Madeira: Introduction

Introducing a Strangely Detached Piece of Portugal

More Information than Anyone Wants

The Why

In February we were forced, for the second year running, to cancel our long-awaited visit to Costa Rica (see Not Going to Costa Rica), this time on the morning of departure. When Lynne was better, we booked a week in Madeira as a consolation, a journey in the same general direction, though not quite so far.

The Where

Portugal

Madeira

Madeira is a Portuguese Island in the Atlantic, 1,000km south west of Lisbon and 700km west of the Moroccan coast. The Azores (Portuguese), the Canary Islands (Spanish), Cabo Verde (once a Portuguese Colony but independent since 1975) and Madeira form the Macaronesia ecoregion of the Atlantic.

Where is Madeira?

The What

Despite the map above, Madeira is neither circular nor red. It measures 50km from east to west, 20km from north to south and rises to 1,861m (6,106 ft) at Pico Ruivo. It was once entirely forested (‘madeira’ means ‘wood’ in Portuguese) but the indigenous laurel forests now cover only the high ground.

Madeira

The island is home to 250,000 permanent residents, half of whom live in the capital, Funchal; like England, the southeast corner is densely populated. The climate is extraordinarily benign, making Madeira a twelve-month holiday destination attracting 1.5m tourists a year, and more cruise liners than you can shake a stick at. Hotels, restaurants and cafés have colonised the coastal strip from Central Funchal to the outskirts of Câmara de Lobos. It would be unkind to describe Madeira as ‘Benidorm for the older, slightly better off tourist’ but there is some truth in that. From my seat near the back of the plane I could see row upon row of grey heads, as though you had to be certified 65+ to buy a ticket. Being a volcanic island with many cliffs, the few beaches have either pebbles or black sand leaving Madeira unequipped for family beach holidays.

Funchal with two cruise ships in the harbour

Madeira is the main island of a  thinly spread archipelago.  Porto Santo,  43km northeast of Madeira and home to 5,000 people, is 12km long by 4km wide, and has a sandy beach 6km long. It is a favoured location for Madeirans seeking escape from the tourist infested summer on their own island.

The Ilhas Dersertas, two large and one smaller island stretch in a thin north-south line, starting 25km southeast of Funchal. They live up to their name, being rocky and largely free of vegetation. The only inhabitants are the wardens of the nature reserve covering the islands and surrounding waters.

As Ilhas Desertas

The Who

The Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of Madeira were two Portuguese sea captains called João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira. Blown off course by a storm in 1418 they were relieved to find a hitherto unknown island with a safe harbour. In gratitude they named it Porto Santo.

They returned two years later for a proper look and were disappointed to find the island arid and unsuitable for settlement (today’s population rely on a seawater desalination plant). With better weather than on their previous enforced visit, they observed a much larger island on the horizon.

A statue of João Gonçalves Zarco marks the centre of Funchal

That island had mountains to catch the clouds and trees to absorb the moisture. Water was present in abundance, all that was missing was flat land for farming. Settlement started around 1420 when Zarco and Teixeira returned with their families, a mixed group of gentry and others and a collection of convicts – well somebody had to do the hard work. Ground was cleared, terraces and irrigation canals created and Madeira’s population began to grow.

Tristão Vaz Teixeira in Machico, Madeira's first capital city. A drive-by snapping (the bus did not stop) straight into the sun!

Portuguese mariners like Zarco and Teixeira kicked off the ‘Age of Discovery’ which would last until the 17th century, but did they really discover Madeira? For centuries rumours, legends and tall tales had been told about islands out in the Atlantic; Romans, Greeks, Phoenicians, Arabs and Vikings must all have sailed past and occasionally landed. None ever settled or gave the island a name, so when the two captains claimed Madeira for Portugal there was no-one to dispute it and no-one else who could claim the discovery.

The Other Who of Madeira

There is another ‘who’ it is difficult to avoid on Madeira. Cristiano Ronaldo is, according to some the greatest living Madeiran. Madeira airport is known as Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, a Funchal museum is dedicated to his exploits, his face leers down from the back of buses and at a miradouro in eastern Funchal the first thing the guide pointed out was his birthplace. On the 5th of February 1985, he told us, a bright star hung in the sky over the Funchal suburb of Santo António.

The red apartment block (ringed) is on the site of the building where Cristiano Ronaldo was born.
He received his first communion at the church of St Anthony, opposite

I would not say it out loud in Madeira, but I am not a Cristiano Ronaldo fan. Yes, he is extravagantly talented, but I dislike his arrogant and self-centred approach to the game, I prefer Lionel Messi. I may never be able to return to Madeira now.

17-Apr-2023

We Arrive

Madeira (Cristiano Ronaldo International) Airport

Madeira airport was built across a headland with a back drop of cliffs and mountains. It opened in 1964, with two 1,600 m runways, steep drop-offs on both sides, water before and after, and cliffs close by. The approach from the north with a tail wind involves flying over the São Lourenço peninsula at the island's eastern extremity, passing the airport while over the sea, then doing a sharp about turn towards the mountains and dropping swiftly onto the runway. The airport is frequently closed because of cross winds. The runway, much of it perched on pillars above the coastal road, has been lengthened twice, and is now a more comfortable 2,700m, but Madeira is still regarded as the ninth most dangerous airport in the world and the third most dangerous in Europe. We survived (as did all 4m passengers who arrived last year).

Driving under the runway, Madeira Airport

The Lido District

A transfer arranged by the airline whisked us to Funchal and thence to our hotel in the Lido district, 2.5km west of Funchal centre, where we could check-in but not have our keys until 2 o’clock. We strolled down to the front. Funchal has no beaches but there is an open-air salt water swimming pool, the Lido, set in a rocky promontory. We studied restaurants menus for the evening, watched some people jumping or diving into the sea from wall (just left of the picture below) and lunched on beer and a toastie at one of the cafés.

Near the Lido, Funchal

That filled in the time nicely, so we returned to the hotel, took possession of our room and photographed the view from our ninth floor balcony.

The Lido District of Funchal

Then, as we had risen at silly o’clock to catch a 07.30 flight from Birmingham, we had nap. It is what we old people do.

We awoke in time to see the cruise ship AIDAperla, carrying up to 4,350 passengers, bearing down on Funchal.

The AIDAperla approaches Funchal

Later we walked to our selected restaurant and enjoyed an excellent meal. I ate black scabbard fish and Lynne had salt cod. We worked hard during our stay to eat as many typical Madeiran dishes as possible and instead of describing them here, I have collected them all in one post Madeira: Eating and Drinking.

After dinner we sat on our balcony, had a nightcap and took and another picture of the view.

The Lido district of Funchal

Madeira

Introduction
Part 1: A First Look at Central Funchal
Part 2: Mercado and Monte Palace Gardens
Part 3: Funchal to Santana
Part 4: Eira do Serrado and Câmara de Lobos
Part 6:Eating and Drinking