My Amazing trip in Madeira

Madeira was found around the 14th century by Portuguese sailors and was quickly settled. No wonder that they settled it so quick, as the land of the island is so fertile. One of the main production of the island was grain and sugarcane, which is produced until this day. Madeira is famous for producing sugarcane honey and aguardiente, which is a sugarcane rum. It is also famous for growing one of the sweetest small bananas.

However, despite having a fruitful land, Madeira is a tough island, which sits on a sleeping long-gone volcano. The terrain of Madeira is for sure one of the toughest I have seen and had to climb. Although, the island is one of the prettiest islands with a nice tropical climate, lush vegetation and lots of forests. It is for sure the perfect place for a vacation and that’s why so many people visit it all the time.

In addition to the main island, there are a couple of other islands that are part of the archipelago. Porto Santo is the second big island, which is famous for its infinite sandy beaches and is a popular destination for avid sunbathers. The other two islands are the Desertas and Savage islands that remain uninhabited and are claimed to be national reserves of Madeira.

Madeira is also the birthplace to one of the world’s most famous football players, Christiano Ronaldo, who grew up in Funchal and now there is a museum dedicated to him. Fun fact is that even the airport is named after him - Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport.

Thus, after we heard about Madeira and its unbelievable beauty, me and my boyfriend started researching over its map and created a detailed trip plan to follow. Soon after, we bought the tickets there and as you can imagine we went there to explore further.

How to get to Madeira?

The best way to get to Madeira is by plane and these days this is not that hard, as there are lots of flights to the island every single day. The cheapest options for flying to Madeira are EasyJet and Tap Air Portugal, but you can also get there by using the services of SATA Azores Airlines, Lufthansa or Jet2. The flight there usually takes around 2 or 3 hours and the airport is exactly next to the ocean, so it is quite windy and scary when the plane is about to land. I still remember the way we landed and when the plane turned on one side, so I was seeing only water and nothing more. It was a quite scary experience. However, the good part of the flight was that from the plane I saw the trail of Ponta de São Lourenço, which was stunning.

How to get around in Madeira?

It will be best to rent a car in Madeira, otherwise, you will most probably miss all the cool places. We managed to find a nice cheap rent a car in Funchal and they didn’t even ask us for a deposit. The service they provided was simply fantastic and they even waited for us at the airport to give us the car. Thus, after paying around 150 euros for all the days we got the keys for a brand new Nissan. You can find the company at 456 Estrada Monumental Palace street in Funchal city. The staff was very friendly and helpful, so we had a pretty awesome experience.

What is the weather like in Madeira?

It is a tough one. Especially, during the autumn and winter months. No, I am joking. While in Madeira in November I encountered all types of weather for real and it depended on where are you on the island. The weather in Madeira changes quite a lot, especially during the autumn and winter season, but you won’t miss the sun, as there is plenty of it too. Furthermore, Madeira is known as being a sunny island with a long hot summer and nice spring, so if you have the chance to go then.

However, I like to be prepared always, so I got my tourist shoes, warm clothes, and a raincoat and I would advise you to do the same.

Where to stay in Madeira?

A lot of people visiting Madeira always stay in Funchal, but for us, it was not a good option. Thus, after we researched a bit of the map we decided to look for a place in Calheta and found a very nice house with an amazing view of the ocean. The price of the house was way cheaper than the houses of the same type in Funchal, so it was a win-win situation. Furthermore, the location of the house was strategic as we easily could go anywhere on the island and didn’t have to waste a lot of time driving, as our longest drive was not more than an hour.

What food and drinks to try in Madeira?

When it comes to food and drinks Madeira can offer a lot. I was pleasantly surprised by their cuisine and drinks. The first night we bought Madeira wine, which is famous for being made by a special oxidizing process so that it can get its signature sweet taste.

However, I have to say that it was way too sweet for our taste, so it did not become our favourite drink. However, we tried a traditional drink called Poncha, which is made of sugarcane rum, honey, orange and lemon juice. Then, you mix everything with a special wooden stick and voila. You have a nice evening drink to enjoy the sunset with. However, Poncha is quite a strong drink, but still a very nice one.

