Introduction |  |
Cristiano Ronaldo may have raised his homeland’s profile a bit in recent years, at least among Manchester United fans, but this hilly, subtropical island remains the same pleasant, relaxed place as ever – as befits an old hand at the tourist game. Eminent Victorians came for a spot of relaxation, Winston Churchill regularly set up his easel near the pretty fishing village of Câmara de Lobos, and to this day middle-class Brits and Germans swarm genteelly to Madeira in winter.
The name Madeira might make you think of fortified wine and cake, but it actually means ‘wood’ in Portuguese. The island, 350 miles west of Morocco, was thickly forested when explorer João Gonçalves Zarco claimed it for Portugal in 1420. Today, after centuries of intensive cultivation by Portuguese, Flemish and Italian settlers, most of the riotously colourful plants in its parks are imported. Two-thirds of Madeira is a nature reserve, with stunning coastal and mountain landscapes.
You can hike along 1,000 miles of irrigation canals linking the wetter northern half to the south. The starting point of one two-hour walk into the mountainous interior is near Madeira’s most famous gardens, the Quinta do Palheiro Ferreiro (São Gonçalo, 291 793 044), open weekday mornings. Another walk of similar length links this with the public Botanical Gardens (Caminho do Meio, Funchal, 291 211 200/6), which offers a fine introduction to both indigenous and exotic flora.
There’s enough in and around the capital, Funchal, to keep sightseers busy for a few days, starting with the cathedral (Sé), one of several churches on Manueline (Portuguese Gothic) lines. The nearby Cidade do Açúcar museum (Praça do Colombo 5, 291 236 910, closed Sat & Sun) focuses on the early sugar trade. Ranged around the main square, Praça do Município, are the 18th-century Câmara Municipal, or town hall; the Museu de Arte Sacra (Rua do Bispo 21, 291 228 900, closed Mon), with its priceless collection of Flemish paintings; and the Igreja do Colégio, a 17th-century church lined with traditional ceramic tiles.
On a bluff west of Funchal is the Jardim de Santa Catarina park, site of the official residence of the regional president. Prestigious hotel Reid’s Palace (see below) marks the start of the hotel zone; beyond that is Praia Formosa, Funchal’s only proper beach, with black volcanic sand.
Four miles north-east of Funchal is Monte, a pretty hill-top town whose church is a site of pilgrimage. Most visitors go up by cable car and descend as bizarre tradition dictates: in giant wicker baskets pushed by drivers wearing straw boaters.
• Tourist information: Avenida Arriaga 18, Funchal (291 211 900, www.madeiratourism.org).
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