Back in January of this year I travelled to Madeira to hook up with my family, and escape the Canadian winter blues. A beautiful small Portuguese volcanic island, situated far off the coast of Africa in the Atlantic ocean, it made for a pleasant temperature swap of -17 centigrade to +17… not bad for the middle of January!
Wikipedia describe it as a “a popular year-round resort, being visited every year by about one million tourists, noted for its Madeira Wine, flowers, landscapes and embroidery artisans”.
My trip was only 5 days in duration, and whilst the weather was wonderfully warm, the season for the island to fully flourish with flowers was still some months away. Regardless, I hope you can get a small sense of the dynamic landscape, rock formations, and how the inhabitants have made the most of the sometimes quite harsh terrain.
In some areas hotels flourish like weeds, and mankind has built to an amazing density…
Funchal, the captial and main port of the island
In many areas there is a clash of “old” and new, but with a landscape so rugged people have to hang on to what piece of land they can get…
Looking down from the cliff top! Vereda da Achada do Calhau
The view from Cape Girao
A little too close?
“Scabbard” fish, a local delicacy, caught from way down below usual fishing nets. It actually tastes a lot better than it looks!
Communication towers, from one of the highest points on the island. Very windy.
“The Old Man and his Dog” rock formation
In conclusion I’d say Madeira is well worth a visit, the people are warm just like the climate, the landscape rugged and exciting, and the local cuisine delicious. Check it out, you might be surprised
Please check my portfolio site for more shots of Portugal and Madeira, and also this article on Lisbon and the Algarve
