Madeira is essentially a group of islands (two of which are inhabited), which are actually located closer to Africa (335 miles) than to mainland Europe (670 miles), giving the islands an enviable year-round warm climate.


The Desertas and Selvagens islands in the group are nature reserves and uninhabited, while the island of Porto Santo is located almost 30 miles north of the main island of Madeira itself, with the two inhabited islands both being home to an airport to make travelling between them quick and easy.


Getting to Madeira from the mainland is simple and affordable, with regular direct flights from both Lisbon and Porto operated by a number of airlines including low-cost carrier Ryanair and easyJet. This means that there is no excuse not to include Madeira in your itinerary when you visit Portugal!


The location of Madeira between Europe and Africa means that it benefits from a remarkably mild year-round climate with average temperatures ranging between 75ºF in the summer and 63ºF in the winter months. This has led to the islands being a very popular spot on the international cruise schedule as well as making it a paradise for fans of golf (with three golf courses on the island) and for fans of nature and walking. Madeira is famous for its levadas, which are irrigation channels that date back to the 15th century, and these channels not only provide water to farms but also provide fantastic walking routes, taking you to parts of the island that would be otherwise inaccessible and giving you the chance to be able to lap up the incredible natural beauty of the island.


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The capital of Madeira is Funchal and this is the perfect place to enjoy some of the local delicacies which include the sweet bananas grown on the island, the ultimately moreish Bolo de caco bread served with lashings of garlic butter and parsley or a portion of fresh limpets. To wash this all down then you can’t miss out on a glass of Madeira wine or why not experiment with poncha, which is usually lemon flavoured but you can find it in other fruity varieties – but be warned this may look like juice but it is actually pretty high in alcohol!


It may be a tourist trap but you can’t visit Madeira without hopping into a wicker basket toboggan at the top of the hill and sliding down at speeds reaching up to almost 20 miles per hour, guided only by a couple of guys wearing white clothes and a straw boater – it has to be seen to be believed and is definitely one for the photo album when you reach the bottom!