It'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 for my flashlight. At 6.30am I install myself and my camera on top of one of the mountains around Pico Ruivo. The sky...
More 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 before, in 2016, 2014 and 2013. Congratulations Madeira! WORLD TRAVEL AWARDS These are the Oscars of the tourism industry. The winners of the World Travel Awards are chosen every year, mainly by tourism professionals and traveling agencies all around the...
Continuous 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 your vacation! A CHALLENGING LANDING Madeira airport is part of about every list of ‘world’s most dangerous’ airports, which is a dubious honor at best! The airport is surrounded by the ocean on one side and...
I 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 large. Madeira’s authorities even feared for the historic part of Fuchal. Funchals’ historic centre is surrounded by a large residential area. So if the fire is close...
