Of late, Madeira has become one of the hottest destinations in Europe (or well – in Africa, bizarrely enough, as you will soon see). So for today, we’re going to give you some reasons to visit the beautiful Island of the Eternal Spring.
Madeira is a fascinating island. Reminiscent of Portugal’s overseas past, the island belongs to Portugal – it’s Portuguese land outside of the country, just like the Azores Islands. But if Portugal is European land, Madeira, an island in the Atlantic Ocean, lies closer to Africa than Europe. In fact, it’s just 520 kilometers away from the African coast (as opposed to 1000 from the Old Continent).
You would say that normally an island is a perfect summer destination, with all the sun and water and the deep forests of the Laurisilva and its “levadas” to explore. But the truth is way more surprising than that. One of the reasons thousands of people crowd to Madeira every winter is because they want to enjoy the largest fireworks display in the world. This happens on New Year’s Eve and people crowd by the waterside to see the waters of the ocean seemingly come alive, afire with hundreds of luminous colors.
Convinced Madeira is so much more than an exotic island?
Madeira is, after all, just a large archipelago, but it does have tunnels… and a lot of them! Actually, it can brag about its 40 kilometers worth of tunnels, for the most part built in the 16th century. It also has kilometers of aqueducts and altogether, the infrastructure of Madeira is amazing, as you will see on your visit there.
Madeira has beautiful beaches and some of the most amazing gardens on the Continent. It boasts with some of the most breathtaking views and has all the stories to tell.
If you go there, consider the fact that you may need a Madeira car hire.