Mad for Madeira
Please enjoy a review from HB Tour & Travel’s trusted consultant, Joshua Baines of Harrogate, England.
This mountainous archipelago represents the first chapter in the storied Age of Discovery; the period of seafaring exploration in the 15th Century that laid claim to anything found across the Atlantic Ocean to the New World. In 1420, Portuguese sailors escaping a storm landed at Porto Santo, now Funchal, completely by accident. Nowadays, discovery of its steep, verdant slopes and labyrinth of cobbled streets is certainly by design.
Despite its position as a rocky outpost in the middle of the Atlantic, life here is undoubtedly influenced by mainland Portuguese roots. Mornings are slow, and best begun with a traditional Portuguese delicacy, a pastel de nata (egg custard tart dusted with cinnamon) and fresh orange juice. There are no shortage of options along the main throughfares in Funchal; Rua do Arriaga, Rua do Carreira or Rua Santa Maria.
The cable car, perhaps the most popular of Madeira’s tourist attractions, is a real treat, with the fifteen minute journey long enough to take in the views of Funchal beneath. Tickets for the 550m journey into the heavens will set an adult back $14, $7 for a child and be sure to purchase a single. The alternative way back down puts the ‘fun’ into Funchal.
Before the cable car arrived in 2000, the main way up the mountain was via the railway. For one hundred years and counting, however, the main way down is in the capable hands of the Carreiros do Monte. At a price of $40 for two brave souls, the carreiros will plonk you down in a wicker armchair refashioned into a sledge and hurl you down the side of the hill to the village of Livramento. Save the energy on haggling for a taxi for the twenty-minute stroll downhill into Funchal to recover your senses.
Tobogganing isn’t the only option for those seeking adrenaline-fuelled thrills. The rocky terrain and steep hills make up for the absence of beaches by providing ample opportunity for mountain biking, abseiling and canyoning. Indeed, Madeira’s tourist board is keen to promote the island’s adventurous credentials. Most visitors, however, know Madeira for its most cherished export, Cristiano Ronaldo. For those looking for sport without the participation, the museum in his honour is located by the port and offers fans an insight into the success of one of the greatest players to grace the game of football.
Going beyond the tourist attractions reveals the true charm of Madeira. In such a maze, hidden treasures abound for the intrepid explorer. Funchal flirts with her guests; fluorescent flowers adorning unassuming edifices are a tantalising substitute for street signs, leading to open squares that reward tourists with buildings proud of their seafaring past. One such square, the Praca do Municipio, allows wanderers to explore the inner sanctums of the public buildings lined with porcelain frescoes, dotted with bronze fountains and inhabited by rickety staircases leading to secret views of the island’s capital.
After working up an appetite, head down to the fort of Sao Tiago, also known as the ‘yellow fort’, built to protect Funchals’ treasures from raiding parties of pirates that nowadays come ashore on the cruise ships that use the port as a key stop across the Atlantic. King Carlos I of Portugal once had lunch in a hastily erected tent within the fort; today the peerless Restaurant do Forte offers a much more accommodating, and aptly elevated, experience. Settle in for sunset over the Atlantic with a glass of wine and plate of bacalao, the local favourite, as more discoveries await in this charming, rustic city.
With Love,
H, B & J @ HBTT
