Madeira tips

The Madeira Promotion Bureau and the Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Culture, in collaboration with the Regional Directorate for Culture, announce the launch of the pioneering and disruptive project AP_ARTE, an initiative aimed to disseminate and promote the rich cultural heritage of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

The Autonomous Region of Madeira has just received recognition by EarthCheck for achieving the second level of the silver seal certification as a “Sustainable Tourist Destination”, having fulfilled, once again, the demanding criteria of standards of this world-leading tourism destination certification entity, accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council.

The beautiful islands of Madeira will play host to the 11th annual World Golf Awards 21-22 November 2024. Leading names from the golfing world will join VIPs and figureheads from the golf tourism industry for what will mark the first World Golf Awards to take place in Madeira. The prize-giving evening at Savoy Palace from Savoy Signature, Funchal will form the climax of an exclusive golfing itinerary, which will include golf at the two world-class courses of Santo da Serra and Palheiro.

MADEIRA IS, FOR THE 10TH TIME, THE BEST ISLAND DESTINATION IN EUROPE. PORTO SANTO IS THE BEST BEACH DESTINATION AND THE MADEIRA PROMOTION ASSOCIATION THE BEST TOURISM ENTITY. Funchal will host two international World Travel Awards galas in November this year.

Guests of The Reserve have a dedicated private elevator that takes them from the reception to The Reserve, providing a full VIP experience.

The island destination of Madeira has taken its sustainability credentials to new heights, with all three golfing venues embracing the tourist board’s long-term commitment to preserving the environment. Clube de Golf Santo da Serra has become the latest club in the idyllic Portuguese islands to implement a new eco-strategy, following Palheiro Golf and Porto Santo Golf in making a series of course improvements to enhance the overall playing experience for members and guests. At the centre of Club de Golfe Santo da Serra’s improvement plan is the installation of a new state-of-the-art irrigation system – reducing its water consumption by around 66 per cent so that just 750m³ a day is now needed to help ensure optimum course conditions all-year round. In addition, the club has renovated the four on-course lakes that it uses for irrigation, installing an interconnecting system between all of them to improve access to water so that all areas of the 27-hole layout can easily be watered whenever necessary. It is estimated that the combined capacity of the lakes is around 40,000m³, a volume that will reinforce the storage capacity of the Lagoa do Santo system. Porto Santo Golfe recently strengthened its association with nature when the island that it is named after became a UNESCO biosphere reserve – one of 25 new locations named in the World Network of Biosphere Reserves. Designed by Seve Ballesteros and host of the Madeira Islands Open in 2009 and 2011, the club is the perfect example of the harmony between human activity and wildlife.

Set in the heart of Funchal’s atmospheric Old Town, the five historic houses that make up Castanheiro offer guests an immersion in more than 300 years of Madeiran history. Communal areas in each house are filled with antique furniture and period pieces from its earlier incarnations – one as a handcraft atelier, another the home of wealthy traders – while bedrooms are sleek and modern. The cherry on the cake is the rooftop pool, with fantastic views over Funchal and plenty of quiet outdoor spaces on the walled terraces for relaxing with a book or a cocktail. There’s no restaurant, but plenty of good options within a minute or two’s stroll.Doubles from £153 B&B; castanheiroboutiquehotel.com

“Trust the grip,” my canyoning guide, Filipe Ferreira from Madeira Adventure Kingdom, tells me, more than once. Still, I step slowly. Rushing freshwater sluices past my extra-grippy boots and over smooth boulders, before plunging over a 40ft drop, which I’m expected to rappel down. I look back up the canyon in the direction we came from, but there’s no turning back.

A wild, subtropical Portuguese island, surrounded by the North Atlantic Ocean, Madeira is called the ‘floating garden’ because of its fertile, volcanic soil. Bounty bursts from the earth at every turn: grapevines cling to sea cliffs, exotic fruits clutter the roadsides in staggered farm terraces and tall fronds of sugarcane sway in the breeze until harvest time, when they’re processed into rum. Freshly caught fish is on just about every menu, as are a variety of local drinks, from poncha (rum punch) and apple ciders to crisp local white wines and the classic fortified variety to which the island gives its name. Here’s how to get a first taste of Madeira.

A statue of Cristiano Ronaldo towers over a crowd of admirers as they queue to have their photos taken with it. One young man with a leather satchel thrown over his shoulder giddily takes his turn. I’m watching from the roof of the Pestana CR7 hotel in Funchal, Madeira.

Located off the coast of Africa but also an autonomous region of Portugal, Madeira has its own unique identity.

Madeira will surprise you. It's not a staid holiday choice now. It's part of Portugal but closer to North Africa. And it's been discovered. Find out what indie travellers like about Madeira. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your essential guide for visiting Portugal.