Madeira: What To Do in the “Garden Island”
The island of Madeira has natural landscapes can make you gasp, and what’s great is that they’re easy to discover on mountain roads or via historic irrigation channels known as “levadas”.
Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is an archipelago comprising 4 islands off the northwest coast of Africa. It is known for its namesake wine and warm, subtropical climate. The main island of Madeira is volcanic, green and rugged, with high cliffs, pebbly beaches and settlements on deltas of the Fajã River. Capital Funchal has botanic gardens and is known for its harbor and a large New Year’s fireworks show.
Why visit Madeira? Because Here the climate is always splendid: mild temperatures and nature of extraordinary beauty are the first things that strike a visitor, but above all Madeira offers much more.
What to do
Wonderful landscape, culture, fairytale gardens, diving, wine tours and many more!
See Breathtaking Scenery
Two-thirds of the island is classified as a nature reserve and the volcanic soil means that pretty much anything can grow on the land. Beyond the capital Funchal, the island’s peaks and ravines are pretty much deserted leaving them free for hiking, climbing, mountain biking, and canyoning. And these during these activity you can admire dramatic cliffs, lush valleys, black rocky beaches and a wild rivers.
Boat Trips
There are scores of companies offering to take you out into the ocean to spot whales and dolphins.
Some 20 different kinds of dolphins and whales have been recorded off Madeira, more than a fifth of all species in the wild.
Summer is the best season and if you’re in luck you might see a pilot whales, sperm whales and Bryde’s whales, while bottlenose and spotted dolphins are common at any time of year.
Cabo Girão
Cabo Girão is the highest skywalk in Africa where you enjoy the view of the abyss 560 meters below. The parking lot is only 100 meters away, so it’s one of the few natural tourist attractions on Madeira that don’t involve a lot of hiking. The Cabo Girão viewpoint, situated on the highest promontory in Europe, at an elevation of 560 m, offers an astonishing view of the fajãs of Rancho and Cabo Girão, small areas of cultivated land at the foot of the cliff as well as magnificent panoramic views over the ocean and the municipalities of Câmara de Lobos and Funchal.
Diving
Its rich biodiversity, average temperatures of 21º C and good visibility are some of its best attributes. You do not have to travel long distances to get to a good diving spot. You can opt to stay in a hotel with its diving centre. There are several professional diving companies at your disposal, namely Focus Natura, Rhea Dive, Explora Madeira and Manta Diving. Another feature of diving in Madeira is that, besides to the spots where people go by boat, it is also possible to dive directly from the beach. Such is the case of some places like Galo, Reis Magos and Caniçal.
Wine Tours
Madeira is one of the most beautifull and exotic Winegrowing Region in the world! In Madeira there are many selected winery to meet the producer and taste his wine,followed with a wine tasting and traditional tapa; so you can enjoy a guided tour through the vineyards, with professional wine culture and wine enologists.
Visit the Famous Amazing Gardens
Madeira Island is often called the ‘floating garden in the Atlantic’. There are a wide variety of gardens and parks that are carefully maintained and exhibit a vast array of flowers, plants and trees. In the year 2000 Madeira – represented by the city of Funchal – received a gold award for the ‘European Flowering City 2000’. This prestigious award, which is much sought after by many European cities, has deservedly been presented to one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. We suggest some of these!
Municipal Garden: Also known as Donna Amélia Garden, in memory of the Queen, the Municipal Garden boasts 8300 square meters of beautiful flowers, plants and trees indigenous to Madeira as well as many other exotic species from all over the world. The construction of this garden dates back to 1880, and the first plants came from Paris and Porto.
Botanical Garden: Located 3 km from the centre of Funchal, at Quinta do Bom Sucesso, this garden is about 35,000 m2. The Botanical Garden boasts harmonious forms, contrasting colours and more than 2000 exotic plants. It is owned by the Regional Government of Madeira and, apart from being a beautiful place of leisure, it also serves as a Science and Culture Centre.
Throughout the gardens visitors can find the plants labelled with their scientific names, common name and origin.
Quinta da Boa Vista: It is a historic quinta and orchid garden in the Santa Maria Maior parish of Funchal on the island of Madeira, overlooking the central and western parts of Funchal. If you are a nature and plant-lover, the Orchid Garden is a place not to be missed. In this space, you will find everything from unique plants to orchids of the most varied sizes and species. In total, there are more than 50 thousand plants.
How To Get
Planning A Trip To Madeira? Here are some tips on how to reach Madeira.
By plane
- Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport: It is an international airport in the civil parish of Santa Cruz in the Portuguese archipelago and autonomous region of Madeira. Address: 9100-105 Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal. Phone: +351 291 520 700
- Porto Santo Airport: It is an airport located in Vila Baleira, the capital of Porto Santo Island, Madeira. The military Maneuver Aerodrome no 3 or AM3 is co-located with the civilian Porto Santo Airport.This airport is just a 15 minute flight from Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. Address: 9400-110, Portugal Phone: +351 291 980 120
There is ferry service between the two islands.
The following airline companies fly regularly to Madeira International Airport: TAP Portugal, Portugália, SATA, British Airways, Norwegian Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Air France, easyJet, Finnair, First Choice Airways, Thomson, LTU, Thomas Cook, Condor, SAS, Sterling, Transavia, My Travel, Binter Canarias and Jet2.com (from May 2010).
By boat
Cruise ships from most major cruise lines port here.
Get around
- Buses: Public Transport in Madeira includes city, urban and interurban services. There are various bus companies through which you can easily get in and out of Funchal, or urban bus service that will also take you to several tourist attractions.
Taxi
- Car Rental: Renting a car is a great way to see the island. Renting via the Internet is usually cheaper than walking-in.
Credits: www.wikipedia.or; www.wikipedia.org
GALLERY
Look the gallery to see amazing landscapes.
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