Madeira

The island of Madeira is a captivating combination of cloud-tipped peaks and monolithic sea cliffs, bordered by the dark teal of the Atlantic Ocean.

Madeira’s scenery is truly breath taking: wild river valleys, jagged coastlines and towering mountain ranges. The rugged sea cliffs and ravines of the north and west are dotted with small coastal communities which help give scale to the immense views. To the east, the semi-tropical abundance of the Parque Natural do Ribeiro Frio sits in close contrast to the barren beauty of the Ponta de Sao Lourenco peninsula and the windswept peaks of Pico Arieiro and Pico Ruivo.

The coastal towns of the south sit in their own naturally-sheltered harbours with their own microclimates – almost in their own little worlds – and town’s like Jardim do Mar, Calheta and Ponta do Sol are famous for their panoramic ocean sunsets.  The capital Funchal is cultural centre of Madeira – the busy, beating-heart of the island. The narrow streets and mosaic pavements of the celebrated Zona Velha Old Town district are home to the some of the best restaurants on the island, where you can sample superb regional cuisine with warm and friendly welcome.

Madeira’s smaller neighbour, Porto Santo, is one of Portugal’s hidden gems. When tourists are fighting for space on the beaches of Albufeira’s, Porto Santo’s nine kilometre-long pristine white-sands rarely ever get busy – there just aren’t enough people on the island to ever fill the beach. The mild year-round climate of both islands make them ideal for mixing excursions and activities with time to relax by the pool. Small is beautiful and we hand-pick all our accommodation: the off-the-beaten track casas, quintas and hotels we love to stay in ourselves.

If you’re thinking of visiting Madeira, the best place to begin is our dedicated Madeira website.