The Portuguese colonial island that is Madeira is a tourist destination that most American travellers only see during a short stop. This is because most American visitors to Madeira Island have come on board one of the many ocean going cruise liners. And, the standard is that these liners only anchor for a few hours before setting sail for the next destination. That the schedule of these cruise ships does not allow for a prolonged stay is a pity since Madeira has a vast selection of attractions to offer it’s visitors.
As a representative who specialises in the Madeira tourist sector, I often get asked if the whole island can be visited in a single day. It is perfectly reasonable for soon-to-be-visitors to assume that this would be possible. After all, if you pick up a map of Madeira, you will see that the island stretches to dimensions that are around 14 miles across and 33 miles long.
Not long ago, the steep volcanic landscape meant that travelling any distance by car was an extremely difficult and slow adventure. Up until 20 years ago, the only available route from one end of the island to the other was via narrow mountain hugging roads that were typified by hairpin bends and almost vertical drops alongside. Not really suitable if you suffered from vertigo!
Much to the relief of the local population, nowadays, the island has a highway network that makes quick, easy travel the rule rather than than an exception. Despite this, touring the entire island in a just a few hours would leave little time to fully appreciate the range of landscapes, points of interest and tourist attractions that the island has to offer. As a more realistic alternative, I would suggest that you opt for a tour 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 probably advisable to center your activities on 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 complete understanding of the above itinerary, make sure that you download your street plan free map of Funchal.
Funchal and its nearby surrounds has adequate variety to occupy the interests of everyone. My select list would include the following:
Take a ride on the Funchal cable car departing from the seafront up to the remote mountain village of Monte. As you journey on forever upward, passing over the cityscape, you will be benefited with some outstanding views. You will also gain an aerial view of your cruise liner docked in the harbor – this is the ideal opportunity if you want to snap a special souvenir photo of it.
Upon exiting the cable car, your first stop should be the church at Monte. This church, with its impressive white facade frontage, marks the very same spot where the first chapel on Madeira Island stood. This chapel, if Portuguese folklore is trustworthy, was built by the first children to be born on the island, twins aptly named Adam and Eve. Here, you will discover the tomb of Emperor Charles I of Austria the last Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor.
If you are interested in things botanical, then stop by at the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. These exquisite gardens, planted in the surrounds of a now disused hotel, have intricate displays of trees, shrubs and flowers from the four corners of the earth along with many cultural objects that are scattered about the grounds. Just two of the highlights are the formal Oriental Garden and the assortment of ceramic tiles that features examples from a period range of one hundred and fifty years.
Next, walk the short distance to the famous Monte Toboggans ride. These toboggans are made from chair sized, local, wicker baskets mounted on wooden runners. Having seated yourself in position, a couple of skilled men will manipulate your unusual type of transport downward along the sharply descending hills. Ernest Hemmingway once described this ride as the most exhilarating experience of his life. Today, health and safety regulations mean that, it is no longer so hair-raising, but you will still find nothing like it anywhere else in the world.
When you disembark from your Monte Toboggan, you will most likely require a refreshing, but more calm, moment. So, make your way back to the heart of Funchal city and take a seat at one of large selection of restaurants and cafes that are there to cater for tourists and local customers alike.
The seafront by the Marina has some top class fish restaurants. Here, you can guarantee that each and every dish offered will have been freshly caught during the early hours that very same morning.
Or, you could choose to head for the side streets where some quaint, traditional cafes have a selection of typical Madeiran dishes at very affordable prices. You could find yourself sipping an after meal glass of Madeira wine in a converted old wine cellar. Or, possibly, sampling the delights of espetada, a traditional beef meal cooked by roasting cubes of meat over the flames of an open fire on skewers, whilst being entertained by a traditional Madeiran folk troupe.
Whatever your choice, it is almost certainly guaranteed that, as your cruise ship takes you out into the Atlantic ocean and the peaks of Madeira are disappearing below the horizon, you will be exploring the possibility of visiting this delightful Portuguese outpost once again.
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