Bird watching in Madeira It is no secret that Madeira has plenty of activities to offer to visitors. From paragliding to wine tasting, surfing to hiking, you are spoilt for choice. However, only few know that the archipelago is an ideal spot for bird watching. Madeira is home to unique bird species, such as the …
Madeira’s Terraced Landscape or Poios Suspended gardens, terraces and stone walls are man-made constructions. These ensure farmers have land to cultivate even on steep hills and in spite of environmental limitations. Moreover, these terraced landscapes provide inhabitants throughout all mountainous regions in the world with farmland. Here on Madeira, terraced plots are part of …
Madeira Nature Festival The Madeira Nature Festival celebrates Madeira’s unique natural heritage by promoting outdoor activities. Its goal is to bring humans closer to nature. Therefore, this festival is ideal for the adventure-thirsty and sports lovers, who are eager to spend more time outdoors to discover all that the island has to offer. The yearly …
Pitanga mousse Pitanga Mousse. During your visit to Madeira, you will probably notice the presence of pitanga fruit in local gardens. Consuming this fruit provides various health benefits, partly because of its anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. If you’ve been wondering about any recipes where you could include the pitanga fruit, look no further! Here is …
Paul da Serra Madeira – the Plateau Paul da Serra Madeira is the largest plateau on Madeira island and is an absolute must-see. It is located in the center of the island its highest point reaching and altitude of 1640 meters (the Pico Ruivo do Paul). Pico Bica da Cana is the second highest peak …
Madeira’s South Coast Miradouros Madeira’s Viewpoints or Miradouros. Rare are those travel destinations with so many wonderful observation posts. Madeira can be proud as it boosts many wonderful lookout points. Here are some of the most beautiful viewpoints of Madeira – South Coast. We wrote earlier about those located on the North Coast here. Municipality …
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 …
