Madeira

A warm welcome from Madeira, Europe's most traditional holiday island destination! These are the islands of eternal spring - famous for their natural beauty and for the hospitality of their people. Islands that look forward to offering you fantastic holidays.

Both traditional Portuguese culture and the overwhelming beauty of these natural resources await you at 310 miles from the African coast and 620 miles from the European continent. Many famous figures from the past fell under the magical enchantment of these islands, including, the Empress Sissi, George Bernard Shaw and Winston Churchill. Come and Feel Nature around You!

Because of the great fertility of its soil and the richness of its marine life, Madeira has a wide variety of fresh natural products, all of which make for a rich, healthy and tasty gastronomic tradition. Dishes such as the black swordfish, tuna steak, tuna "escabèche" and the traditional espetada (meat brochettes), served with fried corn (a regional staple) and the very tasty bolo do caco (round flat loaf typical of Madeira), are dishes that everyone who visits the island must sample.

There are so many things to do in Madeira it's not surprising that time seems to fly. As well as exploring the island, there is a wealth of cultural, sporting or leisure activities. Amongst so many events there is only room to emphasize a handful: the Carnival, the Flower Festival and Wine Festival, as well as our New Year celebrations. Don't forget the churches, museums, interesting buildings, monuments and old villas as well.

A fantastic array of natural resources come together on the Island of Madeira, enabling you to enjoy a variety of sporting activities all year round. Horse-riding, mountain biking, hang-gliding, paragliding, mountaineering, canyoning and of course walking are well catered for. Naturally there is a broader range of water sports where the most common activities are swimming, surfing, windsurfing, diving, sailing, canoeing or water skiing.
One of the greatest tourist attractions of the Island of Madeira lies in its spectacular landscape. Its luxurious vegetation continues to fascinate all those closely drawn to nature. This archipelago, included in the bio-geographic region of Macaronesia, retains a natural heritage of great scientific value, distinguished by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage. Madeira's indigenous Laurissilva forest, occupies an area of 15 thousand hectares.