My little Harley is now 18 months old and I still must write a review soon! In the meantime, if anyo...
My little Harley is now 18 months old and I still must write a review soon! In the meantime, if anyone is interested in visiting my message board for women, it is:
http://p098.ezboard.com/bm umsandtums
Member since:29.11.2003
Reviews:35
Members who trust:20
Madeira's claim to fame is it's flowers and cake. It is quaintly described in travel brochures as the 'floating garden of the Mediterranean'. And this probably sums up Madeira in entirity!
Madeira is a Portuguese island off the coast of Africa. It's nearest relatives are the Azores, which if my memory serves me correctly, are approximately 200 miles away. Many people believe the island to be Spanish, however they are proudly and defiantly Portuguese.
The main town in Madeira, and it's capital, is Funchal.
Not to be confused with the island's airport of the same name, which is in fact 30 minutes away from the capital. Funchal is a mixture of old and new. The old being the heart of the city, where you will find cobbled streets and narrow back streets. This area is known as *the Old Town and it is where you will find the more traditional restaurants. It is also home to the world-famous flower & fish market. You can walk to a level above the flowers and you will be amazed by the varying hues and colours. The most famous of all flowers in Madeira is the Bird of Paradise. This is an unusual specimen, with it's easily identifiable orange 'beak' - hence the reference to a bird. There are also many orchids that grow on the island too.
Next to the flower and fruit market, is the fish market. Go and see for yourself how huge Tuna grows to be! You will also spot Blue Marlin and other exotic fish. Madeira is famous for it's Espada - this is a most ugly fish and you can see them laid out on slabs. The Madeirans themselves are partial to Bacalhau, which is dried cod. Not for the faint-hearted!
After walking around the old part of Funchal, I think you have probably seen all you need to see. And to be honest, once out of the centre, there is very little else to see. Most of the hotels are within 30 minutes walking distance from the old town.
Madeira lacks a beach, although there is one of sorts, about 5 miles out of the city, between Funchal and Camara del Lobos. It is very dark sand and there isn't much of it. Beware the summer holiday, national holidays and weekends. The Madeirans like to make use of the very few beaches they do have! If you are missing a sandy beach, you could always travel to PortoSanto, which is an island off the coast of Madeira. You can either take the ferry, which takes approximately 2 hours, or fly from Funchal airport, which takes 15 minutes. Not for the faint hearted or people who thought that propellor planes no longer existed!
Many people who visit the island like to have a look around. The main sites are:
*Porto Moniz, where the scenary along the journey is worth the visit alone - but beware! If you don't like heights steer clear of ay of the trips around the island!
*Monte - is famous for it's whicker toboggans - sit yourself in one and get pushed down a hill, complete with cars attempting to get past!
*Curral des Freiras (Nuns' Valley) - an old vocanic formation.
Many people come to Madeira to wak the Levadas. These are old drainage systems dating back to the Romans and they criss-cross the entire island. Be careful though, some of these routes are not easy - always go with a guide if you are not sure of the area.
All of the main tour operators fly to Funchal: Thomson, Airtours etc. However, if you like to take the independant route, there are many taxis available outside the airport and the price to Funchal is approx £35.00.
Madeira is not for the young person. Night life is very sparse. There are only a handful of bars and even less clubs. The main club is called Vespres and is situated next to the harbour where the cruise liners dock. It stays open until 6.00am. There is also very little for children to do - I would not recommend a family to holiday in Madeira.
Madeira suits are more relaxed clientele - older couples or singles, who like to relax and enjoy the nice weather. Madeira never reaches baking climates and stays a pretty even 70-80 degrees all year round.
The hotels offered in Funchal are all very good and there is little to choose between them. Maybe I would suggest that you don't take a half board basis, as the food is repetitive and there are so many good restaurants to try locally.
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Advantages: fantastic views, great scenery, quiet and relaxed, good weather Disadvantages: not for those who dislike heights, or those who want a more lively holiday
beccy12001 13.07.2005 (13.07.2005)
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Review of Madeira (Portugal)
Advantages: Temperatures consistently in the mid seventies,people lovely,beautiful island Disadvantages: Volcanic origins so no beaches ,or very few.not really a childrens holiday
grafter123 26.11.2006 (03.01.2007)
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Review of Madeira (Portugal)
Advantages: Friendly, quaint, good shops and food, fishing trips, feels like abroad Disadvantages: Need a car to drive to the village as public transport in Cornwall is not great!
Vicki_87 30.06.2009 ·
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Review of Cornwall (England)
Dec 15th, 2003
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