About Madeira

If you desire the ultimate, year long, idyllic holiday destination, Madeira, a “diminutive” isle known as the “floating garden” is a lush, fertile and tropical vacation paradise, boasting hospitalable people, strikingly beautiful landscape, balmy breezes, and dolphins, whales and sea turtles who amuse themselves in the warm, crystal clear waters. Just 350km off the coast of Africa and 750 km from mainland Portugal , this “floating jewel” of the Atlantic boasts a gentle climate, gleaming sunshine and a warm and welcoming community.

Madeira was officially discovered in 1415 by Joao Goncalves Zarco who arrived in the bay of Machico, the former capital of Madeira, and was mesmerized by her beauty!

This quaint and old world masterpiece of nature is a canvas alive with folklore and time honored tradition.

Funchal , a modern capital is catching up to the contemporary world and becoming current with the “high speed” pace of it’s neighbours.

Interestingly, on a parallel plane, are Madeira’s charming, innocent and pristine villages or ‘freguesias’ which decorate the island and whose vigorous inhabitants still embrace old world traditions.

Madeira produces a vast variety of crops for export and they include bananas, succulent sugar cane and the famous Madeira wines. Honey cake, poncha and Agua dente are all traditional fare, made locally and are mouth watering treats.

Portuguese, a romantic and melodious language is the “language of the land”. Yet relaxed tourists and a contented expatriate community ensures that English, French and German are also spoken.

The Euro prevails in Madeira and banks and exchange agencies are more than pleased to convert any foreign currency.

Shops are usually open between 9am and 1pm and 3pm to 7pm. Some banks and post offices also adopt a lunch break in rural locations and their trading hours may be shorter than the retail shops.

In the major towns some shops close for half a day on Saturday and all day Sunday, however supermarkets, bars and shopping centers are open seven days a week.

Indulge your desire for “another world”, one that is magical and quench your thirst for a tranquil yet exciting adventure; one that will invade your dreams for years! Visit our attractions page and explore the links to local websites.