Vacation Rental – Alojamento Local MadeiraCasa – This spacious family house offers a peaceful and secluded retreat without being remote and inaccessible. On the edge of the quaint village of Boaventura, this villa sits on the “Levada de Cima”. The vacation cottage overlooks surf-crashing seascapes and rocky mountain vistas. For more pictures and information, please …
Machico Machico is the easternmost municipality on the island of Madeira. Interstingly, it is also the landing point Madeira’s first discoverers. Hence, the vist of the parish of Machico is a must for all history lovers. In July 1419, 600 years ago, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira disembarked on the beach of Machico …
Pitanga Trees The Pitanga Fruit ( Eugenia uniflora ) is originally from South America, mostly Brazil. However, it can be found today in Africa, in the Caribbean and on the Portuguese island of Madeira. The English name for Pitanga varies between: Brazil Cherry, Suriname Cherry, or Cayenne Cherry. Furthermore, it is only distantly related to …
The Columbus Festival Every year in September, the Columbus Festival takes place over three days in Vila Baleira, Porto Santo. Vila Baleira also happens to be the place where Columbus married Porto Santo native Filipa Moniz Perestrelo (the island’s governor’s daughter) in 1479. The festival honors Columbus’ fleet to Porto Santo during one of his …
Madeira sugar cane You probably already know that Madeira is famous for typical and regional products. Some examples are bananas, embroidery and Madeira wine. However, you maybe did not know that Madeira sugar cane (also known as Madeira’s white gold) is also very relevant to Madeira’s history. The sugar industry was an important contributor of …
Quinta Vigia The Quinta Vigia, previously called Quinta das Angústias, is an old mansion in Funchal located next to the Parque de Santa Catarina. Residence of the President Before becoming the official residence of the President of the Regional Government Funchal in 1984, the Quinta was home to several historical figures, such as Russian Prince …
Madeira Wine Festival – Madeira’s fortified wine has a unique taste which differentiates it from any other wine on the market. Luckily, once a year, tourists and locals can assist to the Madeira Wine Festival dedicated to Madeira’s famous born-at-sea nectar. The Madeira Wine Festival takes place in Funchal from late August until early September …
Madeira is famous for its dramatic landscapes, lush green vegetation and mostly pebble or black sand beaches. Many companies understood that Madeira’s beauty can help sell their products. Hence, an increasing number of companies have used Madeira’s North Coast as a backdrop for their commercials in the past years. This is nothing new and we …
The Madeiran Speckled Wood is a … butterfly endemic to Madeira Island. The Madeiran Speckled Wood belongs to the family of the Nymphalidae, and is considered to be an endangered species. This endangered species condition is due to the fierce competition for habitat and food with a very common and related butterfly, Pararge Aegeria. (Source) …
Madeira Banana Cake You forget some of those extra yummy Madeira Bananas in the fruit bowl. These bananas are on the soft side, ripe or overripe and spotted with brown dots. Great – these bananas are ideal to make Madeira Banana Cake. As bananas ripen, they become sweeter, so the riper the better. Hence, the …
The Madeira Photography Museum – Atelier Vicente’s Founded by Vicente Gomes da Silva in the 1850ies, this photographic studio, situated in Funchal, survives complete with equipment, sets, cameras, costumes and pictures. After a five-year closure and a 1.7-million-euro renovation, the oldest photo studio of Portugal just opened its doors to visitors again at the end …
