Madeira Island is a destination with mild weather all year around, with many different microclimates. It has stunning landscapes with dense verdant forests, volcanic mountains, and flower gardens with exuberant colours.
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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.
In fact, Madeira was just voted Europe's “Leading Island Destination” in the World Travel Awards again (the sixth time in the last seven years). Less than four hours from London and with almost guaranteed sunshine, Madeira is an ideal winter break, or for that matter, anytime destination.
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.
Portuguese is the official language in Madeira. It is worth picking up a few key phrases if you want to be polite, such as 'please', 'thank you,' etcetera, although English is widely spoken in tourist areas. People who have visited the Portuguese mainland may notice a thicker accent in Madeira.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As an American citizen, you can stay on Madeira Island for up to 90 days without a visa, but if you plan to stay longer, you'll need to apply for a residence permit.
How about Madeira? Geographically (and weatherwise) it's closer to Africa than Europe… just 500km west of Casablanca in fact, though it's technically Portugal and about a three-hour flight from London. Funchal is the island's only real city.
Both islands are all about outdoor activities, the sea and have a romantic vibe. Honestly, Madeira is essentially the European version of Hawaii. It's cheaper (WAY cheaper), closer and a lot less touristy.
The archipelago was uninhabited until 1419, when the Portuguese navigator João Gonçalves Zarco landed in Madeira. However, Greeks, Romans, Phoenicians and Arabs surely would pass by Madeira, during his expeditions across the North Atlantic. The arrival, in 1419, the first Portuguese ships have been fortuitous.
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.
Quantitatively, Portuguese, North Africans (Algerians), Spaniards and Canary Islanders (in this order) are the most important parental populations to Madeirans.
Domestic travel was responsible for the highest number of visitors in Madeira in 2022. Overall, almost 470 thousand Portuguese tourists visited the archipelago.