Jan

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Madeira Tavel & Sightseeing Guide

January 10, 2008 |

Trip to Madeira

Madeira is the largest and most populated of the archipelago of islands southwest of mainland Portugal and home of the island capital Funchal. Also under Madeira jurisdiction is the island of Porto Santo, 30 miles (50kms) from Madeira. The other two neighbouring volcanic island groups, Salvagens and Desertas, are unpopulated. Funchal is where you will find snazzy hotels and a cosmopolitan scene filled with bars and casinos, as well as some good examples of religious colonial architecture. The most popular area is around Porto Santo, where tourists flock to in droves for its fine white sand beaches.

Flights to Madeira
Thirty minutes from Funchal is Madeira International Airport, which serves some of Europe’s most well known airlines, like Air France, easyJet, SAS, Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa and TAP Portugal. Flights from Lisbon take about 1 hour, 30 minutes, with most other main cities in Europe taking less than 3 hours to reach by air. The popularity of Porto Santo assures that those who don’t want to dawdle around can jump directly on a connecting flight headed for Porto Santo and be on the beach in less than an hour. If you are looking for a cheap flight to Madeira try lastminute.com.

Another way to get between the two main islands is by car ferry, operated by Ferry Service Funchal–Porto Santo, the trip takes about 2 hours and is a good way to bridge the islands if you’re travelling by car.

Madeira


Sightseeing in Madeira
Discovered by Portuguese explorers in 1419 that brought their religion with them, there are many fine cathedrals and churches to be found in Madeira. Some of the most prominent are in Funchal. The city’s cathedral was built in the 15th century and proudly stands as an attraction for worshippers and secular admirers alike. In the following century, the Santa Maria Malor was erected with its ornate Baroque façade. The real impressive sights however are the natural wonders around the islands including cliffs, caves, bays, peaks and beaches.

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Fun by night – eating, drinking and partying
Madeira is not known as a party island, but Funchal has evidence of Portugal’s imported style of nightlife and bonhomie. The city has a decent number of restaurants, bars and clubs, but don’t expect what you’d get in Paris or London. There local plonk in Madeira, understandably similar to Portugal’s fortified wine, is available in both dry and sweet varieties.

Also imported with the conquistadors was the Portuguese way of cooking, and there are eateries serving traditional food in different price ranges. There are some excellent French restaurants in Funchal and other international options are popping up around the city.

Fun by day – shopping and activities
Any shopping to be done can be best accomplished in Funchal or Porto Santo, as these are the two main tourist camps. Outside the two urban centres there are many natural wonders to explore such as the volcanic caves of Sao Vicente, where lava tubes can be observed.

A drive around the windy cliff roads guarantees great views. The Cabo Girao is one of the highest ocean cliffs in the world and is not to be missed. The small whitewashed village of Vila Baleria is also worth a visit; Christopher Columbus visited this site before heading out on a famous journey of his own.


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