Even if you’ve ridden bikes all over the World, Madeira is different!
Madeira isn’t a bike park and yet it isn’t naturally formed trails, it hasn’t evolved over the centuries nor has it seen a sudden multimillion dollar injection of investment. Instead, it has been hand-built by a small group of fanatics who went in search of dream trail opportunities in all four corners of the island. Their plan was to build, reclaim, open up access, dig, dig some more and create an incredibly unique riding experience on this jewel in the Atlantic Ocean.
In mid-summer 2021 we arrived in Madeira with Andrew Neethling, ex-professional downhill racer and host of the Moving the Needle podcast. It was sunny, warm and spirits were high as we were met at the airport by John Fernandes, our H+I Adventures guide in Madeira. He is all things MTB here in Madeira, from shaping the trails to shaping the island as a World-renowned mountain bike paradise. It hasn’t been an easy path - it is rarely is! - but from humble beginnings to Enduro World Series success, John has pushed the trails, the infrastructure, events and even the type of professional photo shoots and filming projects that brought us there with Andrew.
And so we had the chance to delve deeper into this journey and discover why these amazing trails exist, the impact they have had on this sleepy island and what makes the whole place tick. If there is one comment that sums it all up - “Build it and they will come.”
Hit play for some of the finest trails in the World, and the passion and craft invested in creating them.
