Madeira, the Pearl of the Atlantic

Arrive at the airport for your flight. On arrival in Funchal, you will transfer to your hotel for seven nights.

After breakfast, a local guide takes us on a walking tour of the historic centre of Funchal, often called ‘little Lisbon’ as it overlooks a spectacular harbour and boasts grand 18th-century buildings with shaded courtyards. Narrow streets wind through its centre, broadening out onto lively squares and tree-lined walkways.

Inspiring sights include the Igreja do Colégio, a church with a plain exterior that belies its sumptuous Baroque interior, and the 15th-century Sé cathedral, one of the few buildings dating from colonial times. It is the island’s main religious building and features the original 16th-century altar, imposing arches and ornate gold-framed paintings; its ceiling, made from local wood, is one of Portugal’s most beautiful.

Devotees of modern architecture will love the Art Deco Mercado dos Lavradores or farmers’ market, a hive of activity as shoppers fill their baskets with the island’s sun-ripened produce. Look out for the patterned pavements, typically Portuguese and painstakingly pieced by hand, and for the colourful street art on the doors of buildings.

A treat is in store as we pause for a tasting of the island’s best-known export – Madeira wine. The process of heating the wine originated by accident when 16th-century sailors discovered that wines picked up in Madeira tasted richer after the casks had been heated and cooled during passage through the Tropics.

Today, the styles of this fortified wine range from dry to lusciously sweet. In between is medium Verdelho, the variety the British traditionally serve with the crumbly sponge cake named after the wine.

In the afternoon, we visit the Palheiro Gardens, world famous for its variety of flora and its beautiful setting in the hills overlooking Funchal. Palheiro was laid out in the early 19th century by a French landscape architect for the Count of Carvalhal before being acquired in the early 20th century by the Blandy family, famous wine producers.

Over the next decades, the gardens were populated with thousands of plants from around the world, from North American sequoia trees to South African Proteas, all flourishing in Madeira’s rich soils and clement weather. This is a blissful place to explore at your leisure, taking in all the colours and fragrances, with a chance to linger when a particular specimen catches your eye.

Our first stop is Cabo Girão and the spectacle of the island’s highest sea cliff – a sheer drop of 1,980 feet. Experiencing the views from the transparent viewing platform extending over the cliff edge is truly exhilarating.

We next visit charming Ribeira Brava, a small-town set in a steep valley carved out by the ‘wild river’ that gives the settlement its name. There’s ample time to explore its picturesque streets and visit the 16th-century church of São Bento with its giant crystal chandeliers.

Madeira’s tropical climate is perfect for growing bananas and in the fishing village of Madalena do Mar you can see life on a small banana plantation, where much of the work is still carried out by hand. Turning inland, we ascend nearly 5,000 feet to the flattest part of the island, Paúl da Serra plateau, on our way to our next stop, Porto Moniz.

In the distance you can see Porto Moniz, located at Madeira’s northwestern tip and our next destination. Remarkable enough for its edge-of-the-world feeling, Porto Moniz is also blessed with natural saltwater pools, formed from solidified volcanic rock and replenished by the waves as they break against the rocks. It’s the perfect place to stop, gaze out over the waves and drink in the invigorating ocean air from the terrace of a café or restaurant.

We return on the northern coastal route via the village of Seixal to see one of Madeira’s most famous waterfalls – the Bridal Veil – cascading down the side of the mountain into the sea. Our final stop is São Vicente, a village nestling in a deep verdant valley and believed to be the volcanic birthplace of the island.

At its shore is a giant basalt outcrop into which is hewn a 17th-century chapel, while the village also features a distinctive black and white church, scenic houses and a network of caves – all adding to its reputation as one of Madeira’s loveliest settlements. After taking in so much, it’s time to return to Funchal.

Enjoying spectacular views of the capital and the southern coast, it has long been a retreat for wealthy families. The town’s landmark is its 18th-century church, the most important pilgrimage site in Madeira, with its black and white facade and twin towers. It is also the burial place of Charles I of Austria, the last ruler of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

You’re free to wander at leisure or join a guided visit to the Monte Palace Tropical Garden. These oriental gardens are exquisite, complete with Asian-style bridges, arches and a pond filled with koi carp; they also house a historic tile collection gathered from Portuguese palaces, churches and private residences.

Later we return to Funchal by coach, or you may wish to take the cable car for a dramatic 15-minute descent to the capital. If you’re feeling really adventurous, you could take the famous Monte toboggan ride. This involves descending the narrow streets in a cushioned wicker basket mounted on wooden runners, steered from the rear by skilled drivers – Ernest Hemingway described the experience as exhilarating.