Later, I found Poncha with different flavours like maracuja and tangerine, but my favourite became the original one for sure. If you want to try the traditional Poncha and participate in the traditional way of drinking it go to Taberna da Poncha in Serra De Agua where they will provide you with everything needed. It is a fun tradition where they make Poncha, give you peanuts, which you have to peel for yourself and then throw them on the ground.

I would also suggest trying the liquors in Madeira, as they have very good ones. We bought the Licor de Anona and it was amazing! Plus, it was not that expensive, as it cost us around 5-6 euros. We also tried the traditional sugar cane honey that is typical for Madeira and it was quite good, but heavier than the normal honey.

Food in Madeira can be quite diverse and you will for sure find everything here. However, I would suggest you try the Bolo do Caco sandwich, which is made with the typical bread of Madeira, steak, ham, cheese, garlic butter and some vegetables. Delish!

Last but not least, try the black scabbard fish that can be found in Madeira. The people in Madeira have a special way to prepare it, as they season the fillets with garlic, lemon, salt and black pepper. Then, the fillets, along with some peeled bananas are dipped in eggs and flour and fried in sunflower oil. As a side dish, you can add potatoes or salad. We made this fish a couple of times for dinner and it is very tasty, despite being the ugliest fish I’ve seen. We learnt that recipe thanks to our lovely host that provided us with it so that we can have an awesome experience.

Finally, if you want to try something traditional and sweet you can go for Bolo de Mel, which is a cake made out of sugar cane honey, flour and nuts. It is absolutely worth the try!

The first day in Madeira

My first day in Madeira was not that exhausting as the next couple of days that I spent there. We went to a couple of places from our list and my favourite for sure was the Jardim do Mar and the natural swimming pools of Porto Moniz.

Jardim do Mar

We first headed to Jardim do Mar, as I have seen a lot of pictures of the nice trails there and heard that is a really nice place to visit. To easily get there we drove to the Hotel Jardim Atlantico where was the start of the trail called the Royal Route of the Sea. From there we were following the signs on the trail and I surprisingly it started raining, but this didn’t stop us from hiking. After some time, we reached a little river that we had to cross and it was quite hard because for short people like me is not that easy to jump over to the other side.

Thus, we made something like a bridge from the fallen trees on the side and luckily I crossed it too. So we managed to get to the Miradouro dos Prazeres, which was not our final part of the hiking but was for sure a very beautiful stop on the way. On our way to the viewpoint, we also saw some huge waterfalls that were quite far from us, but you could hear the echo around. However, we decided to go back to our car, as the weather was a bit unfriendly and waited there for a bit until we made a decision to go to another place and explore it.

Ponta Do Pargo Lighthouse

Our next stop was the Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse, which is one of the nicest places for observing the island and its massive earth formations. I would say that at this point I was surprised that Madeira was such a hilly island, with such massive and steep coasts. It was hard for me to imagine that someone could hike this, as it is quite impossible.

Miradouro Garganta Funda

Anyway, we continued our hike a little bit on the right from the Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse in search of a hidden waterfall. Thus, we went a bit further near a huge chasm that was covered by lush vegetation and then we heard the sound of the waterfall near the ocean. Unfortunately, it was hard to reach it and also dangerous, so we just enjoyed its beauty from afar.

Piscinas Naturais de Porto Monìz

After we were done with our hikes around the west part of Madeira we headed to the northern part of it in the search for the natural swimming pools of Porto Moniz. However, on our way to Porto Moniz, I found a nice viewpoint before the city and we decided to stop by it. Miradouro da Santa was situated a bit higher than the city of Porto Moniz in a thick tropical forest from where you could admire the beautiful coastal city.

Then, we proceeded further to the city itself and parked the car near to the natural swimming pools where we decided to take a dip in. Despite the huge waves around the natural pools, it is pretty safe to swim in them, but the water in the autumn can be quite cold, but still pleasant. Thus, we dressed up and went to the pools to swim, jump in them, watch the ocean, dive inside and go after small fishes or starfishes and crabs. It was an amazing experience for sure and I would for sure go there again!

By the way, the natural swimming pools of Porto Moniz are free of charge, so you can go there whenever you want and spend as much time as you want. However, you should be very careful as it can be quite slippery, so be very careful where you put your feet!

