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Country Guide > Europe > Portugal > Madeira

Introduction

Madeira is a singularly beautiful island. The scenery is memorable and remarkably diverse, especially bearing in mind the island’s modest size. Madeira has been described as a ‘floating garden’, reflecting centuries of cultivation. The rich volcanic soil, mild climate and abundant rainfall (especially in the north) have been responsible for contrasting landscapes: lush river valleys, terraced hillsides planted with vines and bananas and dense primeval forest. The most enjoyable way to explore the island is to follow the course of the levadas (irrigation channels) which crisscross the countryside. The island’s burgeoning coastal resorts are geared to the demands of modern tourism and the expansion of Santa Catarina Airport is expected to lead to a marked increase in the number of foreign visitors over the next decade.
Nearly half the island’s population of 250,000 lives in the capital, Funchal, a city which enjoys a magnificent setting overlooking a sweeping bay. Most of the sights are conveniently clustered and can easily be visited on foot. The Cathedral (S) was completed in 1514 and is one of the islands oldest buildings. Late Gothic in style, its most remarkable feature is a geometrical wooden ceiling of Mudejar (Moorish) design. The Museum of Sacred Art in the former Bishops’ Palace has a remarkable collection of religious artefacts and paintings by Flemish masters of the 15th and 16th centuries acquired by wealthy sugar merchants. Other sights include the Botanical Gardens, 5 hectares (2 acres) of terraced hillside, planted with more than 2000 species from around the globe; the Blandy Wine Lodge (Adegas do So Francisco) where tours with tastings of Madeira wine are available; the Mercado dos Lavradores, a lively flower and vegetable market; and Quinta das Cruzes, a former mansion, now a museum with collections of furniture, porcelain, paintings, lithographs and so on from the colonial period. Funchal’s Old Town (Zona Velha) has pastel-painted house fronts, cobbled streets, craft shops, restaurants and bars, some of which stage performances of traditional Portuguese folk music (Fado).
The scenery here is wilder and more dramatic than in the south, with looming cliff faces and swollen seas. The narrow, twisting coast road challenges drivers, but the views are magnificent. Porto do Moniz is a lively village, popular with day trippers for its fish restaurants, natural swimming pool and rugged coastal scenery. So Vicente is an attractive village, sheltered from the sea. The parish church is worth a look, but the main attractions are the caves (grutas), formed by flows of molten lava more than 400,000 years ago. Santana lies at the heart of a prosperous agricultural region. Perhaps the most visited village on the island, it is best known for its unusual triangular-shaped houses known as palheiros.
Parts of the mountainous interior can be reached by road. It is possible to drive almost to the summit of Pico do Arieiro (1818m/5965ft) where the views are spectacular. The island’s highest peak, Pico Ruivo (1861m/6106ft), is accessible on foot. Curral das Freiras is a hamlet lying at the bottom of a bowl-shaped valley. The dramatic setting is best appreciated from the Eagle’s Nest miradouro (lookout point). Monte became fashionable at the end of the 19th century when a hotel and sanatorium opened to treat consumptives. The hotel grounds are now the Tropical Gardens. Monte’s church, Nossa Senhora de Monte becomes a centre of pilgrimage on 15 August, when worshippers climb the 74 steps on their hands and knees. Monte can now be reached by cable car from Funchal, an alternative to the famous toboggan run. Quinta do Palheiro Ferreiro has beautiful gardens laid out by the Blandy family in the 19th century. Nearby is one of Madeira’s two championship golf courses.
This is the sunniest and most fertile part of Madeira where the terraced hillsides are planted with bananas, vineyards and other crops. Good viewing points include Cabo Giro, the second-highest cliff in Europe (580m/1903ft), Ponta do Sol, famous for its sunsets and Ponta do Pargo, Madeira’s westernmost point. Ribeira Brava has a fine parish church (So Bento), seafront cafes and craft shops. Cmara de Lobos is a picturesque fishing village which Sir Winston Churchill painted in the 1950s. To the east of Funchal is the fast-developing resort of Canio de Baixo. The area is well-suited to watersports (especially scuba diving), tennis and golf (Madeira’s other championship course is at Santo da Serra). Santa Cruz is a mini-resort with an attractive promenade, lido and a medieval parish church. Machico is Madeira’s second-largest town. Worth seeing are the 15th-century parish church, the Chapel of Miracles (a place of pilgrimage) and the small but picturesque 18th-century fort. Watersports are available from the stony beach. The only sandy beach on Madeira is at Prainha, near the eastern tip of the island. The inland village of Camacha is a centre for wickerwork, one of Madeira’s traditional cottage industries.
Madeira’s much smaller neighbour has noticeably flatter terrain and is famous for its 9km- (5.6 mile-) long beach of golden sand, reputed to have healing properties. The sea is warm enough to swim in all year round. The only sight in the tiny capital, Vila Baleira, is the house where Christopher Columbus is said to have once lived.
Porto Santo can be reached from Madeira by plane (15 minutes), catamaran (90 minutes) or ferry (two hours 40 minutes). Advance booking is essential in July and August.