Category Archives: Madeira

Discover the most fascinating locations in Madeira!

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For people who enjoy the great outdoors and a blend of culture, history and leisure, Madeira, an island renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty, is an ideal destination.

1. Funchal
Funchal, the capital of Madeira, is home to a variety of interesting historical monuments, lively markets and verdant gardens.
You can tour the Sé Cathedral or the vibrant Mercado dos Lavradores, visit the Monte Palace Tropical Garden and ride the cable car for breathtaking vistas.

2. Pico de Arieiro
At 1,818 meters (5,965 feet), one of Madeira’s highest summits, Pico do Arieiro provides stunning panoramic views of the island’s untamed environment.
Hiking trails abound, including the well-known trek to the highest peak, Pico Ruivo.

3. Levada Walks
Madeira is renowned for its levadas, which are historic irrigation channels converted into lovely walking routes.
Numerous pathways spanning hundreds of kilometers wind through verdant forests, across cascading waterfalls and beside steep alpine terrain.

4. Cabo Girão Skywalk
Known as one of Europe’s tallest sea cliffs, Cabo Girão provides an exhilarating experience with its glass skywalk that offers a dizzying perspective of the Atlantic Ocean below.
It’s an absolutely unforgettable view, you cannot miss it!

5. Porto Moniz Natural Pools
Swimming in Porto Moniz’s natural lava pools, which are situated in the island’s northern region, is an unusual and revitalizing experience.
The ocean naturally fills the seawater pools, creating a lovely environment for leisure.

These locations highlight Madeira’s varied terrain, which varies from mountains to the sea, making it an excellent choice for both leisure and adventure.
Enjoy the most thrilling times in Madeira with your loved ones, and don’t hesitate to use Madeira Transfers services for exceptional, outstanding transfers and Funchal Car Hire for car rentals at any time!

 


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Enjoy the most beautiful moments in Madeira!

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1. Monte Toboggan
The Madeira Botanical Garden has a view of Funchal. When you’re done exploring these gardens, you don’t have to go down the stairs by yourself. In its stead, you may experience the Monte Toboggan Run.
Nobility have been using this kind of transportation extensively since the mid-1800s. At the top, you’ll find a wicker basket with two seats that slides down the mountain on wooden runners.
The basket will be pushed and directed by two guys dressed in the traditional all-white outfit, complete with a straw hat and rubber shoes that act as brakes!

2. The caves of Sao Vicente
The Sao Vicente Caves were created by a volcanic explosion around 890,000 years ago. The inside of the lava flow took longer to cool than the exterior. Numerous lava tubes were produced as a result, and since the 1990s, several of these have been accessible to the public.
Walking through these amazing underground caves and seeing the Volcano Center are included in the ticket charge. This excellent set of displays explains more about the geological formation of Madeira’s amazing terrain and volcanic activity.

3. The natural pools of Porto Moniz
Located near the island’s northwest tip lies Porto Moniz, a popular location for its delicious honey and sugar cane cake. You should explore the area’s natural pools in addition to the bakeries.
The water in these naturally occurring swimming pools comes from the sea and was created by the cooling of volcanic lava. Since the pool’s salt water is constantly changing, you’re swimming in brand-new water. You can utilize the facilities, which include showers and lockers, even though the pools are natural.

4. Pico Ruivo
Pico Ruivo is Madeira’s tallest peak, rising to a height of 1862 meters. It is accessible on foot by following a designated trail. There are two options: the easiest to get to takes two hours, while the more difficult one takes four to six hours.
Once at the top, you’ll be treated to a breathtaking panorama of Madeira Island and the neighboring peaks. It takes one hour to drive from Funchal to the hike’s beginning location.

5. Monte Palace Gardens
The hilltop location of Monte Palace Gardens offers a view of Funchal Bay. Take a charming cable car ride to the top of the hill to explore the gardens’ impressive tile collection, unique Asian patterns, rich biodiversity, and fascinating museum.
Originally a stunning mansion from the eighteenth century, the garden was eventually converted into an opulent hotel. José Berardo, a Madeiran businessman, bought the hotel in the 1980s to realize his vision of a tropical public park. The climate of Madeira makes it possible for both native and exotic plants to flourish in a garden.
Wander around the grounds and take in the tile collection set among the lush tropical plants. These tile fragments, which are mostly from the 15th to 20th century, were collected from churches, palaces and private homes.

