travel diary: madeira

Located 520km from the African coast and 1,000km from mainland Europe, a week on the mesmerising, remote island of Madeira was truly a summer escape. My family and I swam, read, relaxed and explored a place we had never visited before. Here are some highlights of the trip.

On our first day, we were determined to head into the city of Funchal to become more familiar with the traditions and history of the island, navigating our way through narrow alleys adorned with unusual, vibrant painted doors and discovering the less tourist-heavy areas, stopping in various friendly bars and restaurants. Despite some nerves, slight trepidation and initial shock in response to the mammoth scale of Madeira’s cable cars that passed above our heads as we walked, we knew that we couldn’t leave Funchal without travelling near the summit of the mountain in one of these pods. We were in for a treat- the views from the top were honestly out of this world and gave us a special chance to appreciate the beauty of the island. Once we hopped off the cable car, we were immediately drawn to the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens and were enchanted by the wildlife, lakes, oriental design and beguiling foreign flowers. It has been included in Conde Nast’s list of the world’s most beautiful gardens and it is not surprising to see why. However, this was not the only place where we were genuinely transfixed by the charm of Maderia’s landscapes. We signed up for a guided tour of an area named ‘Paradise Valley’ and were given a detailed insight into the flora and fauna of the island whilst hiking in blissful tranquillity.

As well as delighting in the alluring scenery of Madeira, another principal highlight of the trip was the food and drink. The delicacies available in Funchal were phenomenal. I did not expect to enjoy the combination of scabbard fish and banana and passionfruit but I shocked myself and thought that this traditional meal was bizarre but exquisite. We ate an excessive quantity of seafood and steak sandwiches and fresh fruit and bolo do caco whilst we were there and it was wonderful. In the local bars, we were introduced to Poncha, a sugary, sweet, heavily alcoholic drink that tasted like heaven and made your head spin. It was cheap and cheerful and I wish we had it in the UK. I have to admit that I preferred this to the sweet, fortified wines that Madeira is famous for but perhaps I will change my mind over time.

The trip went by in a flash and it felt like we were hardly on the island for any time at all but we certainly both appreciated what the island had to offer and had some time to lounge by the pool and dip into the sea. I really hope I have the chance to go back!

Where have you travelled this summer? Have you ever visited Madeira? What did you enjoy? Let me know in the comments!