 PORTUGAL
Madeira Island has two paradises
:
Reid's Palace and spectacular golf
 What to see
There is a lot to see and to do in Madeira from natural
to cultural sites. Taxis are very convenient for short drives particularly in the city
where traffic is intense and parking difficult. But it as easy to hire and drivea car for
visiting the island.
- Monte is one of the first places to
go. Nowadays a modern cable car has replaced the former steam train and takes tourists in
15 minutes to the breathtaking beauty of his 600 metres high hills covered with lush green
vegetation where luxurious "quintas" take place in large parks.
- The old city of Funchal has been
renovated in respect of his old characters and it is pleasant to walk quietly along the
old streets and through the Praça de Municipio visiting the cathedral, museums, gardens
or the very typical market with his large variety of vegetables, flowers and local
handicrafts. Go and visit one of the local embroidery houses, have a look at the Wine
Museum to learn how Madeira's wine is made and have a drink at one of the terraces on the
avenida das Communidades Madeirenses along the harbour where large cruising boats unload
their thousand passengers. An old renovated Caravela from Columbus time
departs regularly to take tourists on an island round tour.
- Camara de Lobos is a picturesque city
which has attracted Winston Churchill who spent hours on a balcony of a local bar which
wears his name, painting the fishers' harbour and the cape Girao. Some of his paintings
can be seen at the Reid's Palace where he was staying.
- The São Vicente Caves dazzling walk
through the "entrails" of the earth... They are located on the left side of São
Vicente's riverside, on a place called Pé de Passo. Of volcanic origin, they are composed
by a series of lava tubes, resulting of an eruption that happened 400 thousand years ago.
This complex of "volcanic tunnels" presents a development of over 1000 m, and so
far it's the biggest in Madeira Island.
- Since 1960, the Botanical Garden,
located 3 km from the centre of Funchal, at Quinta do Bom
Successo, has more than 2000 plants. It belongs to the government
and apart from being a beautiful place of leisure, it is also
a Science and Culture Centre.
Throughout the gardens visitors can find indigenous and endemic plants exclusively from
Madeira and other Atlantic Islands like the Azores, Canaries and Cape Verde.
- Jardim Orquídea is a private garden
dedicated to orchids only. The firm was founded in Austria during the time of the Imperial
monarchy and since then four generations of the founder family have dedicated themselves
to research and the creation of new species of a wide variety of plants. In Madeira they
have created a natural jungle of orchids and exotic plants.
- For those who like big game fishing or whale
watching, fully equipped boats for all sport fishing requirements are ready to
cruise the bountiful waters of Madeira for record size Blue Marlin and Tuna (from May to
October)..
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