Enjoy the most beautiful moments in Madeira, always relying on Madeira Transfers, for easy and high quality taxi services and unique moments with your family and friends!

 


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Enjoy the most fascinating March events in Madeira!

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Madeira presents a wide range of events in March 2024 that celebrate the arrival of spring and the island’s rich cultural legacy. There are a lot of modern celebrations mixed in with traditional ones this month.

1. Bitcoin Madeira- 1st- 3rd March
The first “Bitcoin Atlantis” conference will take place in Funchal, Madeira Island, Portugal, from March 1st to March 3rd.
The three-day professional event will take place at the Barreiros Stadium (Estádio do Marítimo) and approximately 5,000 professionals from all around the world are expected to attend.
The event will feature over a hundred speakers, including well-known figures from the global high-tech sector.

2. Book Fair- 1st- 10th March
The annual Funchal Book Fair is a week-long event that takes place in the beautiful jacaranda trees of Avenida Arriaga every year.
Explore the displays showcasing local bookshops and Portuguese publishing firms, or take part in literary seminars, book launches, poetry readings, children’s activities, exhibitions and live music events.
There’s a great selection of books for every age!

3. Ori Porto Santo- 2nd- 3rd March
There will be a pedestrian orienteering competition named Ori Porto Santo on the picturesque island of Porto Santo. The Clube de Montanha do Funchal is hosting the event and two courses within qualify competitors for the Madeira Pedestrian Orienteering Cup.
The participants can choose between the Easy Open and Medium Open courses, which are perfect for beginners or those looking for leisure time. The event is being organized in cooperation with the Municipality of Porto Santo and other orienteering associations.

4. Madeira Music Festival XXXVII- 2nd-3rd March, 8th-10th March, 15th-17th March and 23 rd March
The Madeira Music Festival is set to return in March 2024, supported by the Madeira Classical Orchestra and renowned violinist Norberto Gomes.
The Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Culture, a significant promoter for over thirty years, will now support the event, which was last held in 2015. A diverse range of well-known domestic and international performers alongside emerging talent guarantees an incredible ten days at the festival.
On March 2 at 21:00 in the Funchal Cathedral, the Madeira Classical Orchestra will play the opening concert of the XXXVII Madeira Music Festival.

5. The Race for Earth Hour
In connection with the global Earth Hour campaign, Madeira hosts an occasion known as the Earth Hour Funchal Race.
Usually held in Funchal, the capital city of Madeira, this event aims to raise public awareness of environmental issues and the importance of sustainable living.
Walking and running are common physical activities that participants usually conduct in the evening or at night in observance of Earth Hour, a worldwide event in which lights are turned off as a show of support for the environment.
This event combines physical activity with environmental awareness to bring the community together for a cause.

Enjoy wonderful moments and events in Madeira with your friends and family, always counting on Madeira Airport Transfer, which provides high quality and reliable transfers, for unforgettable adventures and memories!

 


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Enjoy the most beautiful winter holiday in Madeira!

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1. Enjoy the Christmas lights
The Christmas lights display will run from December 1st through January 7th, from 18:00 to 1:00.
There’s no better way to kick off the holiday season than with Funchal’s official light turn on on December 1st.
Static displays, a kid-friendly winter wonderland in the municipal park, cabins offering an abundance of delicacies and live performances by choirs, folklore groups and philharmonic bands abound in the capital.
This year, Praça do Povo and Praia Formosa beaches will host bumper cars, carousels, rides and circus acts, offering enjoyable family entertainment.

2. Savor the Market Nights
Popular events known as “Market Nights” are held in and around each municipality’s local markets, where seasonal goods like flowers, exotic fruits, candies and liqueurs are typically offered.
The most well-known is the Mercado dos Lavradores Market Night in Funchal, which takes place on December 23rd. The market’s surrounding streets are congested with traffic this evening as people take advantage of the chance to socialize, dance, listen to live music and do their last-minute Christmas shopping.

3. Take part in “Missas do Parto”
Nine holy masses, known as the “Missas do Parto” are celebrated in anticipation of Jesus’ birth between December 16 and December 24 at the crack of dawn, usually between five and seven in the morning.
The masses are held in the churchyards, where there are traditional chants and a joyous ambiance. Both the faithful and guests are provided with refreshments. While the “Missas do Parto” are held at all the churches on the island, it’s recommended Sé Catedral, Igreja do Monte and Igreja de São Martinho.

