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Madeira
-
Portugal
Introduction
to
Madeira
Madeira
is made
of two
main
Islands,
Madeira
and
Porto
Santo.
The main
island,
Madeira,
is 56
Kms.
long and
19 Kms.
wide but
it would
take a
day to
drive
around
the
island
due to
its
volcanic
peaks
that
soar up
to 1.862
metres,
then in
places
dropping
sharply
into the
ocean
and down
another
1.000
metres
to the
seabed.
This
island
in the
Atlantic
Ocean
has a
land
area of
about
797
square
kilometres,
and
about
600 Kms.
away
from the
coast of
Morocco.
The
Islands
were
known
about by
earlier
sailors
than the
original
settlement
of
people
which
took
place in
the
early
15th
Century
led by
the
Portuguese
explorer
João
Gonçalves
Zarco.
Sugar
cane was
grown
and by
1514
there
were
already
some
5.000
permanent
inhabitants.
It
became a
fought
over
prize
for both
the
French
and the
Spanish.
The
French
sacked
Funchal
in 1566
and it
was not
until
1662
when the
Portuguese
regained
permanent
control.
In 1801
An
English
fleet
arrived
and
temporary
took
Funchal
by
ousting
the
Spanish
and
French
defending
forces.
This
action
was
repeated
by the
English
in 1807
and
again
returned
it to
Portuguese
control.
There is
a
romantic
story
which
records
that the
ship
carrying
the
famous
pirate
William
Kidd and
his
immense
treasure,
sank in
a
location
close to
the
Deserted
Islands.
By 1890s
the
island
had
attracted
tourists
and many
English
residents
and has
since
continued
as a
very
popular
location
due to
the
temperate
climate
of never
being
too hot
nor too
cold.
Today,
the
total
resident
population
slightly
exceeds
100,000.
The town
and port
of
Funchal
is the
main
town of
the
Ilha de
Madeira.
The port
is
architecturally
pleasing
with the
added
attraction
of its
decorative
paved
streets.
Visitors
to the
island
are
usually
smitten
by the
impressive
rugged
beauty
of its
peaks in
comparison
to the
lush
semi-tropical
vegetation
around
its
coastline.
The 15th
Century
Convento
de Santa
Clara
is well
worth a
visit
and to
also
learn
the
tragic
story of
the nun,
Maria
Clementina.
The 17th
Century
church
Igreja
do
Colégio
dominates
the main
square.
There
are
several
museums
worth
visiting,
from
sacred
art to
local
handcrafts.
The
quality
of the
Madeira
Lace
is world
known
and it
continues
to be
produced
with
over
20.000
cottage
industry
workers
scattered
over the
island.
Another
equally
famous
product
is the
Madeira
wine. A
visit to
the
Adegas
de São
Franciso
to learn
how
it
is made
and
stored
as the
oldest
bottles
still
existing
dates
from
1772!
The
hidden
valleys
and
peaks of
the
Island
all
deserve
a visit
together
as do
the
several
botanical
gardens,
some of
which
are part
of old
private
residencies
opened
to the
public.
A trip
around
the
island
has to take
in the
village
of
Santana
on the
north
coast
where
the
visitor
will
still
see the
traditional
triangular
shaped
homes of
the
islanders.
For the
healthy
at heart
is a
trip to
Pico
do
Areeiro
and
climb to
the
highest
point on
the
island
at 1.862
metres.
For fun
there is
the
special
and
unusual
dry
toboggan
ride on
the
Monte
in the
main
town.
Most
visitors
find too
much to
do on
the
island,
and too
little
time! A
very
special
time to
visit
Funchal
is over
the New
Year’s
Eve
which is
world
famous
for the
quality
of its
celebration.
About
two
hours by
boat
will
take you
to the
island
of
Porto
Santo
that has
what the
main
island
lacks
–
a sandy
beach of
9 Kms.
in
length.
Here,
there is
museum
to
Christopher
Columbus
who is
said to
have
lived on
the
island
after
marrying
the
daughter
of the
first
governor.
Porto
Santo
has
become
very
popular
as a
holiday
destination
in the
last
five
years
and
Hotels
and
Resorts
have
stolen
the
peaceful
beauty
of the
Island.
The
Ilhas
Desertas
(Deserted
Islands)
can also
be
reached
by
taking a
boat
trip.
The
Island
are now
a nature
reserve
due to
the
killing
off of
wildlife
by the
local
fishermen.
The
Islands
is
curiously
the only
home of
the
black
wolf
spider
that is
deadly
to
humans.
Most
world
travellers
find the
Madeira
Islands
so
attractive
and
interesting
that
they
tend to
return
more
than
once.
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