PORTUGAL
Madeira Island has two paradises
:
Reid's Palace and spectacular
golf
by Rene Bourone
As many remote islands, Madeira's history
begins in 1419 as a penal colony such as Alcatraz or New Caledonia . Today, hotels and one
of the world's famous palaces, The Reid's, replace the penitential cells and, due to its
temperate climate, golfers play year around on two spectacular courses.
Madère, February 2002 -
In fact, the generous and flourishing nature and the
scenery has attracted rapidly a different clientele. Early tourists were the passengers of
the great ocean going liners. Madeira was an important cooling station, The island also
welcomed its share of exiles from Napoleon who stopped off on his way to St.Helena, to
Charles Archduke of Austria, the last of the Habsburg Emperors who died, and was buried,
in Monte.
In 1891 with the opening of the world very famous Reid's
Palace, the new generation of Madeira's "degradados" bear aristocratic (Prince
or Princess, Duke and Baroness…) or illustrious names: George Bernard Shaw, Marconi
or Winston Churchill.
Today tourists come mostly, in winter from Northern
countries, to find some sun, and peace and quiet, and in summer months from the countries
of Southern Europe, where people come to escape the searing heat and their own tourist
influx. The majority is arriving by the regular flights from the Portuguse airline TAP,
landing softly on the Funchal airport, which is a spectacular artwork built along the
island as the platform on a plane carrier vessel. Others, as an echo to the past, arrive
by ship at Funchal harbour which is a favoured stop for Atlantic cruising routes.
And the 45 holes of spectacular golf courses make it a
year round destination for golftrotters.
 Where to play ?
What to see
?
Where to stay
?
Information
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The Reid's dominates the
Madeira Bay
TAP's Airbus landing on the
 spectacular
Funchal airport
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