My wife and I are planning next years vacation and she has Madeira at the top of her list. Neither of us have ever been there so we are not sure on where to start and what are some of the better family things to do. Or where to stay for that matter. This will be a 7 or 8 day trip in late May of 2019 for us and our two daughters.

For reference, our girls will be 10 and 12 and have been to Scotland and Switzerland as well as most of the east coast of the US. My wife and I have been to Switzerland, Scotland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy so getting around shouldn't be too big of an issue. We are looking for something with some culture, old towns, and plenty of outdoor activities. The girls are pretty adaptable but my wife and I are not really fans of long lines or mobs of people. Basically we don't like theme parks or cruises. The crowds in Venice were acceptable as we could easily walk off the tourist strip and have it be relatively quiet. Just wanted to give some background as it usually helps.

What's the consensus? Are we on the right track? I'm thinking Ireland or Austria but Madeira has definitely peaked my interest.

Thanks

I've been a number of times to Madeira which is a lovely island, and it's never been mobbed with people. It really has just one place of any size which is the capital, Funchal and you'll have a good choice of restaurants and hotels there and to the west of the city. We usually stay at the Porto Santa Maria which is next to the cable car up to the gardens and is on the sea in the old town area.

There is a water park on the island for the children, but it is small and does get busy. I'd also recommend the Madeira Theme Park which has lots of information about the island and its history and origins. Go for a hotel with a pool as it will be warm in late May, but it never gets really hot on Madeira (90's etc) with the temperature staying at a comfortable 75-80 ish.