Discover Madeira!
The Madeira Archipelago is an autonomous region of Portugal consisting of four island groups: Madeira, Porto Santo, Desertas and Selvagens. Only the two largest islands of the archipelago (Madeira and Porto Santo) are inhabited, transport links to them are carried out mainly through Madeira Airport and Porto Santo Airport. The Madeira archipelago is home to about 265,000 inhabitants, of whom 120,000 are in the island's capital, Funchal, and about 5,500 people are on the island of Porto Santo. Madeira Island was marked as the "Best Island Tourist Destination in Europe" in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and "Best Island Tourist Destination in the World".
WHO ARE WE?
Madeira is breathtaking landscapes, dense forests, juicy green vegetation, mountains and extinct volcanoes, bright and lush flower beds, passion fruit aroma and diving in the waters of the Atlantic. The blue sky and the bright sun of Madeira have attracted people here since the 18th century, although in addition to the mild climate all year round, there are many other reasons to visit this island. To get to know Madeira, you need to climb to the top of Pique do Ariiro, "with your head in the clouds," and admire the indescribable beauty of her landscapes from there. These are walks through the "levadas" - artificial irrigation canals laid in the rocks through the enchanting forests of Laurisilva, which was granted UNESCO World Heritage Status. To get acquainted with Madeira, you need to walk along the beautiful bay of Funchal and admire the villages located on the slopes of the mountains descending to the sea - this landscape surpasses the best achievements of cinema with its beauty!
To feel Madeira, talk to the locals - here guests are welcomed with a sincere smile, and the well-known hospitality of the islanders gives a sense of calm and tranquility. To taste Madeira, enjoy a glass of Madeira, taste the delicacies of local cuisine: honey cake, charcoal saber fish, sea saucers, freshly baked traditional bolo do-kaku bread, sweet local bananas and other dishes. There is a huge selection of outdoor entertainment, for every taste and age, such as diving, hiking or cycling along numerous trails and "levadades", or you can just contemplate how the tones of the delightful sunset are changing. In the song of the famous Madeira singer Max sings: "Nothing compares to you, Porto Santo!" Porto Santo Island is located 50 km from Madeira Island, from Funchal it can be reached by plane - in just 15 minutes, or by ferry - the journey will take 2 hours and 15 minutes. Its 9-kilometer beach with golden sand, washed by a deep turquoise sea, has healing properties and is an idyllic place for a vacation.
WHERE ARE WE?
The Madeira Archipelago is located in the Atlantic Ocean about 450 km from the Canary Islands, 500 km from the African coast (Morocco) and about 1000 km or an hour and a half of summer from continental Europe (Lisbon). The total area of Madeira Island is 742 km2, its length is 57 km and its width is 22 km. The total area of the island of Porto Santo is 42.48 km2, its length is 12 km and its width is 6 km. These two islands are connected by air and sea.
Climate
Due to the geographical location of Madeira and mountainous terrain, the climate on the island is surprisingly mild: the air temperature varies from 25 °C in summer to 17 °C in winter, there is a very comfortable average temperature and moderate humidity. Under the influence of the warm Gulf Stream, the water temperature here is about 22°C in summer and 18°C in winter.
BRIEF HISTORY
Although the islands now part of the Madeira archipelago have been known since ancient times, it was only in 1420 that they were officially discovered by Portuguese sailors in the service of Infante Henry the Navigator, after which their settlement began.
Initially, the discoverer ship landed on a small island, where it was carried away by a storm, and as a result, this island was called Porto Seguro or Porto Santo ("Holy Port"), as it was a salvation for the ship's crew from tragic death. Three discoverers - Tristan Vash Teixeira, Bartolomeu Perestrelu and João Gonsalves Zarcu - also landed on the island of Madeira. It is believed that it was João Gonsalves Zarcu who called the island "Madeira", which means "forest" or "wood", due to the abundance of this material on the island.
The origin of the name of the city of Funchal is associated with the large amount of fennel or "funcho", which sailors discovered upon arrival on the island.
Due to the potential and strategic importance of the island, its colonization began around 1425. Crops such as grain and sugar cane were imported here, as a result of which in the second half of the 15th and early 16th centuries Funchal became an important commercial port - European merchant ships certainly came here.
The 17th and 18th centuries were marked by the cultivation of wine grape varieties in Madeira, which had a huge impact on the island's economy.
Since the late 18th century and throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, tourism has been flourishing in Madeira. The islands became famous for their favorable climate and healing properties of their nature - this fascinated the European aristocracy, and it began to settle here.
Today Madeira continues to inspire travelers who come here to admire the rare beautiful landscapes of the archipelago, combining the ocean and mountains.