The island of Madeira belongs to Portugal and is about 1.5 hours from Lisbon via plane. It is known for its subtropical climate, with what is called microclimates at the different elevations. This means it could be sunny and warm by the waterfront and as you go to different towns just above the water, it could be cold rainy, or sunny. Madeira is known for its wine flora
I had five full days in Maderia and enjoyed every minute, It was refreshing as everyone was polite. cyclist ride on the street and the cars don’t honk the horn to get out of the way and when at a crosswalk the cars stop immediately
It’s very it’s very hilly, lush and beautiful. It’s very laid back. People are so polite, it’s refreshing. You can be people riding their bikes and no one’s talking to horns and if you stand in the street to cross it all the car stops you can cross at the crosswalk. It’s just totally amazing. But getting around it takes a little longer getting from point A to point B because it’s hilly. The roads are very tiny, like with one lane on each side, sometimes going up the hill. So it takes a little longer because you’re curving along but they have built some tunnels which make it a little faster. So there are a lot of tunnels but it makes a little faster.
After landing at the Maderia Cristiano Ronaldo. At the airport, I was met by my preplanned transport and taken to my hotel in Funchal the Allegro adult-only hotel.
. It was a long day. I had dinner at Lareira Portuguesa restaurant, which is on. Tv. do Valente No 7 It was a seafood restaurant.
I had the black scabbard fish which is very popular in Maderia and taste like haddock, it was delicious.
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on my first full day, I walked to the main area of Funchal about 30 minutes from my hotel to downtown and I got on bus 31 which took me to the Botanical Gardens. The Gardens have a lot of flowers and are very well-kept
From the Botanical Gardens I took the cable to Monty I saw the Madeira Botanical Gardens. The cost was 15 euros to get in and included a wine sampler at the end. The palace was closed because it’s old but the grounds are large. and amazingly full of different gardens, plants, and the Mineral Museum. After this, I took the cable car back down to Funchal and walked back to the hotel. It is a very straightforward walk to the hotel, just follow the path and you get back to where you started. And if you want you can follow the upper road or the lower road you so get back to where you want. I had dinner at Casa Velha on Rue Imperatriz Dona Amelia 69 which was a Michelin-star restaurant in 2018 Michelin A restaurant I had the tuna steak which was delicious
The next day was an early start to see the sunrise above the clouds and to hike to Pico Ruivo. I organized this early morning trip with Viator and picked up at 0550 The trip was originally to start from Pico de Arieiro to Poco Ruivo but due to a landslide we started in Do Teixeira
The sun rising above the clouds did not disappoint. It was amazing
I didn’t know it was so beautiful. The sun came out at about 0740 And then we started the 2.3-kilometer walk what seemed like a much more hike to Pico Ruivo the highest point in Madeira. The steps /hike is pretty straightforward there are some steps, but you have to just keep going up and follow the path.
Stone like pavement
From the top view, the day was lovely because when the sun came out you could have a wonderful view but it was very cold in the morning. needed to.
After I got back to the hotel, which is in the center of town, I went to Brandy” winery one of the oldest wineries in town, and did a tour and a sample of a five-year-old and a Malay not bad and back to the hotel. Dinner was at the Santa Maria Restaurant Hotel. I had Portuguese steak with potatoes, bread, and wine
new paragraph about 23 euros
dinner was at the Santa Maria Restaurant hotel. I had Portuguese steak with
potatoes, bread, and wine which is about 23 years old
The next day was a leisurely day with a walk down to the front waterfront and a visit to a few winerie
• I visited Borges which is on route 31 de Janeiro. 83. it has some old wines the 15-year-old was the best they all have some sweetness to then
and some of them are a little dry, but they’re all kind of nice.
• Pierre de Oliveira, which is on Rue dos Ferreiros is a big place with a lot of tables. And yet again the older the wines the better
Then off to the main drag quick sandwich at the Funchal Cafe with street entertainment then back to the hotel hotel. Dinner was at the Gaviao Nova on the route of Santa Maria 31. This is one of the top seafood restaurants the fish was delicious. I had the mixed first fish dish which was scabbard, cod, and fish which was served with potatoes and vegetables
again, it was delicious that came to like maybe 35 Canadian let me tell you for all that fish you wouldn’t get that price in Toronto. This restaurant is by the cable cars and there are a lot of restaurants in that area.
started the day at 830 with Viator tour Enhance Porto Moniz We had a few stops on the way and it was actually by Green Devil we had a few stops on the way This trip was in a 4×4 Jeeps which we needed because they took us on some off-road tours and I am not sure they were the most direct routes took us on but it was an adventure with beautiful scenery with spectacular views of Paul da Serra, Serra de Agua, Ginjas, Tabu amazing view front and top of the mountain, Ponta Do Sol in the clouds and the Park Florestal with the trees and the clouds
and you’re actually in the clouds and then we’re off to Porto Montz. The natural spring pools from the lava rock saltwater pool created by the lava Foundation. The color of the water is blue-green. It was amazing.
One thing I learned today is that the Madeira does have landslides as it’s kind of Rocky. A couple on the trip had to evacuate from their hotel because the rocks were falling down and that they were staying at had to be evacuated so that’s why sometimes they have to make alternatives and do things.
Dinner tonight was at this Chalet. Vincente Estrade Monumental 238 which is close to my hotel’s always packed when you walk by at night The food was delicious. I had beef on a secure it was delicious and fries and a glass of wine of course. Maybe $47 Canadian
Thursday the 22nd was my last full day of Madeira. I took the public transit bus number 56 to Santana to see the traditional houses that you see all over the magazines. This took about an hour and a half. And it costs 4.20 euros each way.The reason it takes so long as I have said earlier you have to go up the winding roads and back and again. The roads are curvy and the bus drivers did an amazing job, driving up and down the hills because they’re very narrow two lanes in part and driver know how to reverse town. The town of Santana is very small to walk around ,you see the traditional houses . have been turned into artisan shops. There’s a cable car ride that you can do but I didn’t bother to do that. And there restaurants. the and bus ride to and from had Santana had spectacular views as you were going up on around the mountain. The weather changes as you’ll be in the cloudy then it’ll be sunny and vis versa . When I got back I had lunch a quick lunch at Santa Maria Santa Maria Street at the center at the restaurant Comtradicos I had delicious fish soup
