We were able to depart for this hike directly from our accommodations in Merida - Finca Mystica. Our guide was arranged by reception, he was lovely. I would not recommend (nor do I think it's legal) for you to attempt this without a guide. Trails are not well marked, it would be very easy to get lost.
We opted for this over Concepcion as we figured it would be easier. There is nothing easy about this hike and in fact we discovered afterward that it's actually a longer trek than Concepcion - 14kms vs 12kms. But obviously the ascent is less - 1200 metres vs I think around 1600 metres for Concepcion. That is why people can finish Concepcion faster than Maderas. It took us over 8 hours (we spent about 45 mins at the top and that isn't included in the 8). The best thing is however you are hiking in mostly treed/shaded areas. I honestly can't imagine doing it in full sun.
Are we glad we did it? Yes, absolutely. But it was hard. This is a challenging hike. We are pretty fit people in our late 40s. And we had to stop several times on the way up to catch our breath. It took 2 hours just to get to the half way point or 'mirador'. Once you hit the cloud forest the temperature cools which is amazing because my husband could literally wring out his t-shirt, that is how much we sweated. We each drank 3 litres of water (which is what is recommended per person) and let's just say we never had to pee! lol. Because we are here in dry season, the majority of the trail minus the upper portions was in fact dry. Closer to the top there was some mud and slippery areas just because there is so much water in the cloud forest, everything is dripping.
When we got to the top, it was all cloud so we saw nothing. But our guide assured us if we waited, the clouds would clear, he explained that usually happens between 12-1pm which is why you leave at 8am. So we ate our lunch and sure enough, 20 mins later the cloud was gone and we saw the beautiful lagoon and the amazing views of Concepcion. You can add another 1.5-2 hrs to hike down to the lagoon but we decided not to do that. While technically you could swim in it, it basically looks like a big pond and apparently is really muddy. No thanks!
What is cool about this hike is that going up you are walking through all the cloud and mist, and on the descent you see everything that was hidden by those clouds. It's like two hikes in one from a scenery perspective. The views of Concepcion, the lake and the island itself all along the way down were incredible. And yes, the way down was difficult but I found it easier than the way up. Thank goodness for the few sections with ropes to help repel you down difficult parts (as well as help you on the way up), as well as all the tree branches and vines. Using our arms was a nice break for our legs. lol.
We saw lots of wildlife, our guide was excellent at pointing things out to us and explaining what they were. Beautiful (and loud) yellow naped parrots which are finally transitioning from being endangered, both howler and kapuchin monkeys (ask your guide about the story about why the kapuchin has a white face and the howler doesn't - hysterical), leaf cutter ants, many other birds, even a random tortoise! He also said there are deer and armadillos on the mountain which we didn't get to see.
Even if you don't think you can make it all the way, you could go to the mirador and back down, which would be 3-4 hours. Do I recommend this hike? Yes! Would I do it...
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