Madeira has definitely shed it’s image as the “third age” or pensioners’ island. Here are 10 reasons why Madeira should be your next travel destination. First Part – reasons from 1 to 5 – Part Two Spectacular sceneries and coast Madeira is a volcanic island and it boosts a fabulous and rugged coastline (especially in …
Healthy Holidays We live in an ever busier, connected, stressful and complex world and sometimes we need to find a way to re-connect with ourselves and our inner-being…. or simply, a way to switch off. A healthy holidays is no longer a luxury. From the waterfalls and levada in the Laurisilva Unesco Heritage Forest to …
Sao Jorge São Jorge is a peaceful village located on the North Coast. It has spectacular views over mountains and sea. Sao Jorge offers plenty of the Laurissilva forest which Madeira is famous for. It also sits on very fertile land, producing sugar cane, Malvasia wine, and many other products. São Jorge was founded in …
Whales While many visitors prefer to witness sea mammals in their natural habitat, this Whale Museum describes Madeira’s whaling history. Interestingly, whales contribute to Madeira’s economy. However, the relationship changed. First, Madeirans killed whales to earn a living (luckily not as a sport) and now they protect them. Doing so, Madeirans developed a new business; …
What is it? This is a fantastic and typical wine and garlic marinated pork recipe from Madeira. It is mostly served around Christmas but can be found any time in Grand Mother’s kitchen. Unfortunately, it is more difficult to find in restaurants. Hence, there are as many recipes and variations of this delicious meal as …
Madeira Archipelago Situated in the Atlantic, Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago. Madeira and the Azores are two distinct autonomous regions of Portugal since 1976. The archipelago is closer to Africa than it is to Europe. Is is only 280 nautical miles from the African coast. Madeira archipelago includes: Madeira island, Porto Santo island, the Desertas …
Rocha do Navio Rocha do Navio means “Ship Rock” and it is one of four major natural reserves on Madeira. The Nature Reserve called Rocha do Navio is in the parish of Santana on the Madeira’s north coast. It got its name – Ship Rock – for two reasons. First, a Dutch ship sunk in …
Monk Seal – Sea Mammals Madeira is famous for its cetacean watching possibilities. Several companies organize trips to view them up close. However, Madeira waters are also home to another species of sea mammals, namely the Monk Seals (Monachus monachus). Unfortunately, this species is in critical danger of extinction. With less than 600 individuals throughout …
Madeira Table Wines The Archipelago of Madeira is well known and famous for its Madeira Wine. Madeira wine is a fortified wine and you can read our posts about its history, its fame and about the various types. However, this post talks about “regular” table wines from Madeira Island. The regular, non-fortified wines are much …
Summer months The Summer months from June to September are very festive on Madeira. These are also the harvest months. The festivities are a “reward” for the hard work during the rest of the agricultural cycle / year. Thus, these months are a time filled of joy, celebration, fullness and gratitude. Christianity absorbed these joyous …
