Madeira is an archipelago full of stunning landscapes, lush forests, volcanic mountains, exotic and colorful flower gardens, delicious local flavors, and crystal clear Atlantic blue waters, perfect for swimming and exploring.
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Madeira is renowned for its landscapes, lore—and its legendary wine, which graced the tables of America's Founding Fathers.
Natural Beauty: Madeira is renowned for its stunning natural landscapes, including lush green valleys, rugged coastlines, and majestic mountains. The island's diverse scenery offers ample opportunities for outdoor activities and a high quality of life for nature enthusiasts.
Its golden, nine-kilometres long, sandy beach has made this small island famous all over world. In 2022, European Best Destinations awarded it the title of 'best beach in Europe 2022'. The recognised therapeutic properties of its sandy beach and its crystal-clear turquoise waters contribute greatly to this.
The average standard of living tends to be a bit lower than in mainland Portugal, and the local autonomous government gives generous subsidies coming from the tourist industry revenues and from the Portuguese national budget. Go where the locals go and everything will be cheap.
The favorable climate of the island also contributed to the land thrive, and wheat production has become one of the greatest wealth of the island. This cereal was exported on a large scale for the Portuguese possessions on the African coast, giving thus the first cycle of Madeira economic history.
For them the island has everything: safe towns and cities, good food, happy people. The locals themselves confirm this. “It's hard to be sad when the sun is shining... very few people in Madeira are depressed,” says Peter, our high-energy canyoning guide from Epic Madeira.
I highly recommend going if you love nature, if you enjoy great food, a warm culture and breathtaking views at every turn. I stayed in the main Funchal, away from the tourist area. I didn't go to Madeira to be surrounded by other tourists taking photos of this or that.
Delicious dishes in Madeira include espetada, a beef brochette; battered black scabbard fish, which is similar to sword fish; bolo do caco, bread with butter and garlic; grilled limpets; and bolo de mel, a dense sponge cake with nuts and spices.
Amazing and stable weather denotes April through November as the best time to visit Madeira. April to mid-June is known for price cuts and moderate crowds. This period can offer you unforgettable hiking among lush green vegetation, and you can join famous Madeira Flower Festival.
Yes, Madeira is a popular destination and indeed some of the main tourist attractions can get quite busy. But for the biggest part, Madeira is still very quiet and undiscovered.
Madeira has a tropical climate and is consistently in the high 20s and early 30s, making it a popular destination year-round. However, the main island is home to several microclimates that are due to its orography.
The official language spoken in the Madeira archipelago is Portuguese, but a majority of the local population is proficient in English, especially in the more tourist-heavy spots.
I write about travel, food, culture and fashion. This article is more than 3 years old. The Portuguese island of Madeira has traditionally attracted an older clientele than the Spanish Canary Islands partly due to its comfortable subtropical climate year round, thanks to its proximity to Northern Africa.
Although Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago, it is actually closer to Africa than Europe. Sitting 434 miles west of Morocco and 528 miles southwest of Portugal and mainland Europe.
Madeira is geologically located on the African Tectonic Plate, although it is culturally, politically and ethnically associated with Europe, with its population predominantly descended from original Portuguese settlers. Its population was 251,060 in 2021.
Non-EU citizens may need to apply for a residency permit to retire in Madeira. Options such as the D7 Visa (for passive income holders and retirees) or the Golden Visa (for investment) are available.
Domestic travel was responsible for the highest number of visitors in Madeira in 2022. Overall, almost 470 thousand Portuguese tourists visited the archipelago.
Many emigrated illegally to escape military service and avoid the wars in the colonies (Angola and Mozambique), and also because they could not afford the high cost of the emigration process by legal means.
Find the best dealsAirfare to Madeira Island (FNC) varies throughout the year based on seasonal demand. You'll see the lowest rates for roundtrips to FNC in December and in December for one-ways.
You can easily pay €40 a head in Madeira. There are several fine dining restaurants where you can pay much more than that but you can have an evening meal in many (or perhaps even most) restaurants (with wine) typically for no more than €20 to €30 a head.