Activities around Madeira

Golf: There are two championship courses on Madeira – the Santo da Serra, (27 holes) set in an eucalyptus forest almost 700 metres above sea level offering spectacular views (regularly hosts PGA European Tour Events); and Palheiro Golf (18 holes), which opened in 1993 on a hillside overlooking Funchal.

Boating: There are a number of sea excursions available with all departing from Funchal’s yacht marina. The Savoy Resort operates its own boat trip every Friday.

Sports Fishing: Big fish abound in the waters around Madeira and regular excursions depart from Funchal’s marina in search of marlin, tuna, swordfish and shark. Madeira holds 70% of the world records for marlin.

Sandy Beaches: Porto Santo has a 9km-long sandy beach running almost the entire length of the island’s southern coast in an undeveloped and unspoilt landscape. Porto Santo is accessible either by air (around a 15 minute flight) or by sea (the ferry takes 2 ½ hours). It is a twenty-minute walk or short taxi ride from the ferry port to the beach where water sports such as wind surfing is readily available. Alternatively, visitors can hire bicycles and cars or take a guided tour around the island.

Diving: There are several dive centres on Madeira and on Porto Santo. Scorpio Divers takes on everyone from absolute beginners to experienced divers. A British-run sub-aqua club with fully trained and certified instructors is based close to the Savoy Resort.

Walking: As there were very few roads on Madeira until the 1960s, there is a complex network of footpaths all over the island, running alongside the levadas or irrigation canals. These footpaths make Madeira a wonderful place for long-distance walkers and hikers, and beginners can join one of the guided walks operated by the Sociedade de Animacao Turistica, led by knowledgeable local guides. At Christmas and Easter, Sidonio Fernandes, one of the porters of the Hotel Savoy, who is also a member of the Walking Club of Madeira, takes guests at the hotel on one of his favourite levada walks.

Gardens: Due to the combination of fertile solids, sunshine, regular rainfall and high humidity, Madeira is one vast botanical garden, with plants growing in extraordinary profusion.

Natural History Museum: The Botanical Garden, formerly the private estate of the Reid family (the founders of Reid’s Hotel) opened in 1960. The former residence now houses a Natural History Museum but it is the gardens surrounding the museum that are of more interest. Areas include a section devoted to orchids, (flowering November to March) and another planted with species indigenous to Madeira.

Caminho do Meio, Quinta do Bom Successo (on the outskirts of Funchal).

Jardim dos Loiros: The tropical bird garden features birds either roaming free or displayed in aviaries dotted around the grounds. Caminho do Meio.

Jardim Orquídea: During end of November – early April, the Jardim Orquídea allows visitors to view the different processes involved in commercial orchid production. Rua Pita da Silva, 37.

Monte Palace Gardens: Ten years of work has transformed the gardens of the former Monte Palace Hotel into a superb display case of Madeiran plants, cleverly interspersed with fragments of historical buildings and tiled panels, telling the history of Madeira and Portugal’s dependencies. Areas are devoted to Madeiran flora, oriental species, azaleas, ferns and orchids. The gardens are maintained by the Berardo Foundation, founded by the owners of the Savoy Resort. The Savoy Resort has the exclusive catering contract for the Monte Palace Gardens.

Quinta do Palheiro (Blandy’s Gardens): The gardens were first laid out in the eighteenth century by the original owner, the wealthy Count of Carvalhal. The estate was bought by the Blandy family in 1885 and successive generations have tended the garden with its interesting blend of English style design and tropical planting. 8km east of Funchal, off the 102 Camacha road.

Quinta da Boa Vista: The Quinta specialises in growing orchids for the cut-flower market and visitors can buy orchids to take home. Rua Luis Figueiroa Albuquerque.

Madeira Cable

Car: From Funchal to Monte, this new, eight-seater cable car which opened last November, allows visitors to access the hilltop village of Monte (standing 550m above sea level) at the rate of 800 passengers per hour. A one-way ride lasts approximately ten minutes. Caminho das Babosas, 8. www.madeiracablecar.com.

Monte Toboggan

Run: Ernest Hemingway described the toboggan ride from Monte to Funchal as one of the most exhilarating experiences of his life. Sliding in a wicker basket on wooden runners over the polished pebbles, toboggans can at times reach considerable speeds, though the drivers, with their rubber soled boots for grip, ensure that corners are negotiated safely.

Wines: A visit to the Adegas de São Francisco (the St Francis Wine Lodge) is a must. Run by the Madeira Wine Company, a consortium whose shareholders include most of the famous names of the Madeira trade – names such as Blandy, Leacock and Luiz Gomes - some of the buildings comprising the lodge date back to the 16^th century and were part of the Franciscan friary which closed in 1834. Stored at the lodge are some 400,000 litres of wine, a small fraction of the one million litres a year produced by the Madeira Wine Company alone and of the 4.5 million litres produced by the seven wine companies operating in the island. Take an hour long guided tour. Avenida Arriaga 28. Tours take place at 10.30 am and 3.30 pm Monday – Friday.

Museums: Handicrafts: Crafts are such an important part of the Madeiran economy that the IBTAM Handicrafts Institute was established to provide training and monitor standards. It is principally concerned with the arts of embroidery, tapesty and wickerwork and a small museum on the first floor displays some very fine examples of all three. Rua do Visconde de Anadia 44.

Religious Art: The Museu de Arte Sacra houses a small collection of top quality Flemish paintings commissioned in the 15^th and 16^th centuries by the wealthy merchants living in Madeira. Originally located in churches around the island, they were collected together for safekeeping and sited in a former bishop’s palace. Rua do Bispo 21.

Another museum of interest to the art lover is the Museu Franco, displaying the work of the two Franco de Sousa brothers – Henrique (a painter) and Francisco (a sculptor). Rua do João de Deus 13.

Funchal City Life: The Museu da Cidade traces the history of Funchal from the city’s foundations to the present day, and is housed on the upper floor of the Cãmara Municipal or Town Hall. This building was formerly a private mansion owned by the second Count de Carvalhal. Pacos do Concelho do Funchal.

Historic Living: The Museu Quinta das Cruzes is an elegant and airy house which gives a taste of the lifestyle once enjoyed by Madeira’s most wealthy inhabitants. Calçada do Pico 1.

Fortifications: The Museu Foraleza is located within the bastions of the Palácio de São Lourenço. The museum traces the history of the fortress from its construction in the 1520s to its later conversion as a residence for the island’s two governors – one military and one civilian. Avenida Arriaga.

Market: Mercado dos Lavradores: The Worker’s Market is one of the most colourful sites in Madeira. A bustling place full of fruit and vegetable vendors and flower sellers at the front with an interesting fish market lying behind, the best day to visit is on Fridays when the peasant farmers from all over the island come to the market to sell their produce. Rua Dr Fernào Ornelas.

Churches: Sé (Cathedral): Funchal’s cathedral was begun in 1485 and completed in 1514 and marked the development of the city from a small, frontier town to a major city worthy of a cathedral. The King of Portugal, Manuel I, sent two master builders to supervise the work. Rua do Aljube.

Local villages: Camacha: Camacha is a village devoted to the production and sale of wickerwork with almost everyone who lives there employed in the industry. 15km northeast of Funchal.

Cãmara de Lobos: Cãmara de Lobos was made famous by Sir Winston Churchill, who visited this fishing village to paint the view. A plaque marks the spot where he used to sit with his easel. 15km west of Funchal.

Caniçal: Caniçal is a gritty little working port, most famous for its Whale Museum, but interesting for watching boat builders and fishermen at work. 32km east of Funchal.

September 2002