Portugal - Madeira

Holidays in Madeira

Madeira Holidays – A popular all-year-round holiday destination
Madeira is a group of islands which belong to Portugal and are 400km north of the Canaries. The largest island by far is Madeira itself, and this is where you find the capital city of Funchal. Holidays in Madeira are popular with tourists so there are plenty of international flights to Funchal, as well as being a de rigueur stopping off place for transatlantic cruise liners. Madeira advertises plenty of deals such as all inclusive holidays, self-catering accommodation options, cheap deals, family deals and if you get lucky some late deals. Because the weather is so mild you may well like to look at winter sun holidays as well as summer holidays.

Holidays in Madeira – Local wine, flowers and firework displays
The island is wet in the north west and dry in the south east. It used to be much wooded but the locals burned the wood so it is now mainly wooded in the north. Madeira is renowned worldwide for its flowers and its wines, and serendipitously holds the biggest firework display in the world. It is a volcanic island so the sand is more often than not black - and some beaches are very pebbly. But the waters are surprisingly warm so bathing is popular with locals and tourists alike. The best beach is Porto Santo, a long 9km stretch of golden sand with loungers, cafes and beach facilities – so enjoy lying there on your holidays in Madeira. Calheta is an artificial beach with imported proper colour sand so that’s another choice.

Madeira Holidays – A sophisticated island with many outdoor activities
In the way of on and off-beach activities while on holidays in Madeira there’s a plethora: there’s a bus tour of the island for a start, then there’s the levada walks – along wonderful trails throughout the island. Dolphin watching, bird watching, parasailing, deep sea diving, windsurfing, kitesurfing, paragliding, cycling….don’t feel you have to sit in a café or bar with a cup of coffee or tea watching the Madeiran world go by!

The food is absolutely varied from the pizza/pasta to local specialities indigenous to the island, many recipes using fish of course. The whole island is pretty sophisticated, hotels tend to be top end and nightlife exists but on an equally sophisticated scale.

Holidays in Madeira – Weather in Madeira
The climate in Madeira is mild, year round mild. The temperature can get up to 33°C but on the whole is moderated by the breeze. Winter is a few degrees lower, and there will be more rain in the winter. Because of the mountainous construction of the island there are microclimates all over the place. Funchal is usually the sunniest spot.