Madeira

Madeira

Madeira

Due west of Morocco, the Madeira Islands are a holiday haven in the mid-Atlantic. The archipelago comprises two inhabited islands, Madeira and Porto Santo, and two uninhabited island groups. Madeira is famous for its mild sub-tropical climate with year-round sunshine, giving rise to lush, colourful flora and prolific gardens. Once regarded as a genteel island mainly of appeal to elderly tourists, its coastal waters and dramatic mountains nowadays offer a host of activity pursuits which are attracting younger visitors. The capital, Funchal, is a cosmopolitan city likened by many to Monte Carlo, with a delightful array of restaurants, cafés, chic shops, an opera house and casino.

Nowadays, Madeira is becoming increasingly popular as a place to buy a second home. The two most popular areas outside of Funchal are west of Canhas and Caleta, soon to be the sites of new marinas and a golf course along with tourist and residential development.

In complete contrast, the neighbouring island of Porto Santo is undeveloped, unsophisticated and has barely any vegetation; yet its vast sandy beaches and unspoiled tranquility are an attraction for visitors of an alternative mindset. Yet here too the first quality developments are stirring, in the shape of a golf course opened in 2004.