anemptytextllineWe enjoyed another canyoning! This time we were in Seixal area, at Pedra Branca. A beautiful canyoning, with lots of water and a great number of waterfalls and high abseils. This canyoning has a unique ending: during the last abseil you descend to sea. Check out the video below!
anemptytextllineSHORT WALK TO GARGANTA FUNDA LOOKOUT This is a short walk to the Garganta Funda waterfall at Ponta do Pargo. There are a lot of great lookouts on the west side of the island, and this is one of the best. See for yourself and enjoy the waterfall, rugged cliffs and ocean view at the end of this stroll. MIRADO...- anemptytextllineIt’s 5am when my alarm clock wakes me. Time to get out! I shuffle around my hotel room in the dark, splash some water in my face, grab my camera bag and get into the car. My destination: Achada do Teixeira. It’s still pitch dark when I arrive at Achada do Teixeira, so before I start my early morning hike to Pico Ruivo I search...
- anemptytextllineThe last thing you expect to see when you visit a beach, is a large collection of stone cairns. But in Madeira, you’ll find exactly that! Hundreds of stone piles, spread over the entire beach area. São Vicente beach is, like many Madeira beaches, a pebbled beach. But here in São Vicente, they made something beautiful and extraordina...
- anemptytextllineYou simply can’t miss it: this narrow street in downtown Funchal is incredibly colorful. I’m talking about Rua de Santa Maria, in old town Funchal (Zona Velha). The many restaurants and terrace umbrella aren’t what gives this street such a colorful appearance. It’s the Painted Doors Project. You’ll have a hard...
anemptytextllineI like to walk around Funchal. Stroll the boulevard or sit down on a bench at the ocean side to watch people doing their thing: I love it. My favorite part of Funchal is old town. The authentic old buildings and architecture, the vibe, people and the bustle: there’s much to see here and it’s never boring. Old town is like its o...
anemptytextllineDiscovering new places to have a coffee/drink/sandwich always makes us very happy. Especially when, apart from serving quality food and drinks, the place looks the part. So when during our last visit to Monte Palace Tropical Garden we discovered the nice looking Greenhouse Coffee Roaster, this was a very pleasant surprise! H...- anemptytextllineThe Atlantic Ocean around Madeira is the natural habitat of around twenty different species of dolphins and whales. Some of these species reside here all year round, and some are just passing through. This makes Madeira a great place to visit these cetaceans. We have made a trip like this several times, and it keeps on impressing me. It is...
anemptytextllineWe’ve been looking forward to this day all week. Today will be our very first coasteering trip. We had heard about this sport before, but never knew that the activity could also be done on Madeira. But hey, why not? Madeira seems perfect for this activity! Being such canyoning addicts, this was something we just had to try. Because: cliff ...
anemptytextllineMore and more travelers discover Madeira’s versatility and beauty. The tourist flow to Madeira has been growing for years. But tourists aren’t the only ones acknowledging Madeira as a great destination. The World Travel Awards crowned Madeira Europe’s Leading Island Destination 2017. A title the island has won 3 times bef...- anemptytextllineFor all of you who find it hard to decide, when confronted with a vast amount of delicious ice cream flavours: choosing just got even harder! But also, so much more fun! Why? At Geladaria Mil Salbores you can build your own ice cream! SO MUCH TO CHOOSE FROM STEP 1 Choose one of their base popsicles. They have a lot of...
anemptytextllineSleeping in during the holiday? Nope, rise and shine, cause today we’re going to Rota dos Cetáceos headquarters in Funchal to visit some very special Madeira residents. Let’s hop on a boat for some dolphin watching! This ocean boat tour starts with a short meeting in the office of Rota dos Cetáceos. Togeth...
anemptytextllineFor unique street wear and artwork: visit Walking Frame in Funchal! Owner Jorge Rosa designs exclusive artwork, which he sells in limited editions. He sells t-shirts and prints with his artwork and very unique lamps and smaller products like notebooks and buttons. Also, his designs have a message. They make you think about topics like our...
anemptytextllineOne of our favorite places in Funchal: Barreirinha Bar and Cafe. You’ll find it just outside of Zona Velha, at a quiet small square just past the church. Their terrace has a great direct view on the ocean below. A great spot to ‘chill’, while enjoying the views, a drink and a meal. Relaxed location: check! ...
anemptytextllineContinuous strong winds are causing chaos on Madeira airport. Since Saturday, 20.000 tourists have stranded on the island. While departing travelers are forced to spend the night at the airport, arriving planes are circling above Madeira because strong winds are interfering with a successful landing. Not really the best way to start or end...
anemptytextllineSummer is here! While most people en masse throw a bunch of burgers and sausages on the barbecue, in Madeira they eat espetada. Espetada is a traditional Madeiran dish, not to be confused with that other popular Madeira dish ‘espada’! Although these two dishes are very similar in name, they totally different. Espetada is a meat dish and es...