4. Go see the scenes of nativity
The Madeiran people have long treasured the custom of displaying nativity scenes in their homes, churches and public areas. Nativity scenes can be classified as either “em rochinha” or “em escadinha.”
The latter mimics the island’s topography, featuring mountains, valleys, fajãs (flat areas close to the coast) and a cave that is decorated with fruits, houses, churches and nativity figures.
While nativity scenes can be found all over the island, it’s especially suggested visiting the ones at Jardim Municipal, Mercado dos Lavradores and Jardim Botânico.

5. Discover December New Year’s Eve fireworks
The 31st December New Year’s Eve firework display dazzles and excites spectators both domestically and internationally, capping up December and the year in a flood of color, excitement and music.
There will be 61 fireworks posts this year, five on the ocean, 25 on the city’s waterfront and 29 in the Funchal amphitheater. Each post will last eight minutes and include accompanying music.
This year’s new launching locations include the Amparo Garden (Jardim do Amparo), the Ponta Gorda Bathing Complex and the Praia Formosa Promenade and the area north of it. On Porto Santo Island, there will be two posts as well.

Enjoy the most beautiful winter holiday in Madeira with your family and friends, always relying on Madeira Airport Transfer for high quality and easy taxi services, for unforgettable adventures and precious memories!

 


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Discover Madeira’s top summer festivals and events!

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1. Funchal Fair, 24th July-29th July
These summer thematic fairs are organized into several categories and you will surely be amazed by the large variety of unique and special products you will find here, from jewelry and decorations, antiquities and books to delicious local gastronomic specialties.
These provide local artisans a more intimate method to display their creations in the Mercado dos Lavradores, a symbol and distinctive location in Madeiran history.
Don’t miss this original summer market, you will definitely fall in love with the unique products you’ll find here!


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Discover the upcoming festivals from Madeira!

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The volcanic Madeira archipelago, southwest of Portugal, is a year-round sanctuary for tourists and is known for Madeira wine, wickerwork baskets, and heart-pounding toboggan rides. The main island has high mountains, pebbly beaches, and charming harbor towns. It is also a well-liked port for cruise ships.


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Enjoy the delightful events and festivals of Madeira in January!

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Madeira is an event- and flower-filled island. Almost every month, an unusual event is held to the delight of both visitors and residents. Some of them are even well-known internationally, while others are just waiting for everyone who visits the stunning and mesmerizing Madeira to discover and enjoy them.


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Enjoy Madeira’s winter festival and events!

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With its numerous excellent natural beauty places, laid-back lifestyle, and the friendliest people you’ll ever meet, Madeira Island, often known as the Pearl of the Atlantic, is the ideal destination for a vacation. It boasts the best soft clear water, cleanest air, and rarest and most magnificent tropical fruits and veggies. You must try the excellent, rustic, traditional Madeiran cuisine, which combines Mediterranean and African flavors. It seems sense that nobody wants to leave this stunning uncharted island.


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Discover the most fascinating places from Madeira!

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The Portuguese island of Madeira, also known as the “Flower Island”, is a genuinely exceptional travel destination in the Atlantic. The spectacular mountain scenery, gorgeous rocky coasts, quaint villages, and astounding variety of tropical fruits, plants, and flowers are all found on this volcanic island.

1. Parque Natural da Madeira
The Madeira Natural Park is brimming with unusual vistas that you won’t find anywhere else in the world. It actually encompasses a significant portion of the island and is home to several threatened species.
To protect the natural features that contribute to Madeira’s stunning appearance, it was established a nature reserve. As long as you stay on the routes, you are free to travel wherever you like. You are only permitted to take two items because it is a wildlife reserve. Images and recollections.

2. Parque Florestal das Queimadas
The Queimadas Forest Park has a picnic area and is a good site to see the Laurissilva Forest’s vegetation.
You can admire the surrounding natural beauty of the Laurissilva Forest at Parque Florestal das Queimadas, which is situated in the Santana municipality.
The Queimadas shelter, which is housed in this area, preserves the traditional features of the older homes in Santana, as its lovely thatched roof.
This area offers numerous opportunities for leisurely strolls along unmatched-beauty levadas and trails that lead to various locations on the island, especially PR 9 – Levada do Caldeiro Verde (Queimadas – Caldeiro Verde – Caldeiro do Inferno) and the Vereda that provides access to Pico of the Stones.

