros basketlike wooden sleds that zoom down narrow streets for nearly two kilometers. The kids couldn’t stop laughing the whole way down.
Afterward, we made our way to a charming beach town nearby. Everyone took a much-deserved dip in the ocean to wash off the dust and sweat from our days on the trail. We wrapped up our beach afternoon with a stop for gelato and then headed out for a celebratory pizza dinner.
That night, we checked into our hotel for a well-earned evening of warm showers and cozy beds. It was the perfect end to a long, challenging, and incredibly rewarding stretch of the trip.
And that concludes this trip update! Thank you again for sharing your kids with us. We have had an absolute blast and can’t wait for everything that is to come. We look forward to checking back in soon!
Tchau!
Hayden and Nelson
Baylor: “hi mom, dad, Mason, Carter, and Tatum! Miss you guys and hope you’re having fun at the beach. I am having so so much fun and have made so many good memories. Our trekking was so pretty and such a good experience and I am definitely ready to hike with you dad. I hope you guys are well and I can’t wait to see you all when we get home! Tell the dogs I say hi!!”
Mary Alice: “Hi Mom and Dad and Carmella! Madeira is so pretty and I’m having so much fun with everyone here! The natural scenery is beautiful and I love my group and leaders so much. I miss you so much and can’t wait to tell you all about the trip when I get home. Say hi to Fifi for me.”
Libby: “hi Mom Dad and Mia!!!! Im having so much fun here in Madeira it’s one of the coolest places I’ve ever been. The ocean and the mountains are both gorgeous and my group is awesome. We just finished the trekking section of the trip which was super cool and now we’re at the beach. Miss yall!!!!”
Margaret: “Hey Mom, Dad and Wells!! I am having the absolute best time . This has been by far the best trip ever with the best group and leaders. I cannot wait to tell yall all about it!! We’ve finished trekking and are at the beach now! Tell Witt and all my friends that I miss all of them very much! I hope Wells is doing great too!”
Maggie: “hi everyone! I miss you guys but I’m having so much fun. I never want to leave. My group is so amazing and I’ve made some lifelong friends. Madeira is the prettiest place ever. I can’t wait to tell you all about it! Tell Micah I miss him so much and can’t wait to hangout with him when I get home. Happy birthday goggy and happy anniversary mom and dad!”
Abby: “Hi mom and dad!!!!! I’m having so so much fun on my trip and Madeira is amazing, everything here is so pretty. I love my group so much, and can’t wait to see y’all when I get home and tell you about it! Miss y’all!!!!!!”
Hatcher: “Hi Mom and Dad, it’s so much fun here! My group is amazing and I’m such good friends with everyone. All the views here are so beautiful, it’s stunning. I feel like every night I get to know everyone better! Trekking was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed the hiking. Tell Grammy and Grampa I miss them and can’t wait to talk to them about this trip! Have fun in Croatia!”
Cooper: ” Hey Mom and Dad, I’m having the best time out here. We just go done with trekking and it was so fun. The views here are unreal and my group is amazing. Can’t wait to see yall and talk about it, love yall!”
Eli: “Hey mom and dad, we just finished the trekking part of the trip. We’re about to go surfing so that should be awesome. I miss the dogs and you guys and I hope Sabrina and Viv are having fun without me. Love you and see you soon!”
Graham: “Hi Mom and Dad and Ellie, I’m having so much fun and Madeira but I miss yall so much. I hope yall have so much fun at the beach. I can’t wait to see yall when I get home. Love and miss yall!”
Will: “Hey Mom and Dad, Madeira is a blast and I can’t wait to get to the water section after finishing trekking. I can’t wait to tell y’all all about it and thanks for sending me on this trip! Love y’all!”
Tyler: “Hey mom and dad. I’m having so much fun in Madeira. We just finished our trekking part of the trip and we’re now in the city part of Madeira. So far I’ve bought 2 Ronaldo jerseys and a Madeira hat. I hope you guys have fun at the beach and I miss yall. I hope Sadie is beating Jackson a lot in ping pong too. I love yall so much!”
Safe Arrival!
June 25, 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