Ribeira Da Janela

At the end of the day, we decided to visit the city of Ribeira da Janela, which was on our way back home. It was only ten minutes drive away from Porto Moniz, so in no time we were there and parked the car in the main parking of the city near the beach. Even though we were very tired of hiking around the island the whole day we explored a bit more, but then something caught our attention. It was a staircase leading to a cave-like hole in a huge rock formation. Thus, we went straight there and when we came on the other side we saw a huge beach with big rocks instead of sand and interesting rocks emerging high from the ocean. Unfortunately, it started raining, so we had to leave and that is how our first day in Madeira ended.

The second day in Madeira

Our second day was quite adventurous, as we got lost while we were trying to get back to our car after our six hours hike. Luckily, we managed to get back on the right path and go in time to see the famous cave of Madeira.

Levada das 25 Fontes

Our day started early in the morning and we drove from the city of Calheta, where we were residing to Miradouro do Rabaçal, which was the beginning of our long hike to the waterfalls. We walked down the road, which was full of beautiful landscapes around, and eventually reached the beginning of the trail where the road ended.

Thus, first, we followed the signs for Levada das 25 Fontes and walked through thick Laurisilva forests that are typical for the island of Madeira. Here the vegetation is very thick and takes different forms, creating a very different world of its own. It is also very humid and we saw a lot of evaporations flying around the land.

Thus, after walking for some time we reached the first waterfall, which was secluded between some huge rock formations and lush vegetation. We walked around in search for the perfect spot for rest when we met a very nice little bird that was friendly enough to let us take a picture of it and I believe that it was even posing.

However, after some time we went back on the trail in the search of Risco waterfall, which is one of the most famous waterfalls in Madeira and is one of the biggest too. The trails for Risco waterfall and the 25 Fontes were close to each other, so we didn’t have to walk a lot to the waterfall and in a bit, we were able to hear it. If I have to be honest, that was one of the biggest waterfalls I have ever seen. It was truly colossal and powerful!

We decided to enjoy it a bit more, before heading to the Lagoa do Vento, which was situated above the Risco waterfall and we had to climb up a lot. Thus, we sat on the benches near the waterfall and admired it for some time. It was a truly mesmerizing waterfall!

After that, we had to climb a lot to get to the Lagoa do Vento, where we saw the main waterfall and its lake, but it was raining quite a lot, so we quickly headed down to hide in the thick forests. Thus, we walked for quite a while and reached other trails, exploring further the locality. At some point, we found a faster way to get back to our car, but it took us to thick and prickly bushes, which we tried to pass, but I have to say that it was not a very good idea. We got hurt a bit, so we searched for another path to get back to our starting point and after a bit, we were next to our car.

I believe that maybe you are wondering what “Levada” is because I was very curious the first time I heard about it. Basically, levadas are the aqueducts that you can see in the pictures here and they were built by the Portuguese people back in the days, so they could bring water from the west part of the island to the southeast part. It was for sure a tough work, but there was no other way for them to water their crops and this was the only way to also have drinkable water. Nowadays, they are still used as a source of drinkable water and also as a provider of hydroelectric power. Furthermore, tourists find them to be useful for easily navigating through the trails around the island, as they can be found everywhere.

Bridal Veil Waterfall

After our exhausting trip, we headed to the caves of Madeira, but on the way, we stopped in Seixal, where we found the famous Bridal Veil waterfall, which truly resembled the veil of a bride. At this point, we also had a good view of the north part of the island and the Atlantic Ocean.

Grutas de São Vicente

Finally, we went to São Vicente, so we can see the famous caves of Madeira. There we had to pay eight euros to enter the caves and wait for our guide to come and pick us up. The journey around the caves took us around 30 minutes and it was totally worth it.

We were first guided into a huge hall with projections explaining how the caves formed and what was happening on the island almost 900 000 years ago. And guess what was happening?! Volcanos were erupting everywhere to create this massive and rocky island, also this contributed to its fruitful land.

Then, we had fun in another interactive hall, where we found an interactive mini volcano that was erupting and was showing in detail the process itself.

Finally, we were shown the caves and the eight volcanic tunnels around where lava was flowing through, which are now filled with water. And in the water, I noticed something strange, which appeared to be bottles of wine. When I asked why they put bottles of wine in the cave, the guide explained to me that the locals found out that the wine becomes better and tastier, when it stays in that water for 6 months. Thus, now they are still keeping this tradition and are putting the authentic Madeira wine in there, so it becomes even better. However, the wine was not available for sale yet, but she mentioned that the price is going to be higher than that of the normal wine.