anemptytextllineAt the risk of sounding like a bore, we will tell you something about safety during the walks. Please don’t underestimate Madeira walking trails. Sadly, (fatal) accidents happen every year. So, safety first! OUR SAFETY TIPS FOR MADEIRA WALKS Check the conditions of the trails. Sometimes trails will be closed due to maintenance or landslide...
anemptytextllineMany tourists come to Madeira to enjoy the countless incredible views and the breath-taking nature. The ‘easiest’ way to discover Madeira seems to involve travel agencies. You’ll book a Madeira Island Tour, a touring bus will pick you up at your hotel and you’ll be able to see a lot of the island. Many of your fellow travelers from DEU, GB...- anemptytextllineThe Portuguese have a sweet tooth. On Madeira you’ll find countless little bakery shops and all these shops have windows chock-full pastries and cakes. One of Madeira’s oldest delicacies is ‘bolo de mel de cana’ or ‘honey cake’. This cake is traditionally made with Christmas, but you can buy it all year round. Traditionally, when people m...
- anemptytextllineIn case it wasn´t kind of obvious yet: “We love Madeira!” However……. What’s up with all those white tissues??? Everywhere and during every walk you’ll encounter mounts of them: tissues and toilet paper. In such big amounts you’d almost think they are a part of the island’s traditional party decorations. White tissues, carefully place...
anemptytextllineWhen travelling through Madeira, we encounter lots of cats: both strays and beloved house cats, during walks in the middle of nowhere and in cities and villages. Being the cat lover I am, I always try to photograph the cats we run into. Easier said then done, cause cats aren’t known for their posing skills. But here they are: cats of...- anemptytextllineOne of the world’s most famous soccer players, Cristiano Ronaldo, was born and raised on Madeira. His family still lives on Madeira and he visits the island very often. In Funchal, you’ll find a museum and a statue dedicated to Madeira’s famous former resident. Nowadays, Funchal also has its own Cristiano Ronaldo hotel. In summer 2016, Ro...
- anemptytextllineDuring our first visit to Madeira, our hotel served pastel de nata every other day at breakfast. It was love at first taste! After my first pastel de nata, my trip to the breakfast buffet was not complete without grabbing one, or two of these pastries. In my defense: they served mini pastel de nata. Unfortunately we were never again so luc...
anemptytextllineBolo do caco: typical Madeiran food! You will find bolo do caco in practically all restaurants on Madeira and at many street food stands. SO WHAT IS IT, BOLO DO CACO? It is a Madeiran flat bread. The bread, bolo, is cooked on a caco: a hot basalt stone, thus the name. This bread is served in many delicious ways. Essential is homemade garl...
anemptytextllineWhen we first visited Madeira, we already encountered a lot of these: stores selling products made entirely out of cork. A few years later, it seems more and more of these stores are popping up around Madeira. Apparently, cork products sell! To be honest, if you would have asked my opinion about this material a few years ago, I would have ...
anemptytextllineIt is Rio de Janeiro’s best-known attraction: the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The world famous Christ statue is visited by more than a million (!) people each year. This statue is enormous: with its 30m height, it’s one of the largest Christ statues in the world. At this very moment, during the Rio Olympics, it’s also featured in a lot ...- anemptytextllineI am so very sad to hear that Madeira is on fire…..again. The last few years, there have been several large fires on Madeira. In 2010, 2012, 2013 and now again, in 2016. During the 2010 fire, a large section of Funchal National Park was destroyed. The consequences of that fire are visible to this day. This current fire is again very la...
- anemptytextllineEvery time we visit Madeira I will look forward to seeing some local festivities somewhere on the island. Because Madeira decorations are the best! Since Madeira is quite big on festivities, I will often see the decorations I love somewhere. Lucky me. Most of the villages have their own religious celebrations. Besides the local festivities...
anemptytextllineWe are rather fond of Monte. Period. We visit Monte often. And still, once in a while, we will discover something new! For instance, during our last visit to Monte we found out that very close to the large and well known Monte Palace Tropical Garden, there is another large garden. It was actually quite stupid of us we never saw this before...- anemptytextllineBehind the market hall in the Zona Velha (old town) of Funchal you will find Armazém do Mercado. Coming from the old cobbled streets you will enter Armazém do Mercado and find yourself in hip, urban surroundings. This solemn, old building was recently renovated, and now looks very modern and attractive. In this building with courtyard, you...
anemptytextllineHidden in one of the many narrow streets of Funchal, you’ll come across one of the nicest cafes of the city. Behind a large stone gate on Rua dos Aranhas you’ll find a cozy courtyard and tiny cafe. We’re talking about Mercearia Dona Mécia. Since we’ve discovered this place, we’ve been totally hooked. We like ...
