Festivities in Jardim do Mar (slideshow)

Religious festivities in Jardim do Mar 2010

Camané releases new album

Do Amor e dos Dias is the new album that Camané, the famous Portuguese Fado singer, releases today. His albuns also feature the lyrics in English on the CD booklet.

Fado is probably the oldest urban folk music in the world. The Fado is, by self-earned right, the very expression of the Portuguese soul and the emotional heart of its people. Themes like heartbreaking love matters, melancholy, misfortune, longing for someone or past happier times, that are gone away, and the ups and downs of life dominate the traditional Fado (means Destiny).
 
What is Fado?
History of Fado part 1
History of Fado part 2
The Portuguese Guitar

Religious festivities in Jardim do Mar soon

In the first weekend of October (2nd and 3rd), 2010, Jardim do Mar will held its anual religious festivities in the hounour of Nossa Senhora do Rosário.

Madeira islands

Click on to enlarge

On the top of the world, you could say. Madeira romantic and dramatic landscape at its best: you can be on the top of the mountains, above the clouds and see the ocean and villages down there by the sea.

Near central Europe, Africa and the USA, Madeira island is a wonderful and famous place for sightseeing and walking.

It offers unspoilt and breathtaking scenery with impressive high cliffs emerging directly from the ocean. «It’s the most dramatic landscape I have ever seen», says dear friend and surfer William Henry about Madeira, refering to the towering cliffs, rocky shores, waterfalls and seas of azure.

«As a child I often dreamed of a landscape like Madeira, because one much like it is often described in fairy tales and children’s stories», adds the above quoted friend. «Every year I find something new, and yet every year I am awe-struck by the same cliffs, gardens, waterfalls and waves that I witnessed on my first voyage.»

Madeira is an island (35 miles long and 13 miles wide) situated in the Atlantic Ocean some 300 miles from the coast of Africa and 600 miles from the Portuguese mainland. An autonomous region of Portugal, Madeira offers a subtropical climate due to its geographical position and mountainous relief.

The subtropical climate, warm and sunny even in midwinter also attracts north European tourists looking for sun, light and warmer temperatures.

Ancient Laurissilva (Laurel) forest (the largest in the world and classified a World Nature Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1999) and the Botanical Garden in Funchal are other strong reasons of interest that prove Madeira's natural diversity and richness. You can check the variety of indigenous plants and flowers.

Everything is at hand and very diverse. You can be at the beach but it takes just half an hour to be in the mountains if you wish so. You can get sunny and hot weather on the beach and cold, fog and even rain in the mountains. You can get nice weather and light in one part of the island and get a cloudy sky and rain in another part of the island. You can get quietness and excitiment, like you get the green and the blue, the rural and the urbane. Madeira is an island full of surprises as you travel around.

You can visit locals of cultural and historic interest in the municipality of Calheta or in the whole island, do scenery drives, you can also do whale and dolphin spotting in boat trips from the marina in Calheta, do “levada” walks up in the mountains ("levadas" are a network of ancient man made irrigation channels), do mountain biking, hicking, do boat trips along the coastline, go sailing, canyoning, pier fishing, deep sea fishing from Calheta Marina or Funchal, scuba diving or snorkeling, surfing, wind-surfing, water skiing, paragliding, among others activities in close contact with nature.

One thing is certain: the South-Western area is the warmest and sunniest in the island. There you can find the unique Jardim do Mar with about 300 inhabitants where Sofia's Place stands.

MORE ON MADEIRA:

HISTORY & TRADITION

LOCATION & CLIMATE

INDIGENOUS LAURISSILVA FOREST (WORLD HERITAGE)

CULTURE

NATURE

CHECK ALSO PORTO SANTO:

PORTO SANTO ISLAND

Calheta is 5 minutes drive away

The modern Centro das Artes (Art Center) is a main attraction in Calheta

Calheta is an administrative region in the South West of Madeira and covers an area of 115 sq Kilometres and eight villages.

Whale and dolphin spotting or fishing excursions can be arranged from Vila da Calheta, in the marina. Ferry trips from Funchal to the nearby island of Porto Santo can be arranged also in Calheta.

Some of the island's finest scenery and walking are within a 20 minute (10 kilometres) drive into the mountains.

In Calheta you should visit the international Centro das Artes (Art Center) and the rum factory and museum. You can find the old and the new, the roots and the modern, the local and the universal. Madeira is about contrast in every sense.

In the village above Jardim do Mar, 5 kilometres away and named Prazeres (Pleasures), you can find a little zoo and an art gallery by the church. In Prazeres you also find a health resort in Jardim Atlântico Hotel offering a host of facilities, including swimming, tennis, sauna, gym, games room, vegetarian and wholefood restaurant, and a range of holistic therapies.

You can visit locals of cultural and historic interest in the municipality of Calheta or in the whole island, do scenery drives, you can also do whale and dolphin spotting from Calheta Marina, do “levada” walks up in the mountains, do mountain biking, go in boat trips along the coastline, go sailing, pier fishing, big game fishing from Calheta Marina or Funchal, scuba diving or snorkeling, surfing, wind-surfing, water skiing and paragliding.

However many people feel happy just relaxing, sunbathing, walking around and socializing in the friendly and cosy village of Jardim do Mar, where you cannot get bored and have a quiet time at the same time. You can choose quietness and excitement whenever you wish and as you feel. Like you can choose being by the sea or in the mountains in very a short time. The contrast and diversity of experiences offered by Jardim do Mar and Madeira island is perhaps their main factor of attraction.

