MITCHELL MCCLUNG
Known as the Pearl of the Atlantic, Madeira is a stunning volcanic archipelago with rugged, mountainous landscapes and dramatic cliffs. Madeira’s sub-tropical climate makes it a year-round destination for tourists. Temperatures are generally 20-27°C, with the summer being drier and the period of December to March being the coolest with the most precipitation, but still very temperate.
Arriving at Cristiano Ronaldo Airport, it’s obvious that Madeira is the birthplace of Portugal’s most famous modern footballer. The main city, Funchal, is an excellent base for clients to enjoy the destination. It is easily accessible to the most popular attractions of the main island. The city is very walkable and travellers will be able to enjoy sights and experiences at a leisurely pace. A cable car up to the Monte Palace Gardens will give excellent views of the city and give a chance to enjoy the gardens. A second cable car can take visitors down to the Botanical Gardens featuring 2000 plants and also a collection of parakeets and parrots.
Funchal is also home to the Mercado Dos Lavradores, or Peasant’s Market, offering fruits and vegetables from all over the island, numerous fish vendors and pastelarias and coffee bars. The Santa Clara Convent, Se Cathedral and the Sao Lourenco Palace are all sites that offer unique experiences to those wandering around Funchal.
Madeira has a 2,500 km of canals, known as levadas, built across the island to provide water from the north of the island to the southern areas. Uniquely, there are walking paths alongside these levadas and travellers can enjoy breathtaking hikes that feature waterfalls, beautiful cliffside vistas and tranquil forests. There are hikes for any ability with various distances and this is a brilliant way to enjoy nature on the Garden Islands.
For those wanting to enjoy a day at the beach, the stunning black sands beach east of the city of Seixal provides a wonderful day of sun and relaxation. While in this area, visitors should enjoy the natural pools formed by volcanic rock. There are natural pools just north of the black sands beach, or a ten-minute drive down the road to Porto Moniz will bring travellers to some of the best natural pools in Madeira.
A day trip to the other inhabited island in the archipelago, Porto Santo, is a wonderful way to spend a day. There is a very short flight as an option to get to Porto Santo, but the 2.5-hour car ferry will be a more low-key and scenic way to enjoy the day trip. Upon arrival, visitors can enjoy golden sand beaches, breathtaking hikes and of course world-famous Portuguese food.
The food and drink scene in Portugal is truly world class and Madeira is no exception. Espetada is Madeira’s signature dish, featuring seasoned beef skewers cooked over charcoal. Of course, seafood is always popular and Madeira offers espada com banana, which is black scabbardfish fried with banana, and of course excellent dishes like grilled octopus, tuna and swordfish. Local side dishes would include bolo do caco, a flat bread made of wheat and sweet potato and milho frito, which are fried cornmeal cubes.
To complement a meal, Madeira has many famous wines and are most well known for their fortified wines, and they have a “Noble four” that are the most popular. These vary from very dry such as Sercial to a more medium body Verdelho, the medium sweet Bual and the sweetest varietal, Malvasia, being the last of the Noble four. For beer buffs, Coral Lager is a smooth lager with hints of citrus, but for those wanting something hoppier, Cask Ilha Madeira has a high ABV stout called Tinta Negra. And no visit to Madeira is complete without enjoying their local cocktail, Poncha. Made of sugar cane spirit and mixed with local fresh juices, this is a potent but tasty local creation.
Madeira, as an archipelago, offers excellent other activities including scuba diving, golf, sailing and wind sports. With its incredible nature, chill vibe, cultural landmarks and excellent food, Madeira is a destination that will make lasting impressions on every sort of traveller, and families, couples or solo travellers are guaranteed to create memories they will remember for the rest of their lives.