This afternoon is free. Why not relax at the hotel? Or perhaps visit Quinta das Cruzes, the former home of João Gonçalves Zarco, and now a museum whose exhibits offer a fascinating insight into the lifestyles of the island’s wealthy merchants over the centuries.

Ponta do Rosto is Madeira’s easternmost point, on a sliver of land jutting out into the Atlantic, and offers dazzling panoramas. On clear days the island of Porto Santo shimmers in the distance.

Following the northern coast, we call at sleepy Porto da Cruz, named after a large cross displayed to identify it to passing sailors. Dominated by the sheer-sided Penha d’Aguia or Eagle Rock, this 16th-century parish is renowned for producing sugar cane spirit and a dry red wine made from the Americana grape.

We leave the village and track the coastline, where, incredibly, every patch of land is farmed to provide food for its isolated communities. There’s further proof of Madeirans’ capacity for self-sufficiency in Santana, a town notable for its A-frame thatched houses.

Made from stone, wood and anything else to hand, they have brightly painted doors and windows and each sit on its own plot of land used to grow food. As you enjoy a stroll around these well-preserved 16th-century dwellings, you get a sense of what it was like to live here when villagers relied solely on their own toil for survival.

We head towards the mountainous interior and one of the highlights of the tour – the UNESCO-listed Ribeiro Frio National Park. Around 90 per cent of the park is covered by ancient Laurisilva or laurel trees, and the area features many endemic flora and fauna, such as ferns and the trocaz pigeon.

The region also plays a vital role in Madeira’s ecosystem, as moisture captured by the trees feeds into a 1,355-mile network of channels that distribute water across the island for drinking, agriculture and hydroelectric power.

Ascending slopes cloaked in fragrant eucalyptus and swirling mists, we emerge at Pico do Arieiro, Madeira’s third-highest mountain at 5,930 feet. Here, above the treeline and sometimes even higher than the clouds, the vistas are some of the most memorable you’ll ever see. You may even spot the Valley of the Nuns way below. On clear days almost all of Madeira is visible, including its highest summit – the 6,100-foot Pico Ruivo.

For art-lovers, the Sacred Art Museum is located in the 17th-century former bishop’s palace. It houses one of the finest collections of religious art in the world, commissioned for their local churches by wealthy Madeiran merchants seeking salvation. Among the works are masterpieces by influential 15th- and 16th-century Flemish painters, such as Pieter Coeck van Aalst.

If you didn’t take the cable car at Monte, why not give it a try today? Alternatively, a steep path leads up to São João do Pico, the impressive fortress that has kept guard over Funchal since the 17th century and which offers a superb panorama over the city.

You can also experience Funchal’s traditional craft shops, many individually decorated and offering artisan tiles, wickerwork and embroidery, before a stroll along the Lido promenade and a seafood lunch. Gardeners, already spoilt by Madeira’s flora, can indulge themselves further at the Botanical Gardens.

Our morning begins with a short drive north to Madeira’s dramatic interior and the Curral das Freiras or Valley of the Nuns. To appreciate the solitude of this place, we drive to Eira do Serrado, over 3,500 feet above sea level, part of a natural cauldron of jagged peaks and chasms, with time to soak up the glorious views down to the village of Curral das Freiras itself.

Descending to the village, you can see why in 1566 the nuns of Funchal’s Santa Clara convent relocated to this almost inaccessible valley to flee a pirate attack. Today it is also known for the sweet chestnuts cultivated on its terraced hillsides – you’ll enjoy sampling these tasty treats. It even hosts an annual festival celebrating this versatile nut, which is used in products from cakes to soups to liqueurs.

After lunch, we head to Câmara de Lobos, a fishing village built around a bay with Europe’s highest cliffs forming a breath-taking backdrop. Inspired by its location, the colourful boats and whitewashed buildings with distinctive terracotta roofs, Winston Churchill stayed here to paint the harbour during his visit to Madeira in 1950.

Câmara de Lobos is still a working port, with boats pulled up onto the beach after night fishing for the local black scabbard fish known as espada. It’s a charming village to saunter, exploring the cobbled streets and visiting the simple Saint Anthony’s Chapel, where fishermen’s wives traditionally said prayers for the safe return of their menfolk.

Or you can relax in a harbour café with a glass of poncha, an elixir of sugar cane spirit, honey and lemon juice enjoyed by the fishermen returning to land their catch in the morning – and said to cure the common cold!