At Ocean Retreat we know something about both Madeira’s hotels as well as hotel rating systems. So we want to share our findings. For those couples wanting to travel, we decided to rank Madeira’s most romantic hotels in this post. The hotels on this list are mostly smaller scale, more intimate, and more luxurious than …
Cristiano Ronaldo, a “Made in Madeira” football champion! Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro is one of the most talented and successful athletes in the world. Ronaldo was born on February 5th, 1985 in Santo António, Funchal on the island of Madeira. Young Cristiano Ronaldo He started playing football at an early age. His father, José …
The Monte Toboggan Run or Monte Wicker sledges When I asked my son’s girlfriend whether she wanted to slide down a really steep and almost polished road from Monte to Funchal in a big Monte wicker basket on wooden skis, she thought I was crazy. Monte Wicker Basket rides are, however, one of Madeira’s most …
Madeira Embroidery The sub-tropical island is world famous for its delicate hand embroidery. As a result, Madeira hand embroidery is part of of the island’s culture and history. Furthermore, it is one of the economic pillars along with Madeira wine, tourism and bananas. History of Embroidery on Madeira Embroidery seemingly started at the same time …
Some of the top photography spots on Madeira Needless to say that no matter where you are on the island, you will always be able to find a great photography spot. However, there is a select few places where you are practically guaranteed to take great shots – the views or surroundings will definitely not …
Madeira Festivals. Many joyful events happen on Madeira all year long. Here is a handy calendar of some of the more important celebrations and festivals on the island. Madeira is a very versatile tourism destination offering peace and quiet, adrenaline filled activities but also many festivals, religious pilgrimages, shows and culture. Because of this grand …
Vegetarian and vegan friendly restaurants on Madeira With a lot of traditional fish– and meat-based dishes in most restaurants, it can feel quite challenging to find vegetarian food on the island of Madeira. If you want to avoid having to eat the main dish sides during your stay, then you’re on the right page. Here’s …
Madeira’s most scenic route Even though Madeira seems like only a tiny dot on the world map, we do recommend that you do rent a car. There are approximately 160 km of truly coastal and scenic roads around the island and many more kilometers of picturesque roads. Roads The vast majority of roads on Madeira …
The ukulele The Ukulele is a well-known music instrument originating in a sunny sub-tropical and volcanic island in the middle of the Ocean. The island is famous for its dense and lush vegetation and its fertile volcanic soil. Many vegetables and fruit sorts grow effortlessly on the island. This piece of land was known for …
Recipe: Bolo de Caco The Bolo de Caco is a must try for all visitors to Madeira Island or Porto Santo. It is vegetarian circular muffins-like bread and can hence be appreciated by nearly everyone. They are made with a mixture of sweet potato and wheat and are cooked on a basalt stone slab over …
