CASA COLOMBO
www.museucolombo-portosanto.com
Located in Porto Santo, this museum documents Christopher Columbus’ stay in the Madeiran archipelago. Casa Colombo charts Columbus’ life on the island and highlights the influence the region has had on his subsequent adventures and discovery of America.
BAR SETE MARES
This bar is famous for its traditional Madeiran cocktails. It’s located in a coastal village called Camara dos Lobos, which was a favourite hang-out of Sir Winston Churchill who spent many an inspired afternoon painting the village landscape.
MONTE TOBOGGAN RIDE
www.madeiraislands.travel
This road sledge ride is unique to Madeira and takes you from the top of Monte, with its stunning views out over Funchal bay, downhill to the city centre a mile or so away. It is exhilarating, and although not quite on par with modern adrenaline experiences like bungee jumping, it is good-old fashioned fun. In fact Hemmingway described it as the ride of his life!
FUNCHAL
www.cm-funchal.pt
Funchal has been the capital of Madeira for five hundred years. The best way to take in the views is to take the cable car up to Monte, which is five hundred and fifty meters above sea level.
PORTO SANTO
www.madeiratourism.org
This island was the first of the Madeiran archipelago to be discovered way back in 1418. It’s most famous resident, Christopher Columbus, planned his voyages of discovery here and although miniature in comparison with Madeira, Porto Santo is definitely worth a visit. It has a surprising diversity of landscapes AND, rather uniquely for the archipelago, a gorgeous, 9km sandy beach!
BRITISH CEMETERY
Madeira’s mild climate has been a favourite with holidaymakers for centuries. In fact, there was a time when a visit here would have been just what the doctor would have ordered. In the 19thC a trip to Madeira was often prescribed as a cure for those suffering from respiratory diseases. Unfortunately, not all those that came out here got better and instead found a final resting place at the British Cemetery.
CABO GIRAO
At 589 meters above sea level, the Cabo Girao is one of the highest sea cliffs in the world. The cliffs plunge another 4000 meters down to the seabed. Unsurprisingly it has extraordinary views but beware of its dizzying heights!
LAURACEOUS FOREST
www.madeiraislands.travel
Madeira's indigenous Laurissilva forest is huge, 15 thousand hectares in fact, and it’s ancient. Some its indigenous plants were around at the time of the dinosaurs. It is a unique ecosystem and an international treasure, and became a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site back 1999.
|
MERCADO DOS LAVRADORES
This outdoor market is a hive of activity, noise, and energy. It’s a great place to sample Madeiran specialties including fish, veg and the island’s 8 different types of passion fruit!
HOTEL CLASSIC SAVOY & ROYAL SAVOY
www.savoyresort.com
These are two Madeiran favourites. These sister hotels are a hop, skip and jump from each other. The Hotel Classic Savoy prides itself on its relaxing atmosphere, beautiful gardens and stunning views of the sea, while the Royal Savoy Hotel prefers to promote itself as a vibrant hotel on the doorstep of Funchal’s marina.
THE OLD BLANDY WINE LODGE
www.theoldblandywinelodge.com
A visit to Madeira, wouldn’t be a visit to Madeira without a taste of its most famous tipple. Madeiran wine is famous the world over and one of the oldest producers on the island is Old Blandy’s Wine lodge, which has been around since the 17th C. There’s a museum attached to the tasting rooms that documents the Lodge’s history.
THIS MONTH we have 10 bottles of Blandy’s Alvada Madeira to giveaway, visit
QUINTA DA FURAO
www.quintas-madeira.com
Located 45 minutes outside of Funchal on a cliff top, affording guest’s spectacular views of the coastline and the Atlantic Ocean, this small hotel is extremely popular with walkers. Quinta do Furao arranges Levada walks through the beautiful surrounding countryside and can even send a chef ahead to prepare tea for special occasions.
QUINTA JARDINS DO LAGO
www.quintas-madeira.com
A stunning traditional Madeiran manor house which has been converted into a luxury, 40-room five-star hotel situated on one of the hills surrounding Funchal. Complete with two restaurants and bars, a library, games room, tennis court, gym and swimming pool, the Quinta is surrounded by 2.5 hectares of Botanical Gardens containing 400 different species of plants, delicate, rare flowers and old trees, many of which were planted in the 18th century.
THE VINE HOTEL
www.hotelthevine.com
Cutting edge features, a spa that uses wine as part of its treatments, a top notch restaurant and a stunning rooftop pool with 360 views of Funchal… The Vine Hotel is one of the places to be seen on the island.
REID’S PALACE HOTEL
www.reidspalace.com
This is Madeira’s most famous hotel. It opened in 1891, and its list of guests reads like a century-old Who’s Who. Rumour has it Captain Scott dropped in en route to the Antarctic; George Bernard Shaw learned to tango on the lawn, and Winston Churchill took time away from his paints to chill in the parlour.
|
Too often labelled a winter getaway for the over 50s, Sarah Cawood discovers that this Portuguese gem has a lot more to offer. She gets to explore prehistoric forests, walk along ancient waterways. Indulge her love of gardening and knock back a glass of the proverbial on an island that’s full of surprises.