ileen

Today, I had some free time and spent it looking at the atlas. Having been thinking of a trip to Portugal. So, noticed the Madeira Islands. Maybe after visiting Lisbon, a short trip to Maderia Islands may be fun in the summer months.

Just curious to find out if any Fodorites have been there lately. How easy is it to fly there and how good is it in regards to hotels, restaurants, beaches, shopping etc. Is it easy to find flights from Lisbon or Madrid?

Would love to spend time at the beach with beautiful scenery, clean water and sand. Also wondering how far would a dollar go there--is it very expensive or affordable as much as any European city.

Hopefully it is not too, too crowded during summer months like so many other European destinations. Also I read somewhere although it is part of Europe, it has a lot of African influences since it is quite near to Africa. Wondering if the food will be also quite a mixture of cuisines.

Please share your experiences or any tips and advice.

Gordon_R

Madeira is a very popular holiday destination among Europeans, especially for winter holidays as it one of the nearest places we can escape the northern European winter weather. I've been many timesm so I'll try to answer your questions.

Getting there: there are several daily flights from most major European cities, definitely from Lisbon on TAP, I expect also from Madrid. Flying time from Lisbon is about a couple of hours.

Beaches: More tricky. Madeira island doesn't have any natural sandy beaches, just rocky shores at the bottom of steep cliffs. Responding to tourist demand, the authorities have constucted at least one artifical beach, but the island is more famous for its jaw-fropping mountainous scenery, walking and stunning sub-tropical gardens. The neighbouring island of Porto Santo does have miles of sandy beach and is becoming more established as a holiday destination, but is still very quiet.

Hotels etc: more choice than you could shake a stick at. Everything from luxurious 5-star places which cater for your every whim down to basic B&B type places and everything in between. Vast choice of restaurants too. As for shopping, its not really known as a destination for shopping though there is everything you need in terms of everyday provisions and touristy gifts.

Affordability: Currency is Euro. Used to be an extremely cheap destination, but the intro of the Euro single currency and the general economic development in the last decade have seen prices increase.

African influences: not that you'd notice as a first time visitor, the atmosphere and culture is strongly European despite te geographical location. The Portugeuse were the first inhabitants when they "discovered" the islands round about the 14th century. Has been part of Portugal ever since. There are some local specialities food-wide: the fish and seafood are wonderful and the famous Madeira wine is legendary.

Feel free to post some more specific Q's and I'll get back to you.

ileen

Gordon: Thanks a million for a very informative and descriptive reply. You have answered so many of the pertinent questions. I feel I know little bit about the island now.

It seems like a good place to visit if I reach Spain or Portugal. I think a 2-3 day vacation there to just relax and unwind would be plentiful since there is no real sandy beach.

I am truly excited to know about the Madeira wine and seafood-two of my most favorite items on vacation.

If there are tons of hotels and B&B sort of places, I am thinking that it may not be too difficult to get a room at a reasonable price.

You have visited the island a few times, so do you have any names of hotels to suggest. So, I can keep everything handy in case my plans do materialize.

At the present moment it is a thought. After reading your reply, I am more excited and will go to the library and read some guides etc. to get more basic information.

I am presuming weather is nice during Aug. Sept since it is sub=tropical and the gardens must be very attractive too.
Thanks again for your very helpful reply.

Just curious, where do you live.

I am on the west coast of US. Have a great weekend.

Gordon_R

I'll get back to you tomorrow with more detailed answers if that's OK (it's dinner time here now in the UK and I'm required in the kitchen!). I can certainly recommend some hotels for you, but can you give us some idea of your budget - what does "reasonable" mean to you.

Gordon_R

Back again.

Madeira wine: just to be clear, this is a special fortified wine not dissimilar from Spanish sherry. Comes in different types, my fave is Verdelho. You drink the drier varieties as an aperitif, the sweet version with or after dessert. They do have several reasonable locally produced unfortified wins as well, not to mention some very nice seclections from the Portuguese mainland.

Seafood: local specialities include the espada (the scary-looking but delicious black scabbard fish) and the sardines, which truly are the food of the gods.

Hotels: Most first time visitors find something to their choice in Funchal, the only big town on the islands (everywhere else is small towns and villages, where a car is virtually essential). The main concentration of hotels is strung out along the coast to the western end of the town (the so-called "hotel zone"), but there are other choices in the old town and the surrounding hills. For a splurge, I'd go for the Quinta Da Casa Branca or the Cliff Bay. Slightly less pricey but very nice are the Quintinha de Sao Joao, Pestana Carlton and the Santa Maria. Then there are plenty of cheaper hotels and self-catering places as well. Like I said, we need to understand your budget and hotel style preferences to point you in the right direction.

Perhaps one more thing it's fair to mention - opinions on Madeira vary greatly. Some people (myself included) think it's one of the most special places on this planet, due to the scenery, climate, unique ecology, outdoor activities, relaxed atmosphere, friendly locals and general affordability. But if you're looking for nightclubbing, a big beach scene and lots of young people out partying, you'd be far better heading for the Spanish Costas.

ileen

Gordon: Thanks once again for giving very useful information. Now, I am understanding the island a bit better.
Have noted the hotels names and will do some research on them too.
I am not looking for nightclubbing or parties etc. Just want a scenic area to rest and relax.
Your description is making it quite attractive, thus I will seriously read more and then decide.
Truly appreciate your time and effort.
Have a great day.

FUBella

Thanks for this post Ileen! I am also looking into visiting Madeira in late September, but mostly for nostalgic reasons. My mother was born there, moved to the US in 1960, and has never returned since. This fall we are planning on finally going, along with my two aunts, one of whom lives in northern Portugal.

Gordon- I think my mom will be surprised at how much more touristic the island has become since she was a child and I wouldn't mind trying to see its local charms. Rather than stay in a large resort, do you have any suggestions for something small and charming? Maybe an apartment rental?

Gordon_R

I can't recomnend any specific apartments as we always stay in hotels, sorry. If you want to avoid the hustle and bustle of Funchal, one of the villages might be better. You probably know more than I do due to your family connections about which part of the island you'd like to base yourselves in. Personally speaking, we like Calheta and Jardim do Mar on the south coast (which usually gets the best weather). When the weather is dry, villages like Ribeiro Frio and Curral das Freiras, up in the mountains, are superb locations, but they are often enveloped in cloud.