When you're cycling 80km with over 2,500m of climbing in Madeira's mountains, knowing where to refill your water bottles isn't just convenient - it's essential. Here's how I used PitStopper to plan my water stops before my trip, and how it worked out on the road.
The Challenge: 80km Through Madeira's Mountains
I was planning a bike trip to Madeira and got a GPX route from the bike hire company in advance. After tweaking it a bit in Komoot, I had an 80km route with some serious climbing ahead of me. Looking at the elevation profile, I knew I'd be burning through water quickly.
The roads in Madeira are stunning - winding through pine forests and volcanic landscapes - but they're also remote. You can't count on finding a shop or cafe exactly when you need one.
Discovering Madeira's Public Water Taps
This is where PitStopper came in. I loaded my GPX route and started exploring the POI categories. That's when I discovered something brilliant: Madeira has an extensive network of public drinking water taps scattered throughout the island.
Using the "Drinking Water" category, I found dozens of water points along my route. PitStopper showed me exactly where each one was, how far along the route, and even the elevation - useful when you're planning whether to refill before or after a big climb.
From PitStopper to Garmin
The real magic happens when you export your route. I saved the GPX with all the drinking water waypoints included, then loaded it onto my Garmin bike computer. Each water tap appeared as a "Water" waypoint on my device.
My Garmin showed me exactly when each water point was coming up - distance and estimated time. With over 2,100m of climbing showing on the display, knowing there was water at 0.42 miles, then 0.98 miles, then 1.64 miles gave me confidence I wouldn't run dry.
Did It Work?
In practice, I managed to spot most of the taps along the way. The waypoint alerts on my Garmin gave me a heads-up to start looking, and PitStopper even told me which side of the road each tap would be on - incredibly useful when you're scanning ahead while cycling.
This is one of the actual taps I used to fill up my bottles. These traditional stone fountains are fed by Madeira's mountain springs - the water was cold and refreshing after grinding up another climb.
A Lesson Learned
One tap turned out to be trickier than expected - it was 20 metres below the road, down a path I nearly missed! This experience actually inspired a new PitStopper feature: elevation checking for POIs. PitStopper now compares the elevation of each POI against your route and warns you if it's more than 5 metres higher or lower than the track. No more unexpected detours down (or up!) to reach your water stop!
Visualising the Route
PitStopper's 3D Map View really brings the challenge into perspective. You can see the route winding through Madeira's mountainous terrain, with all the water points marked along the way. It's clear why staying hydrated was so important - there's nowhere to hide from those climbs!
Key Takeaways
- Plan ahead: Loading your route into PitStopper before your trip lets you discover local infrastructure you might not know about
- Export to your device: The waypoints on your GPS give you real-time awareness of what's coming up
- Trust but verify: Not every mapped water point will be working - having multiple options along your route provides backup
- Local knowledge in your pocket: PitStopper's data comes from OpenStreetMap, contributed by locals who know their area
What's Next?
Next year I'm planning to ride around the entire island - and of course, I'll be using PitStopper again to plan my pitstops. This time I'll be searching for water taps, cafes, bakeries for some pastel de nata fuel stops, and maybe a poncha bar near the end of the route as a reward!
Try It For Your Next Adventure
Whether you're planning a cycling trip, a hiking expedition, or a long-distance walk, knowing where to find water (or cafes, or bakeries!) can make the difference between a great day and a struggle. Load your route into PitStopper, search for what you need, and export your enhanced GPX.
Your future dehydrated self will thank you.