The third day in Madeira

Our third day started around 5.00 am when we woke up and had to get ready very quickly because we wanted to catch the sunrise over Ponta de São Lourenço. Then, after the tough walk, we stopped at various locations to enjoy some beautiful landscapes.

Ponta de São Lourenço Trail

We started our trip around 5:30 from our house in Calheta and had to drive to Ponta de São Lourenço for around an hour. Both of us were very sleepy at this point, but we were very motivated to catch and take photos of the sunrise around this landmark. Thus, once we got there we quickly parked the car in the parking lot, where there was only one car except ours, which meant that there were other enthusiasts.

The path from the parking lot was going a bit down to a board with information about the trail and the duration time, which was about 3 hours of hiking. Thus, after this board, we started our journey to the end of the world. I have to say that while we hiked we were seeing different and out of this world landscapes. Everything here seemed unreal and somewhat different compared to the lush Laurisilva forest that we saw the previous day. Along the way, we saw different interesting volcanic formations and in some places, we were able to even spot the way the lava was going through the rocks.

It was even more interesting how the path was going in a zig-zag way leading from one viewpoint to another. One of my favourite viewpoints became the Ponto de Vista and Ponta do Castelo, which offered a mesmerizing view over the Atlantic Ocean and to the island of Porto Santo.

Later, we reached the Sardinha house, which is the house of the people protecting this area and from it, we had to climb up to the top, so we could reach the end of the trail. While we were hiking up we saw that a storm was approaching us, coming from the center of the island. I have to admit that I was a bit scared, as there was nowhere to hide, as the terrain was plain. However, we kept on climbing and when we almost gave up, because of the storm, it passed to another direction.

Luckily, we managed to reach Morro do Furado, which was the most eastern point of the island and also the windiest I would say. Later, I found out that locals call this point of the island "The End of the World". That name was given to that point by the early explorers of the island and passed on to the following generations.

We were extremely exhausted, thus we sat on the ground and brought our food out of the backpacks for a little feast with a fascinating view and a couple of seagulls trying to steal our food. From that point of the trail, we could easily see the Deserted islands in front of us that are also part of Madeira and their only inhabitants that are the rare Mediterranean monk seals.

This day we were very lucky, as it was just us in this place at that time of the day. There were no people around and it was pretty quiet, but windy. However, on our way back, the place was flooded with people hiking on the trail and I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw it. So, I was very happy that despite being exhausted and sleepy we still made it to the End of the World in Madeira.

Miradouro do Pico do Facho

Then, we went to the Miradouro do Pico do Facho from where we had a very nice vista over the city of Machico, which is famous for its beautiful sandy beaches.

Cristo Rei

Finally, we went to the famous statue of Jesus Christ, which resembles a bit the one in Rio de Janeiro. Next to the statue, you will see a staircase going down to the end of the cliff where the views were mesmerizing. It was a nice final stop and a good place to sit and relax and enjoy the beauty of the ocean.

The fourth day in Madeira - Climbing Pico Ruivo

The fourth day in Madeira started pretty early again, as we knew that in order to have enough time to reach Pico Ruivo and go back home, we will need quite a lot of time. Thus, we went to Miradouro do Pico do Areeiro, where we were supposed to start our half-day hike to the highest peak in Madeira – Ruivo. Surprisingly, up there was colder than expected and there was ice cover on the street, so the moment we started driving up to the viewpoint our car almost slipped and that was quite scary, so we parked it as soon as we could. Even more surprisingly, the moment I went out of the car I started sliding down the road and I couldn’t stop, so I had to make myself fall, so I can continue somehow to the starting point of the trail. I won’t lie, as it was pretty hard to get up, due to the slippery ice cover and I fell a couple of times, despite wearing my tourist shoes that were supposed to help in such situations.

Anyway, we managed to get up to the viewpoint of Pico Areeiro, which was one of the highest peaks in Madeira and got one of the nicest vistas of the island. In the meantime, we decided to wait a bit for the sun to show up, as even the path on the trail was covered in slippery ice cover and the people that went first were falling a lot. However, the falling was not that scary as the narrow path that you have to take and the abyss surrounding it, so in my opinion that hike is quite dangerous and not for everybody.