Location

Jardim do Mar in 2003 by friend William Henry

Lisbon: 900 kilometres (1h15m by plane)

International Airport of Madeira: 50 kilometres

When you arrive at the International Airport of Madeira (East area) you are about 50 kilometres away from Jardim do Mar (South-West, which is the warmest and sunniest area of Madeira). It's about an hour drive. You take the highway that will take your from the airport until Ribeira Brava. Then you continue in the so-called "Express Road" (mainly by the sea and in tunnels) from Ribeira Brava until Estreito da Calheta. Here you find a kind of roundabout, get out to the right, keep in the round about, turn left and then cross the road (carefully) and take a 4km road down to Jardim do Mar.

Capital of Madeira island (Funchal): 35 kilometres

Centre of Calheta municipality: 5 kilometres

Nearest beach: 200 metres

Nearest bar/pub: 100 metres

Top mountains in Calheta: 10 kilometres

Nearest health resort: Jardim Atlântico in Prazeres (5 kilometres) offering a host of facilities, including swimming, tennis, sauna, gym, games room, vegetarian and wholefood restaurant, and a range of holistic therapies

Nearest gym: 5 kilometres

Nearest big supermarket: 6 kilometres (“Pingo Doce” is in Vila da Calheta, by the sand beach)

Nearest hospital: 5 kilometres (Calheta)

Nearest pet hotel: 10 kilometres

Car: recommended (if you just plan going out of Jardim do Mar for groceries, you get a local taxi)

Hanging around in Jardim do Mar

Joe's Bar is the socializing point in Jardim do Mar

There are restaurants and places to hang around in the village.

Famous and cosmopolitan Joe’s Bar is where locals and foreigners hang out, about 100 meters away from Sofia's Place. Close enough to get there in 30 seconds, but far enough of the house to assure quietness. Joe is Sofia’s cousin.

Their dear friend and painter Tony Kitchell owns a gallery next to Joe’s Bar. In this old house (beautifully kept) Sofia used to play in her childhood. It belonged to one of her grandmother’s sister.

If you want to go further down, you will get to the square with trees, a fountain and park benches, next to the local church, where you can relax, sunbathe and watch people passing by in their doings. It is the central and meeting point of Jardim do Mar with beautiful and typical Portuguese stone all around.

You have several ways to walk down towards the ocean and the beach. You can take the old path next to the church and visit Pontinha (West), that used to be the fishermen neighbourhood. From there you can wacth the promenade and the sea.

In the square you can also head East and visit Portinho, five minutes walking down. You can either take the new road next to the village's car park or take the stone path by Teresa's little bar and grocery by the square. In the new road you have Tar Mar restaurant. In Portinho you have a nice bar and small restaurant, in an old and typical house by de promenade and ocean. It belongs to local called Angelino, a cousin of Sofia's grandmother. Community in Jardim do Mar is for real.

There is a pebble beach and peer if you feel like a swim between cups of tea or beers. Then you can go for a stroll in the promenade, a 750 metres wallk breathing the fresh air from the sea and watching the waves. In Pontinha you have the famous surf break. Because of it, Jardim do Mar was named by surfers as the European Hawai.

Reaching the other side at the far West end of the promenade and the village, you are in Vigia. The place in named Vigia (watch) because it used to be a watch point to check any pirates' attacks.

Then you can either return to Pontinha (and go up to the church and square) or back all the way to Portinho or go up the old path from Vigia in the direction of Joe's bar, heading East.

Besides resting and relaxing, watching the birds or contemplating the landscape around, visiting locals of cultural and historic interest in Jardim do Mar and Calheta, walking and socializing, doing scenery drives and getting to know the local gastronomy, you can do a lot more if you wish. You find quietness but never feel bored in inspiring and intense Jardim do Mar. You can socialize and do exciting outdoor activities.

You may go swimming, sunbathing, do whale and dolphin watching from the marina in Calheta, do “levada” walks up in the mountains, do yoga, go sailing, cycling in the promenade, do mountain biking, pier fishing, big game fishing from the marina in Calheta or Funchal, scuba diving or snorkeling, surfing, wind-surfing, water skiing and paragliding.

Some activities depend on weather and time of the year and on your interest for more radical or in a more direct contact with nature.

You can also visit the lighthouse in Ponta do Pargo (a new Golf court is being built nearby) and the naturally occurring aquamarine pools at Porto Moniz.

Sofia's Place surroundings

View over the bay (West)

Sofia's Place stands on the top and center part of the tranquil and romantic village of cobbled footpaths at the foot of breathtaking cliffs. It is located on the sunny southwest part of Madeira, facing shore.

A car park at the edge of the village leaves the square and the urban area largely free of cars. People walk easily home and have no traffic noise.

There is also a seafront pedestrian walk zone (promenade) lined with palm trees, also free of traffic. There you can also watch the waves, surfing, read or ride your bike.

In the Eastern point of the village there is Portinho with a little harbor and a clean pebble beach, for swimming and snorkeling, a shower and beach bar.

In the Western point you can find two more beaches: Vigia and further away the exotic and more exclusive harbor called Enseada. At the far end you can see the next village on the picture above: Paul do Mar.