The Madeira Archipelago is a tourist destination that most US based travellers only see when making a short stop. This is because most American tourists to Madeira Island – web link: www.love-madeira.com – have come courtesy of one of the frequent mid-Atlantic luxury cruise liners. As is the norm when travelling on cruise ships, these liners only anchor for a day before departing once more again for another port of call. The shortness of visit is a shame since Madeira has many different places worthy of a visit to offer it’s guests.
As someone who is an operator of Madeira Island tours (our website is at www.madeiratours.co.uk, I am often asked if I can recommend a service that will take in the entire island in five or six hours maximum. It is not unreasonable to find people who believe that this is a sensible request. After all, if you pick up a map of Madeira, you will see that the island is just about 14 miles across and 33 miles long.
Madeira boasts a motorway network that makes quick and hassle free journeys the norm. Notwithstanding that, touring the entire island in a just a few hours would leave little time to fully appreciate the range of scenery, noteworthy towns and villages and tourist attractions that the island has to offer. As a more realistic alternative, I would suggest that you opt for an excursion that concentrates on just one area or aspect of Madeira.
So, for the tourist with a severely restricted amount of time, what is the optimum choice?
Well, for those of you who haven’t visited Madeira previously, it is usually best to just concentrating on seeing Funchal, the main city and cultural hub of the island. 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 free street plan Funchal map.
Funchal and its immediate surroundings have adequate variety to suit every interest. My choice list would include the following:
Take the Funchal cable car from the seafront up to the tiny mountain destination of Monte. As you journey on forever upward, passing over the cityscape, you will get some fantastic views. You will also gain an aerial view of your luxury cruise ship at anchor in the harbour – this is the ideal opportunity if you want to capture a special photograph of it.
Leaving the cable car in Monte, you should definitely visit the church, which stands on the site of the first chapel to be dedicated on Madeira Island. Here, you will discover the final resting place of the last Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
If you delight in all things botanical, then stop by at the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. These exquisite gardens, built into the mountainside, boast trees, shrubs and flowers from near and far along with a variety of weird and wonderful curios that are scattered about the grounds. Just two of the highlights are the formal Oriental Garden and the ceramic tiles collection.
When you find it time to leave Monte, exit the Gardens, turn left, and you will find the starting point for the unique Monte Toboggans ride. These icons of traditional Madeiran transport are constructed from large, local, wicker baskets secured to wooden runners. Once you have seated yourself down, two men will manipulate your ancient form of transport down the sharply descending hills. Ernest Hemmingway once recorded that the Monte toboggan journey he undertook was the most exhilarating experience of his life. Unfortunately, in this modern age concerned with health and safety, it now takes a form that is not so hair-raising, but you will still enjoy an experience that is unlike any other in the world.
Leaving the excitement of the Monte Toboggans on the steep slopes that surround Funchal, you will be looking for a refreshing, but more calm, moment. So, catch a taxi or local bus back to the heart of Funchal city and take a seat at one of many restaurants and cafes that are available.
On the habour-side by the Marina there are some high quality fish restaurants. Here, you can guarantee that every item on the menu will have been freshly caught that very same morning.
Or, you could choose to head for the side streets where some quaint, traditional cafes list on their menus typical Madeiran dishes at very affordable prices. You could find yourself enjoying an after meal glass of Madeira wine in a converted old wine cellar. Or, possibly, enjoying an espetada, a Portuguese speciality consisted of dices of beef roasted on a wooden skewer, whilst being entertained by a traditional Madeiran folk troupe.
Whatever you choose, it is almost certainly guaranteed that, as your cruise ship takes you out into the Atlantic ocean and the mountain tops of Madeira are fading into the distance, you will be exploring the possibility of visiting this lovely Portuguese island again.