After some time, we went on our way to Pico Ruivo carefully and with a couple of falls we managed to get to Miradouro do Ninho da Manta, which was one of our first stops along the way. We waited there a bit for the sun to show up a bit more, so it melts the ice cover. Then, we continued through the tough terrain by going through a couple of long tunnels made into the blocks of rocks and narrow staircases that were quite scary to go onto.

After around 2 hours of hiking, we decided to stop and rest for a bit in one of the places that were more open and wide, so we sat there to re-charge ourselves with a bit of food and water. Some people kept on walking near the rock wall, as the path at that part of the hike was quite dangerous. Suddenly I heard the sound of falling rocks and I could see a couple of medium-sized rocks falling from Pico das Torres exactly on the road that the others just passed. Before taking this hike we read a lot about it and we knew it was considered a dangerous one, but after thorough research on the forecast, it was considered safe. However, at this point in the hike, I was scared of continuing and wanted to go back, but somehow my boyfriend changed my mind and we continued our hike with extra caution.

Finally, we reached the last part of the hike, which felt pretty safe for hiking. I have to say that it was also the most beautiful part of this hike, as along the way you could see all kinds of views everywhere. While hiking we met a lot of avid hikers and one of them was even 80 years old, which encouraged me to keep on going. Before reaching the top we had to stop a couple of times, as it was quite hard to keep on climbing up for a long time and there we also saw a forest full of strange white trees I have never seen before. It felt magical!

In less than an hour, we were at the top of Madeira, where “Oh Meu Deus!” you could see everything. Unbelievable!

We stayed for quite a long time there, as we needed to rest a lot. I won’t lie. The hike to Pico Ruivo is one of the toughest hikes I have ever hiked. However, it was absolutely worth it.

On our way back it was quite easier as we kind of knew the terrain and what to expect from it. There were no falling rocks this time, but climbing the high stairs back was one of the worst experiences ever. Along the way we saw a couple of the Red-legged partridges, which are birds typical for this region of Madeira and they were quite friendly and outgoing, so we could almost touch them!

After almost 7 hours of hiking, we finally made it to our car, which was waiting for us at the starting point of Pico Areeiro. What a journey! For real! It was quite adventurous!

However, I would advise you to check the forecast for the day for Pico Ruivo, as we initially did, because the weather there could vary a lot in a single day. Although we had a pleasant time there, we also encountered some serious fog, slippery ice cover, rain and almost a storm in the end. In addition to that, I would say to take food with you and lots of water and take breaks along the way, as it is a seriously hard hike, especially for inexperienced people. Last but not least, wear warm clothes and tourist shoes for sure, as it is not that hot as the other parts of the island.

Miradouros do Paredão

Just because our hike was not tiring enough we decided to visit one of the famous viewpoints along the way. We stopped for a bit at Miradouros do Paredão where we could observe the secluded village of Curral das Freiras or as many call it the Valley of the Nuns. At this stop, you will simply realize how tough is Madeira as an island and despite this, people still manage to live here. The village is built in between huge blocks of rocks covered with lush vegetation and forests. Majestic!

Ponta do Sol

Finally, we ended our long day trip around the beach of Ponta do Sol. There was also an old bridge going further into the ocean from where you could take a look at the crashing waves and the fury of the ocean.

The fifth day in Madeira

After a couple of days of hiking, we decided to make the fifth day a bit better and to slowly continue exploring Madeira. Thus, we slept a bit more and then we went out to the city of São Vicente.

Cascata de São Vicente

First, we decided to chill for a bit at the black sand beach of São Vicente from where you could enjoy some beautiful vistas too. Then, we got hungry and went to Restaurante Caravela, which was exactly on the coast, so we got some pretty good tuna steak, limpets, and garlic bread, accompanied by a beautiful view over the north coast of Madeira.

Laurisilva Forest in São Vicente

Then, we decided to check out the Laurisilva forest near São Vicente, where we also found a lot of barbeques and places for rest, so we just arranged our hammock between the trees and chilled for a bit.

However, I would say that the Laurisilva forests in Madeira are one of the most beautiful woodlands you will ever see. It only adds to the beauty and mysticism of the island, especially if there is fog.

