In the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, a pearl has been discovered more than 500 years, with the name of Madeira Island, which is located 500km northeast to the African coast and 1hour 30minutes flight from Portugal capital, Lisbon.
Its climate is very mild, with a moderate humidity, between 23ºC in the summer and 17ºC in the winter.
It is one of the safest place in the world for its low crime rate and offers 11 tourist offices, 2 of them in Funchal.
Traditional things:
The Traditional Bordado da Madeira is very coveted by visitors, is like traveling in a world of fantasy, colour, imagination and lot of art.
The Honey cake is the most famous and oldest confectionery in Madeira, having appeared in the heyday of sugar production.
Madeira Wine is a fortified wine with high alcohol content, produced in the hills and wineries of Madeira.
Madeira International Airport:
Madeira Airport is located in the city of Santa Cruz, about 16 km from the city of Funchal, the route is travelled in about 15 minutes, and offers you many ways to get transport to and from Funchal. (www.2000rentacar.com)
What to do in Madeira?
Walking, Golf, Wellness & Spas, culture, sports, outdoor activities, sightseeing, shopping, cinema, night life in various parts of the island, Casino, restaurants, wicker cars (Funchal to Monte); ride cable, helicopter flights, Madeira story centre; surf; Leisure, Diving and much more ....
Accommodation:
The visitor can choose the elegance of the already traditional hotels or opt for newer forms of accommodation, smaller units in rural areas, they can come into close contact with people and nature. In all the hotels, hospitality, personalized service, good taste and quality are the dominant and traditional characteristics of these hotels.
Find the best connections and special offers on airlines such as TAP Portugal SATA, British Airways, Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, Air France, Thompson, LTU, Condor, Niki, SAS, Sterling, Transavia, My Travel, Binter, easyJet ...
Unmissable:
Once again the city of Funchal is the stage for a stunning show, both visually and smell. The Flower Festival this year 2010 is between 15 and 18 April entitled "Earth", is associated to the International Year of Biodiversity.
Porto Santo Island
The island of Porto Santo is located in the Atlantic Ocean, part of the Madeira archipelago, and the southern border of Portugal.
Porto Santo has a stable and dry and warm weather enough to swim throughout the year, exceeding the 25 º C in Summer. The "Golden Island" has a beach with a length of 9 km of fine golden sand that is used for treatments and skin problems.
The island is fairly flat, which can easily be discovered by bike, a transport much used by the island visitors.
To get here, you can fly from Madeira with their charter flight or, after visiting Funchal, you can choose to go visit Porto Santo by ferry, normally takes 2h30min.
Attractions:
The house where Christopher Columbus lived, now an ethnographic museum, the traditional windmills, houses made from local materials of the island and disused mines, are just some of the testimony of the island.On the coast beyond the village of Camacha, you come to the Fonte da Areia.
Here wind and Atlantic storms have moulded the soft sandstone cliffs into fantastical shapes, like a giant surrealist sculpture. A path, Vereda do Pico, leads down past an old drinking fountain (built in 1843) through a grove of palms and wild flowers to a little pebbly beach with rock pools, at the foot of the cliffs.
Night life:
For the night lovers, Porto Santo has few choices to you.
Clubs like “Challenger” and Penedo do Sono are good choices to spend good time chilling out on the island.
The good thing is, the bars and clubs are “shoulder to shoulder” which facilitates the visitor when is time to choose a good pub to go out.
For more additional information contact the tourism offices on 00351 291 985 189.
