Lonely Planet Pocket Madeira (Travel Guide)

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Dating from the 1930s, these see-and-be-seen public baths were renovated in 2016 and now offer two saltwater swimming pools (with direct sea access, so you can choose to hit the ocean as well) and all the infrastructure needed to while away a day. Highlights of the outdoor life include the glass-bottom lookout at Cabo Girão, which sits atop one of the highest sea cliffs in the world and the mountain-strewn landscape at Pico do Arieiro (1818m).

The Americans got a taste for Madeira wine after it was collected and distributed during trade-route stopovers. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. The old route was the island's most dramatic and scenic road, the barely car-wide strip of tarmac clinging to the side of cliffs and splashed by waterfalls and waves.When it comes to mains, meat lovers can sink their teeth into espetadas (beef cubes speared with a bay leaf twig) and wine-marinated pork carne de vinho e alhos, while fish lovers can go for espada, or scabbardfish. Road number 101 once struck fear into the heart of every Madeiran driver until it was retired to Room 101 by the modern VE2. Looking for a comprehensive guide that recommends both popular and offbeat experiences, and extensively covers all of Madeira's neighbourhoods?

If you arrange a highly-recommended 4WD tour with Adventure Land Madeira, you can knock these and plenty more out in a single day. Located in a revamped, elevated port space once part of the Nossa Senhora da Conceição fortress, a meal here offers stupendous ocean and Funchal views only bested by the Miguel Laffan-designed menu. If you want to explore outside the city, head to the countryside where you can find relaxing vacations at rural tourism houses, surrounded by mountains and forests or nestled in deep valleys: look for accommodation in places like Curral das Freiras or Santana.This happy accident caused the wines to oxidize, giving them an entirely new and desirable set of flavors and aromas. For those looking for more of a challenge, consider the trails that summit Pico do Areeiro and Pico Ruivo, the latter the island’s highest point, and a route that occasionally goes above the cloudline. Today, seven houses on Madeira make fortified wines in this style, nearly all of whom offer tours and tastings. Get more travel inspiration, tips and exclusive offers sent straight to your inbox with our weekly newsletter .

Admire Se cathedral, wander awe-struck through Quinta das Cruzes Museum and Museu de Arte Sacra and hike the Levada paths; all with your trusted travel companion. I will be using buses and liked that lots of info is given even where to find the main central bus stops. Much of the local rum makes its way into poncha, a drink that combines white rum, orange and/or lemon juice and honey and/or sugar, which is then whipped to a frothy consistency with a special wooden tool. Spend a night discovering the bars and restaurants of Zona Velha, ascend to Monte on a cable car, and explore Quinta das Cruzes- all with your trusted travel companion. Pearl of the Atlantic, island of eternal spring…Madeira well deserves its fanciful nicknames and the affection visitors and locals alike feel for this tiny volcanic island that offers so much.

Explore to exotic botanical gardens, admire the Monte view and enjoy a beach day at Porto Santo; all with your trusted travel companion. Important Notice: The digital edition of this book may not contain all of the images found in the physical edition. A tradition dating back 100 years, Madeirans came up with a unique way to commute down into Funchal from the steep mountainous slopes of Monte village. The Teleférico das Achadas da Cruz, on the island’s northwest corner, is 600m long, lasts five minutes and is one of the steepest cable cars in Europe. Downing a couple of glasses of this extremely potent punch at a local poncha tavern, like Mercearia da Poncha in Funchal, is one of Madeira's best and booziest times.

Dubbed the “pearl of the Atlantic”, Madeira — an island located about 670 miles (1078 km) off the Portuguese coast ⁠— has plunging green valleys and tranquil ocean bays that help it live up to the name. The market has a particular emphasis on drinks, with vendors selling pitchers of poncha, local cider, and even boozy coffee drinks, all of which are paired with dentinhos – snacks that can range from deep-fried pork rinds to a tiny salad of favas.Originally used to shift goods and crops, today Madeira’s cable cars also transport tourists and day-trippers. Traversing the island's Unesco-recognised laurisilva forest via these levadas is one of best ways to experience Madeira's wondrous natural setting. I love digging into regional food and the Sunday market in Santo António da Serra, a mountaintop village in the island’s east, is Madeira’s culinary scene in miniature. In general, and especially outside of the relatively wet period between November and February, rain is only an occasional concern on Madeira. Consider a night in Funchal to get oriented, and supplement this with stays in one or two more destinations elsewhere on the island – dedicate a day to active pursuits and, ideally, the following day to recover on the beach.