Madeira, Portugal Tourist Information, a guide to the Madeira in Portugal.

Madeira Tourist Information - Portugal

Madeira island is 310 miles from the African coast and 620 miles from the European continent, which is the equivalent of a 1 hour 30 minute flight from Lisbon. Here in the Atlantic Ocean, not too far from the centre of Europe, we find the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo. The archipelago is famous for its friendly people, exceptional natural beauty and mild climate. Madeira Islands are just a short trip from Europe, to a destination where you can combine holidays on the beach, in the mountains or in the city. Madeira and Porto Santo are the ideal places to relax and restore the balance of mind and body that you need to face the stress of daily life.

Madeira is also very famous for its natural environment, where the most important feature is the Laurissilva Forest, a relic of the Tertiary Age, which has been classified by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site. It is no less well known for its year-round outdoor sports.
The island’s mild climate and a water temperature that never goes below 17ºC mean that you can be on the go all the time. Its traditions and customs, visible in its old buildings, museums and churches and even in regional products like its wine and embroidery, have lasted for centuries and deserve your very special attention. Porto Santo is 40 km from Madeira and is quite simply heaven on earth! This island, with a 9 kilometre beach of golden sand washed by warm, crystalline waters is the ideal refuge for a quiet, relaxing holiday. As for the uninhabited Deserts and Selvagens Islands, take a trip there and, in a few hours, you will get to know some of the rarest fauna and flora on the planet.
The Desertas Islands are about 22 miles southwest of Funchal and have been made a biogenetic reserve, which, today, is that last Atlantic refuge of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), the rarest seal in the world. The Selvagens Islands are made up of two groups of small islands, Selvagem Grande and Selvagem Pequena, and are about 180 miles from Madeira. These islands also have a nature reserve, where we can find some of the rarest flora on the planet. They are also considered a bird sanctuary because of their ideal nesting conditions for sea birds.

These islands, because of their privileged geographical position and mountainous relief, have a surprisingly mild climate. Very mild average temperatures, 22ºC in the summer and 16ºC in the winter, and a moderate level of humidity, confer upon these islands exceptional subtropical features. The seawater temperature is also very mild, because of the influence of the warm Gulf current, presenting averages of 22ºC in the summer and 18º in the winter.

Funchal is the capital of the archipelago is on Madeira’s south coast, in a beautiful bay washed by the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean and surrounded by tall, green mountains and deep valleys. Caniço is an important tourist centre about 10 km from the Madeiran capital. It has the typical hustle and bustle of a small town and the seaside area in Caniço de Baixo is a real holiday resort. On Madeira’s east coast each place has its own, different landscape. Here we can find scenery ranging from the lonely aridness of Ponta de São Lourenço in Caniçal to the tall, verdant summits of Machico and Santo da Serra. The west coast is the sunniest part of Madeira. Washed by the warm, limpid sea, most places have attractive bathing areas tempting you in for a swim. Surfers will find some of the best waves in Europe at the beaches of Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar. Untouched nature is the main feature of Madeira’s north coast. Here we find high mountains and deep valleys full of a wide variety of fauna and flora belonging to the Laurissilva Forest, a relic of bygone ages that has been declared a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. The best ways of getting to know the north coast include rambling through the forest, enjoying the landscapes that seem to plunge into the sea or cooling down in the natural swimming pools. Just a short distance away from Madeira is one of the most beautiful, paradisiacal islands in the world, Porto Santo! It is very different from Madeira in spite of the fact that it is so close. Nine kilometres of beach washed by a calm, limpid, deep-blue sea are its main attraction. It is known as the “golden isle”, because of its arid landscape full of warm shades of brown and yellow.

Holiday Apartments in Portugal Holiday Villas in Portugal

Holiday Villas with private swimming pools in Portugal

Portugal Tourist Information Map of Portugal Golf Courses in the Portugal

Albufeira Alentejo Lagos Vilamoura Azores Algarve Lisbon Northern Portugal Madeira

Portugal Useful Holiday Tips Portugal Holiday Extras Portugal Property Search

Sitemap Contact Us