3. Palheiro Gardens
What better place to view the best examples of Madeira’s flower-filled island than in a carefully maintained and landscaped environment? Madeira has one of the most consistent climates in the world, with the least amount of seasonal variation in temperature, rainfall, or daylight hours.
As a result, it creates the perfect growing environment when combined with rich volcanic soil. In Palheiro Gardens, you may even see some offerings that the original owner of the property planted.
No matter what time of year it is, there will be something blooming on the grounds. You can also choose to relax on the verdant lawns and consider how your day went.

4. Laurel Forest (Laurisilva)
This stunning subtropical forest has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its historical significance. It is the largest (and final) refuge of the Eurasian arboreal forest and is unquestionably one of the most beautiful sites to visit in Madeira.
The forest, which has unusual flora and animals including the long-toed pigeon and the uncommon Madeira Firecrest, takes its name from the evergreen kind of tree that calls it home.

5. Curral das Freiras (Valley of the Nuns)
The Valley of the Nuns, located in the center of Madeira, is a stunning example of geology, with its steep, rocky peaks rising over the nearby little settlement. Those with steely nerves can navigate the winding EN 107 road up through the rugged landscape to stop at Eira do Serrado and take in the beautiful vista of the valley at the Grande Curral, also known as the bellybutton of the island.

Come and visit Madeira, always relying on Madeira Airport Transfer for high quality taxi services for memorable experiences and wonderful memories with your family and friends!


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Enjoy the most beautiful winter Holidays in Madeira!

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Have you ever visited Madeira this time of the year?
Christmas is the most special event of the year, surrounded by special festivities, marvellous customs and beautiful traditions to be enjoyed by everyone.
Tourists all over the world come and join these special holidays together with their family and friends, enjoying the charming atmosphere which takes over Portugal and the surroundings, it’s mesmerizingly contagious, trust me!

The glowing streets from Funchal are absolutely astonishing! This magic time of the year brings the gorgeous decorative lights on Funchal’s streets, which get beautifully adorned with thousands of colorful lights, cheering up the entire community and atmosphere!
The arrival of the decorative lights in the streets of the city centre of Funchal, during the month of December, sets the beginning of the Madeira Christmas and End of the Year Festivities programme.
These festivities culminate with the famous fireworks show, officially registred in 2006 by the Guinness Book of Records, as the largest fireworks show in the world.

This is a special season for the Madeirans as traditions and customs are beautifully renewed. December is the month of the ‘Festa’, as the Madeirans call it. In addition to the dedication and intense activity of adorning the houses with the traditional “lapinhas” (cribs) and seasonal flowers, Madeirans also follow this very tradition of preparing typical Christmas delicacies, like honey biscuits, liqueurs or wine and garlic meat.
Before Christmas Day there are the birth masses, usually nine, which always attract many believers. At the end of these masses there is always a social gathering, where people share seasonal delicacies while singing Christmas Carols.

Market Night – 23rd December
The Market Night Party is a traditional celebration held on 23rd of December and lasting all night long. The famous Funchal market (Mercado dos Lavradores) and surrounding streets are filled with joyful people creating a real festive spirit, singing Christmas carols, dancing, enjoying special treats and drinks and having fun. All bars in the area are opened all night, serving traditional drinks and the special delicious sandwich “carne vinho alhos” wine and garlic meat, which is traditionally served during Christmas.

Christmas Midnight Mass – 24th December
Missa do Galo “Rooster’s Mass” is the celebration of the birth of Jesus, a traditional midnight mass celebrated in every Church on the island. The Midnight mass at Funchal’s Sé Cathedral is specially celebrated by the Bishop of Funchal, which is also televised.

The Firework Display – 31st December
Besides all the great celebrations throughout the month of December, the most wonderful part  is the preparations for the New Year. There’s an incredbile festive atmosphere and daily entertainment wherever you go. Decorations, lights and the festive mood take over Madeira, which is so splendidly rich in tradition and becomes even more remarkable during this time of the year.
The fireworks show lasts for about eight minutes and it’s spread by several fireworks stations in the Funchal amphitheatre, the waterfront, the city centre, the sea and one station on Porto Santo Island.

There are a lot of wonderful activities in Madeira this time of the year and there are plenty of good reasons to spend the whole festive season on Madeira Island, always relying on Funchal Low Cost Transfers and Funchal Car Hire for transfers and car rentals with the best conditions together with your family and friends!


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