Madeira is an archipelago part of Portugal, in the northeastern part of the Atlantic Ocean, 520 km west of Morocco and 800 km southwest of Portugal.
The archipelago includes two inhabited islands, Madeira and Porto Santo Islands, and the Desertas Islands which are declared Nature reserve and requires a license to visit them.
The Madeira Island was claimed by Portugal in 1419 and few years later it was inhabited by Portugues settlers. The Island is the top end of a 6 km high Volcano rising from the ocean floor, 55X22 km in size, with Funchal its capital having half of its population. The rest of the island is populated with small towns and villages scattered along the island’s 150 km coastline. In the island’s inner land, mountain ranges, valleys and canyons, water streams and waterfalls, all partially covered with magnificent prehistoric forests, the Laurissilva Forest. Most of the island’s 150 km coastline is bordered by high basalt cliffs, where the mountain slopes fall into the ocean, hence, surprisingly, the island has only a total of 1 km long small beaches covered with black pebbles or sand.
The island’s divers’ landscapes offer numerous outdoor activities opportunities to experience and enjoy the beautiful nature, either hiking, running or biking its trails, rock climbing, canyoning, paragliding, bird watching, and more.
Madeira has a beautiful network of dozens of Trails of all levels and length, from the coastal trails through to subtropical forests trails, to viewpoints and mountains’ tops. Unique in Madeira are the ‘Levadas’, a network of trails that run parallel to water collection open air channels that leads water for irrigation from the northern mountains to the lower southern grounds.
Visiting Madeira’s capital Funchal TheTjoy.com recommends enjoying its attractions and consider making it your home base for traveling the island. Stroll the town’s European like avenues and the old city narrow streets and admire its magnificent offerings:
- Monte Palace Tropical Garden and the Funchal Botanical Gardens while riding the city’s Cable Cars to enjoy the breathtaking landscapes.
- Visit Funchal Cathedral and its museums
- At night enjoy the city’s bars, restaurants, and the glamorous Madeira Casino.
- Enjoy a day in the Lido Bathing Complex or the Formosa Beach west of town.
- Take a Dolphins and Whales watching boat cruise.
Porto Moniz
Santana Traditional Hut
Levada Trail
While in Madeira
- Travel to the Northern Madeira, using the island’s good public transportation or driving a rented car, visiting the towns, villages, and their surroundings and attractions including Santana, Sao Vicente, Seixal and Porto Moniz.
- Travel to Ponta de Sao Lourenco, the eastern tip of the Madeira Island, a magnificent rocky and mountainous 9 km long volcanic peninsula, enjoy a day In the small southwestern beach of Calheta, or play Golf in one of the islands golf clubs near Funchal.
- Traveling with children enjoy
- Funchal’s gardens and cable cars rides
- Whales and Dolphins cruises from Funchal or Canical.
- The Cabo Girao glass viewing terrace.
- The Aquapark Madeira in Santa Cruz
- In the northern coastline visit Santana’s triangular roof houses, the Porto Moniz natural seawater pools, the Fanal mystical forest, and many more attractions.
Madeira Island has moderate subtropical climate with warmer summer and winter rain, great for year-round travel.
To avoid the crowds, spring and autumn are the best traveling periods.
The island is an hour and a half flight away from Portugal’s Lisbon, and its a 2.5 hour ferry ride from Madeira to the island of Porto Santo.
TheTjoy.com recommends spending at least 4 days in Madeira Island, heaven for nature lovers and those seeking outdoors active vacation, which together with few days beach vacation in the nearby Porto Santo Island, are considered a great year-round vacation.
