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Madeira
July 13, 2009 by Fractional & Shared Ownership Property News & Reviews · Leave a Comment
By Jane Onyanga
Once considered a fashionable holiday destination that catered mainly for older travellers, the Portuguese island of Madeira, with its year-long sunshine, great restaurants and vibrant nightlife, has something to offer almost everyone.
Over the last few years Manchester United footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has become Madeira’s best-known export, in addition to the island’s famous wine, setting the scene for Madeira’s reinvention as a stylish holiday playground.
Arriving at the striking Funchal Airport, just outside the capital city, the approach to the island from the air is an impressive sight. The rocky mass of land surges powerfully from the sea while a carpet of green forest in the distance inspires the imagination as to what lies further afield.
With its year-long sunshine – the average summer temperature is 24C and a warm 20C in winter – Madeira is an ideal winter getaway, just three-and-a-half hours from Gatwick. The Funchal Food Market is a popular place to visit for both locals and tourists, selling fresh fruit and vegetables, multi-coloured flowers, and a range of fish including the razor-toothed black scabbard.
Despite its appearance – similar to something from a horror movie – I was to learn the eel-like black scabbard – espada (correct) in Portuguese – tastes delicious and is a staple in local restaurants.
Madeira’s Story Centre is an interactive museum that document’s the volcanic island’s history, from its discovery by 15th century explorers to visits from world leaders including Winston Churchill.
Another popular attraction is the Old Blandy Wine Lodge, where I discovered the story of the island’s famous wine. I also had the chance to sample a few vintages – along with Madeira cake which, incidentally is not the yellow sponge-ish confection it is known as in English-speaking countries, but an altogether more robust affair made with deep brown sugar cane molasses.
The wine, it transpired, came about almost by accident, when sailors en route to the New World discovered that the high temperatures the wine passed through gave it a soft, deep, slightly burnt flavour.
They reasoned that if crossing the equator once was good for the wine, then crossing it twice would make it even better. By the late 18th century, the wine was sent on round trips all over the world.
While this method of production is no longer employed, making the wine is still an intricate process, with some wines at the lodge maturing in barrels for decades.
Driving to Paul da Serra (correct) on the west of the island through a network of tunnels that cut through the mountains, I discovered the unspoilt Madeira countryside, bursting with greenery.
The levada walk, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site, allows visitors to take in the simple engineering genius of the irrigation system that collected rainwater from the levadas, or carriageways.
The mini-canals were developed to distribute water from the wet north of the island to the drier the south. The abundance of moisture is the foundation of a beautiful setting, with pretty waterfalls, multicoloured flowers and the birdlife they attract evoking thoughts of a modern-day natural paradise.
Among the tours offered on the island is Rota dos Cetáceos, which promises sightings of whales and dolphins, the latter of which visitors can evenswim with.
The company guarantees sightings of cetaceans as a land-based team of spotters alerts staff on the open boats to the whereabouts of the mammals in the waters around the island. Seeing spotted and striped dolphins leaping through the water at such close proximity is an awe-inspiring sight, and we even edged near a baby sperm whale, who disappeared under the water with a swoosh of the tail.
Those up for it could also don a pair of goggles and dive in to the water to see the many dolphins hidden beneath the surface.
No trip to Madeira is complete without taking a toboggan ride from the hilltop village of Monte, which perches above Funchal, down the steep roads into the city.
The sledges first started around 1850 as a quick way for Monte residents travel the mile down to Funchal and now attract thousands of tourists every year.
After taking the cable car up to Monte, men dressed in white costumes and straw hats wait at the departure point, ready to steer tourists down the hill in two-seater wicker baskets.
Whizzing through winding streets at speeds of up to 48mph, the men use their rubber-soled boots as brakes, stopping and starting through roads that are still used by traffic.
It was an exciting end to an fascinating destination.
Explore Funchal (half day, Tue) £16
Discover the market, local handicrafts and flowers, as well as the embroidery factory before visiting the botanical gardens and ending at the wine lodge.
Best of Madeira (half day, Wed) £20
A cable car ride to Monte. The chance to try the famous toboggan ride and wonderful views of the island.
Other excursions are available locally:
Jeep safari and levada walk with Mountain Expedition costs €40 full day
Whale & dolphin watching with Rota dos Cetáceos costs 45€ per adult, 30€ children (aged 6-11) and under 5’s are free
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