Madeira

Madeira lies six hundred or so miles south west of Portuguese mainland. It is a dramatic place. Peaks of stark mountains, which go straight down to the sea and breathtaking, lush fertile valleys. It is truly an island of flowers and with its marvelous climate a perfect place for a holiday at any time of year. The climate in Madeira is temperate with mild winters. Winter temperatures rarely dip below 50F with an average of 60F. Summer temperatures are no more extreme, seldom topping 70F. Maybe it is for this reason alone that Madeira is one of the oldest tourist destinations in Europe

Documented evidence states that João Goncalves Zarco, a Portuguese explorer who, with his fellow sailor Tristão Vaz Teixeira, first spotted the island of Porto Santo in 1418 and then Madeira in 1419 claiming them on behalf of Prince Henry the Navigator. Many explorations followed, as Madeira became the first in a string of colonies that would make Portugal a major world power by the mid-16th century. The Portuguese settlers established ports, cleared most of the forests and built an extensive network of irrigation ditches that still carry water from the cloud-banked interior and rainy coast to the drier south.

This flowered land is a picture of complete serenity: the brilliant afternoon light on the fishing village of Cãmara de Lobos; a misty afternoon in the forest near the highland village of Camacha; Funchal at dusk with the city lights glowing against the sun's last traces. Madeira is a rare fantasy come true, and it lingers in the memory like the sweet aftertaste of a sip of its famous wine.

There is much for visitors to Madeira to see around the island. Besides Funchal's museums, churches and gardens, there are coastal, and highland villages and a wealth of spectacular scenery, visible along the road or from lookout points set on the island's highest peaks and at other beautiful spots. It would probably take at least a week's worth of day trips to see it all.

To appreciate the grandeur of Madeira, you must see it from two perspectives: first from the harbor and then from Monte, the hill above Funchal. As an added bonus, when you go to Monte you may return to Funchal in style, reclining in a wicker toboggan escorted by two Madeirians.

If you don't rent a car, you should take one of the scheduled tours of the island. It is really a beautiful place and you should see it all.
Madeira is also renowned for its Embroideries (Madeira Lace), beautiful Tapestries and of course its Madeira wine.

Daily flight service is also provided to Porto Santo Island, which is a paradise island with many long sandy beaches.

This link has some very nice pictures of Madeira and the surrounding areas on the island.
Madeira Photo Album

A complete tourist guide to Madeira Island is also available at this site. This is the first site seeing that you should do because it will give you complete insight into Madeira. It is available in English, German, Portuguese and Norwegian.
The complete tourist guide to Madeira Island

Golf Holidays on Madeira

For more information on planning a golf holiday on the beautiful sub-tropical island of Madeira please visit the following web site. This site will give you an insight into why so many golfers are choosing to play these challenging courses with spectacular views of the Island and the warm blue Atlantic Ocean.
Golf on Madeira Island

For more information about Madeira, tourist, hotels, maps and additional views, please visit the following site.
Additional information about Madeira

To provide our visitors with more information about Madeira and to acquaint them with the natural beauty of the Islands, highly recommend that you visit the Museu Municipal do Funchal (Natural History). It will provide you with virtual tours of the aquarium and museum.
Museu Municipal do Funchal

The University of Madeira also has a site below that will provide more information about Madeira.
Visit the University of Madeira

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