The Portuguese island of Madeira is a vacation destination that most American tourists only visit when making a short stop. This is because most American tourists to Madeira – see: http://www.love-madeira.com/ have come courtesy of one of the many Atlantic exclusive cruise ships. Typically, these luxury liner only stop for a day before setting sail for another port of call. The briefness of stay is a shame since Madeira has many different places worthy of a visit to offer its guests.
As someone who is employed in the Maderia Tours (weblink) sector of our economy, I frequently receive requests to suggest a tour route that will take in all the tourist attractions in just a few hours. That many of guests to Madeira believe this would be possible comes as no surprise. After all, if you pick up a map of Madeira, you will discover that the island is just about thirty three miles long by fourteen miles wide.
Madeira boasts a motorway network that makes quick and hassle free journeys the rule rather than an exception. Despite this, touring the whole of Madeira in a day would leave little time to fully appreciate the full extent of scenery, places of import and tourist attractions that we have to offer. Instead, I would suggest that you select an excursion that covers just one area or aspect of Madeira.
So, for the tourist with a severely restricted amount of time, what is the optimum tour choice?
Well, for those of you who haven’t visited Madeira previously, it is usually best to center your activities on Funchal, the capital city. As all cruise ships drop anchor in Funchal harbour, this choice will consists of minimum travelling mileage.
For the enjoyment of your journey ensure you get your street plan free Funchal map available at www.love-madeira.com/funchal-map.html.
Funchal and its nearby surrounds has adequate variety to occupy the interests of everyone. My favourite itinerary would include these:
Walk eastward along Funchal’s seafront promenade to the large green glass building that is the cable car terminal. Here, get your ticket for a ride up toward the mountain top and the small village of Monte. On the way up you will find yourself looking at some simply amazing views of the city. You will also gain an aerial view of your luxury liner at anchor in the harbor – perfect if you want to capture a special souvenir photo of it.
Having completed your cable car journey, your first stop should be Monte church. This church, much revered by the citizens of Funchal, occupies the very same spot where the first chapel on island was built. This chapel, as legend has it, was built by the first people to be born on the island, twins aptly called Adam and Eve. Here, you will find the tomb of the last Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
If you are interested in all things botanical, then stop by at the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. These gardens, planted in the surrounds of a now disused hotel, boast trees, shrubs and flowers from around the globe along with a variety of curios that are scattered about the grounds. Of particular interest are the charming Oriental Garden and the assortment of ceramic tiles that features examples from a period range of one hundred and fifty years.
Next, walk the short distance to the famous Monte Toboggans ride. These icons of traditional Madeiran transport are constructed from chair sized, local, wicker baskets mounted on wooden runners. Having seated yourself down, a couple of skilled men will manipulate your unusual type of transport downward along the steep twisting roads. Ernest Hemmingway once recorded that the Monte toboggan journey he went on was the most exhilarating experience of his life. Unfortunately, in this modern age concerned with health and safety, it is no longer so hair-raising, but you will still find nothing like it anywhere else in the world.
After all that excitement, you will be looking for a more relaxing experience to follow. So, make your way back to the city centre and choose from the large selection of restaurants and cafes that are available.
On the habour-side by the Marina there are some excellent seafood restaurants. Here, you can guarantee that each and every dish offered will have been freshly caught during the early hours that very same morning.
Alternatively, head for the side streets where some of the smaller cafes offer typical Madeiran dishes at very reasonable prices. You may soon find yourself enjoying a post meal glass of Madeira wine in a converted old wine cellar. Or maybe, enjoying an espetada, a Portuguese speciality consisted of cubes of beef roasted on a wooden skewer, whilst listening to some traditional Madeiran folk music.
Whatever you choose, it is almost certainly guaranteed that, as your cruise liner takes you out into the vast expanse of the Atlantic again and the peaks of Madeira are disappearing beneath the horizon, you will be making plans to visit this delightful island sanctuary again.