01989 730552 madeira@rediscover.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Madeira Time

		Welcome to Rediscover Madeira Madeira is a delightfully peaceful semi-tropical island, considered the 'Garden of the Atlantic'. An ideal destination for those looking for a luxury break or a walking holiday or to explore the island at your leisure on one of our fly-drive holidays. ** Click here for a large Map of Madeira ** Click on a link below to view some essential information about travelling to Madeira and details of our selected fly-drives and hotels in Funchal and across the island:
		Flights   Climate   Festivals   Levada Walking     Activities and Places to visit   Souvenirs   Special Interest Packages   Car Hire     Hotels in Funchal   Hotels on Coast   Hotels Inland       FLY-DRIVES   a. Madeira's Peaks- Off the Beaten Track b. Madeira - Coast and History

Flights
Getting to Madeira couldn't be easier. There are charter flights every Monday from most UK airports, contact us to check the most up to date schedule and competitive prices. Several low cost airlines also fly to Funchal from various airports around the UK - these flights are ideal for tailor-made holidays as we can book any duration rather than the 7 or 14 days on the charter options.
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Climate
The general pattern of weather is fairly consistent year-round, never cold and not usually reaching the heights of Mediterranean summers; i.e. ranging from an average of 17 degrees in winter (5-6 hrs of sunshine) up to 24 degrees in summer (7-8 hrs of sunshine). Another pattern is the mid-morning cloud movement over and down off the mountains each day. Summer clothes allow you to pack light but in the winter is a little more necessary to pack waterproofs, umbrella and some warmer layers, particularly if you are planning to do some walking.

Calendar of Events
Every year there are many interesting and exciting festivals, these are the Carnival (February), Flower Festival (end April), Wine Festival (early September), Atlantic Festival (June) and the celebrations on New Year's Eve have become legendary - all hotels will be fully booked and the harbour and bay will be crowded too by cruise liners watching the spectacle.

Levada walking

Not all of the 500 miles of levadas are possible for walkers but a substantial proportion of these irrigation channels have reasonable and/or well-maintained paths alongside providing excellent opportunities to explore the Madeiran countryside. They were originally built as the only source of water transport from the wetter northern and upland areas to the more settled but drier south.

Here are some examples of the types of path you may encounter:

Some of the levadas can be walked by beginners but many involve unprotected vertiginous sections or pass through tunnels so care should be taken to read well before undertaking a particular route or

Paths can be easy going and wide		... or involve walking next to the edge or through waterfalls
... or, usually, a mixture of both.		There are also many paths which can be followed linking up levada walks.
Tea House - convenient stopping points en route		Tunnels can be long and a torch is essential

perhaps consider taking an orgainsed small group excursion. The excursions are also useful as many walks are end to end and would involve extensive use of public transport or taxis to return to base.

Levadas near Funchal:

We have walked along a number of these paths and together with our close colleage, Jette, in our Funchal office we will be happy to offer advice and suggestions to include in your holiday; whether this is for just the one extra activity during your stay or the whole purpose of your holiday we'll give you the best information we can.

NB: a good book is essential if you are wanting to make levada walking the raison d'etre of your trip, we recommend the Sunflower Guide to Madeira as probably the best starting point; the authors of this great walking book series started their writing career on the Madeira edition.

** Click here for information on walking packages **

Activities
Your holiday to Madeira can be as active as anywhere in the world; here are some ideas you may wish to ask us about. As with everything we do, all our activities are tailor-made so we can either make the various arrangements as part of your itinerary or simply put you in touch with the relevant people or organisation in Madeira for you to do independently or with the assistance of our local representative.		Golf - there are two championship courses on the island, Santo do Serra and Palhiero - both are within easy reach of Funchal and reduced green fees are on offer by many hotels.
Tennis - many hotels offer free tennis to their guests but are available to non-residents. Mountain Bikes - perhaps this is for the enthusiast as most roads involve steep climbs but bike hire is available and there is a round the island bike tour each year.
Walking (see above).
Swimming - other than your hotel pool you may wish to consider the natural rock pools in Porto Moniz and some of the small 'beaches' around the island. More adventurous activities include - Canyoning, paragliding, sailing, sea kayaking, surfing, whale/dolphin cruises and climbing.

Places to Visit

Madeira has such beauty in its natural environment that could take you a month to enjoy the scenery alone but there are some attractions that are worth considering if you want to give the children something different or are looking for a change.

Funchal - Plenty of sightseeing of course but have you considered the option of viewing the city from a helicopter? Other slightly different points of view can be had from the cable car up to to the pretty village of Monte high above the city or from the basket (toboggan) ride back down. Don't miss out on a visit to one of the famous wine lodges, plenty of tasting available and always a good souvenir of your time in Madeira.

Gardens - Madeira is sometimes called the Garden of the Atlantic and it has some excellent formal gardens to visit and enjoy; the Botanical Gardens in upper Funchal, the Tropical gardens in Monte to name just two.

Themed attractions - these are good family days out.		The Madeira Theme Park in Santana, opened in 2004, has examples of traditional Madeiran buildings, playgrounds, audio-visual rides and spectaculars as well as a boating lake and a decent cafe. The Santa Cruz Aqua Park has great slides and pool-based entertainment for all the family. The Madeira Story Centre was new in 2005 and has a exciting tour of Madeira's history in Funchal's old town.
Back to top		The Caves at Sao Vicente are a little different too, they are not the usual limestone caves created by water flow but emptied out lava tubes; to complement the tour of the caves they have an excellent visitor centre alongside - a great day out if the weather is not too good.

Souvenirs

Madeira has such a lot of easily portable gifts and souvenirs - here's our selection:

Bolo do Mel - Madeira honey cake - delicious!

Flowers - buy them for yourself or your loved ones, they'll box them up for your flight home.

Madeiran wine - try before you buy, excellent presents. Read up about the various grapes, ages and styles.

Traditional knitwear - children love the traditional hats with the warm ear flaps.

Embroidery and wicker work - shop around, there's a lot of it.

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Holiday Prices

- please call or email for a full quote - all our holidays are tailor-made.     

 

Funchal    Coast    Inland    villas & apartments    Porto Santo    Short Breaks    Car Hire    Levada Walking     Off the Beaten Track Fly-Drive    Coast & History Fly-Drive    Essential information     Map of Madeira & Porto Santo  Tel: + 44 (0) 1989 730 552                 EMAIL: