There are lots of reasons to visit Madeira such as the wildlife, the views and the nature but most importantly the chance to have an experience that is unlike anything that you've ever experienced before.
I have written about Madeira a few times on this blog due to how fascinating and incredible I found the small island to be. I have already expressed my delight of the unforgettable dolphin trip that I was lucky enough to experience as well as a blog post dedicated to the captivating island, announcing reasons why Madeira should be explored. Therefore, this post is a brief guide of what I got up to whilst staying on the beautiful island.
As soon as I arrived in Madeira, the first thing I noticed was the unusual terrain with buildings and houses built upon rigged, heightened hills giving the island a royal vibe. As I travelled further into the island it became clear to me how exotic Madeira really is. Everywhere you turn you are guaranteed to be in view of palm trees and the most beautiful, wild and tropical flowers. All of this beautiful wildlife gives the island a bright and fresh feel which is sure to be enjoyed by all those who visit Madeira.
During our stay on the island, the World Cup was being played and we were lucky enough to be able to cheer on Portugal amongst locals in various bars in the city of Funchal. Unfortunately Portugal was knocked out of the World Cup whilst we were in Madeira but the locals showed such grace and carried on partying in true Madeiran style!
Whilst on the subject of partying, it would be criminal to not mention a fantastic feat to come out of Madeira: (no, not Christiano Ronaldo although I'm sure any local that you speak to would be sure to express their admiration for the Madeira born footballer). I'm talking about Madeiran wine. If you're yet to taste the sweet aromas of Madeira wine, then you are missing out on one of the sweetest and refreshing tastes that your tastebuds have the pleasure of experiencing. In the majority of the tourist restaurants within the island, Madeira wine is presented to you on entrance which I can assure you, is a lovely treat before dinner.
A few activities that we got up to whilst in Madeira included a tour around the South East of the island, visiting incredible views including standing above the clouds on a mountain as well as walking over a glass bottom viewing platform overlooking a beautiful, blue sea. This adventure finished with a dip in the lava rock pools which is a must do experience. Our whole stay in Madeira included some fantastic trips and tours however, some of the best days were spent lounging by the pool next to tropical palm trees with a Pina colada in hand to enjoy the extremely hot and humid weather. Madeira, you truly are exotic.
Madeira is honestly the most magical and beautiful island and is definitely worth a visit to meet the lovely locals and finally have that much anticipated taste of Madeiran Wine. Please leave comments below if you have visited the island, I would love to know if you found it as fascinating as I did.