We visited Madeira in March of 2024 and fully enjoyed the experience in all ways.
Madeira, a Portuguese island, is an archipelago consisting of 4 islands off the northwest coast of Africa. It lies 1,076 KM or 670 miles from the Portuguese coast. It is known for its namesake wine and warm, subtropical climate. The main island of Madeira is volcanic, green, and rugged, with high cliffs, pebbly beaches and is dotted with small settlements. The Capital Funchal has botanic gardens and is known for its harbor and a large New Year's fireworks show. A very walkable small city. In addition, in the spring there is a flower festival. The main island reminded us of Kauai in many ways albeit larger.
Given the volcanic nature of the island, it is comprised of a series of high peaks and deep valley’s with very narrow, winding roads that are dizzying and interesting. The southern portion of the island is full of banana groves which are one of their main exports, That and sugar cane and the world-famous Madeira wine round out the export items. One of the interesting aspects of the island is the complicated network of concrete irrigation mini-canals called ‘Levadas’. They carry water from the upper reaches of the island down to the dry southern sector where the water irrigates the various farms and plantations. The web of Levada’s crisscross the face of the island and for ease of maintenance have walking paths almost the entire length. We did a couple of guided Levada walks which were interesting and full of waterfalls & small pools. A wonderful experience.
There is a botanic garden above Funchal reached by a cable car. A beautifully planted and maintained garden full of tropical plants and a pool with flamingos. We were there a bit early in the season and as such, the garden was not in full bloom at the time but beautiful none the less. We are considering going back during the spring of 2025 to time it with the blooming season and the annual flower festival.
The people on the island were very friendly, welcoming, and literally everyone speaks English. It was a very comfortable island, nice slow pace with a wide variety of food options. For Ewa it was great as she loves fish, I found many other items on the menu’s and was pleased with what we found.