Later, I learnt that those types of forests can only be found on islands like Madeira, the Azores, Canaries and Cape Verde. Moreover, the Laurisilva forests in Madeira are considered to be very old, around 20 million years and were even claimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Pretty amazing! So make sure to visit one of them!

Levada dos Balcões

After that, we drove to Ribeiro Frio where we went for a short walk on Levada dos Balcões and reached its end in no time. Since it was very sunny this day we could clearly see the north part of the island and the valley of Faial, as well as some small birds, chirping and flying around. It was one of the most serene places for sure.

Miradouro do Guindaste

Next, we went to Miradouro do Guindaste, which is one of the most beautiful and not so crowded viewpoints on the island of Madeira. As the day was sunny, we could even spot the island of Porto Santo in the distance.

Cabo Girão

At the end of the day, we went to the south again and straight to Cabo Girão from where we watched the sun going down. Cabo Girão is a glass balcony standing up at 580 meters height and is Europe’s tallest sea cliff. There we could observe the vastness of the ocean, the beautiful sunset and the city of Funchal from afar. To enter Cabo Girão was free, even though it seemed like a paid attraction at first.

The sixth day in Madeira – Exploring Funchal

On our last day in Madeira, we decided to explore only the capital of the island and dedicated all of our time to it.

Funchal Food Market

This market totally blew my mind. Literally! It has absolutely everything like spices, tropical flower seeds, fish and meat market, vegetables and offers a lot of tropical fruits that I have never seen before. First, we walked around it, so we can decide what to buy and from where and then we went on the first floor to buy some. It was nice enough that before buying fruits the seller would let you try it and see if you like it, so it was easier to decide later.

Then after trying, we decided to get one custard apple, which is called Anona and is a pretty sweet fruit, but the texture and its taste have nothing to do with apples. Then, we got different types of maracujas like banana, passion fruit, lemon and pineapple passion fruit. In addition to that, we also got some different mangos and a strange fruit called Adam’s rib or the Delicious fruit of Madeira. It looks a bit like a long green pine cone and in taste is like banana or pineapple or both. However, the seller will ask you when you plan to eat the fruit, as it needs time to become edible and you will know that if some of its flakes have fallen. The bananas of Madeira were also on the list, so we got some of the small sweet bananas and filled our bags to the fullest.

Funchal Old town

Then, we went back to our car to leave the fruits and strolled a bit in the old town of Funchal, which had so many colourful houses built on the hills around. From there we went to Praça do Povo, which is one of the main coastal squares in the city overlooking the ocean. Finally, we climbed a bit to Jardim Municipal do Funchal, which was a beautiful garden in the middle of the city with lots of tropical flowers and trees. Within the garden, there were a couple of fountains that only added to the magical experience and beauty of the garden.

Jardim Tropical de Monte

Our final stop was the Jardim Tropical de Monte, which was situated in one of the hills in Funchal. To get to the garden is quite hard, as the road is one of the steepest roads in Madeira and you have to be a very skillful driver. Along the way up to the garden, we saw a lot of typical Madeiran sledges going down the street. It is an unusual way of transporting people, but lots of tourists try that, as it is traditional. It’s called Monte sledges and is a cart made of wood, with seats for people and places for the people that are going to push it down the road. Having in mind that the roads in Funchal are quite steep and hilly, going down fast doesn’t seem like a problem for these carts.

However, once we got there we bought our tickets for 12.50 euros and entered the most beautiful garden I have ever seen. Following the signs, we started walking around the garden that houses lots of exotic plants from various corners of the world. It didn’t take long when we reached the Japanese gardens that were absolutely marvellous. There were ponds with Koi fishes swimming inside, places for meditation with Buddha statues, Japanese buildings, and soldier statues around.

The Japanese gardens were on a couple of levels and entirely recreate a typical garden in Japan. Incredible! After that, we went to the three exhibitions of the Ponte Palace museum. The first exhibition we saw was the “African Passion”, which was on two floors and has gathered lots of Zimbabwean statues that were gathered in the 20thcentury. The next one was dedicated to the various minerals around the world and was called "Mother Nature's Secrets". Most of the minerals were gathered from Brasil, Peru, South Africa, and Portugal and are one of the biggest minerals around the world. Last but not least, the museum also holds a valuable collection of Hispano-Moorish tiles in the 15th and 16th centuries.

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