Madeira: the most enviable island on earth?

Dramatic cliffs line the coast of Madeira (photo: Alamy; MWC)

"Madeira is not Ibiza. It attracts a more mature clientele, and raving is limited to enthusing about the island’s dramatic scenery and botanical wonders." This is how the article on The Telegraph on the 9th of March 2015. Please, read on.

One of the earliest ravers was H N Coleridge, nephew of the poet, who waxed lyrical after a visit in 1825: “I should think the situation of Madeira the most enviable on the whole earth. It ensures every European comfort with almost every tropical luxury.” Madeirans know this of course, and over the years have enhanced their quality of life by producing a cornucopia of fine food and wine. They have also helpfully provided access to their tumultuous countryside by building more than 1,000 miles of irrigation channels, accompanied by footpaths that snake through the kind of striking landscapes dreamt up by J R R Tolkien.

Paradise isle: Madeira

Explore unspoilt Madeira

photo copyright: Madeira Islands Tourism

A volcanic island that juts majestically out of the ocean, the geographical tapestry of Madeira is amazing; sheer cliffs, ancient laurel forests, a jagged and rocky coastline and mountain tops cloaked in mist. Best of all, it’s cheap and easy to reach. Ankita Mahabir checks out the scenic isle (WTG 2012).

For outdoor lovers:
Madeira is full of contradictions; you could be sitting on a sunny beach one moment and driving through rain and rainbows the next. Its high mountains and low valleys make it a great destination for hikers. Few man-made creations can rival nature's work but the levadas (water channels) of Madeira might just be one of them. Built almost 400 years ago, this 2,000km-long (1,242 miles) network also substitutes as a walking path.

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