Madeira Islands: Europe's Leading Island Destination 2014

View from Fanal [August 2012 © nelio ]

Madeira Islands elected again the Europe's Leading Island Destination 2014 by World Travel Awards, which are hailed as ‘the Oscars of the travel industry’. Its 21st edition took place in Athens, Greece, on the 2nd of August, 2014. Last year Madeira Islands was elected the Europe's Leading Island Destination and also nominated for the World's Leading Island Destination.

When the world seems to go crazy, you can find peace, security, mild weather all year round and beautiful landscapes in these Atlantic islands. Madeira's Nature exhales energy and inspires emotion and adventure. It also has this profound and empowering quietness, working as a self (relaxing and healing) retreat from modern life rush, stress and anxieties. 

Give yourself a chance to experience Madeira Islands and come to visit us in Sofia's Place in Jardim do Mar, one of the most exclusive, dreamy and romantic places around.

Madeira 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.» (Read more)

Sofia's Place blog posts on the subject:
Madeira Islands elected the Europe's Leading Island Destination 2013
Madeira Islands nominated for the World's Leading Island Destination 2013

Previous awards direct links:
Madeira Islands elected the Europe's Leading Island Destination 2013
Madeira Islands nominated for the World's Leading Island Destination 2013

More information on Madeira Islands:
www.visitmadeira.pt

Ricardo Ribeiro

Ricardo Ribeiro is one of the best and most appreciated Fado singers in Portugal and abroad. We have seen him live and it was a moving experience. Largo da Memória is his most recent album. Listen to some songs/videos like "Destino Marcado" (Fate is set) or "Entrega" (Surrender).

Ricardo Ribeiro is the singer in the album Em Português by great world music name Rabih Abou-Khalil. Please, see them playing live "Casa da Mariquinhas" (House of Mariquinhas).

Other fadistas (fado singers) we love besides Ricardo Ribeiro: the younger generation Gisela João, Camané, Carminho, Ana Moura, Mariza, Aldina Duarte, and the older generation Amália, the Fado greatest, Carlos do Carmo, Alfredo Marceneiro, Lucília do Carmo, Argentina Santos.

And always remembering Carlos Paredes, the Portuguese guitar genius (american label Drag City prints/sells two albuns): Verdes Anos, Canto do Amanhecer, Variações de Artur Paredes.

If Portugal has a sound, it is the sound of Canto de Rua (Street Song) a composition by Carlos Paredes. Two other versions: one in Gisela João's debut album (Canto de Rua) played by Ricardo Parreira, and another played by Rafael Fraga (Canto de Rua).

Related info:
FADO, THE URBAN SONG OF LISBON

FADO PART OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY

SOFIA'S PLACE MUSIC EXPERIENCE - A SOULFUL SELECTION

FADO FILM SELECTION IN SOFIA'S PLACE

SOFIA'S PLACE AUDITORIUM

More information on Fado:
www.museudofado.pt
www.portaldofado.net
www.unesco.org (here)

David Byrne (musician and producer) on Amália's music: "she expresses the sadness of the Universe and existence"

Guest message 47

June 2014

Key words & ideas:

"Nice home: it was more than expected"; "We really felt like home"; "You live in a magnificent Island."

Please, click on the image for better reading

Guest message 46

June 2014

Key words & ideas:

"We had wonderful holiday"; "The nice colours will inspire us to decorate our own house"; "We will never forget the nice stay here in Jardim do Mar."

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Guest message 45

May 2014

Key words & ideas:

"Thank you for your wonderful house, well located and equiped"; "We had such a good time walking in the levadas and driving to the West and North Coast."

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Guest message 44

May 2014

Key words & ideas:

"We had the opportunity to rest in this beautiful house, which is spacious and colourful. It's the HOLIDAY HOUSE everyone should have." Pleasure and tranquility that make each a happy day."

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Guest message 43

April 2014

Key words & ideas:

"We've spent a wonderful week in Jardim do Mar"; "The house is very well decorated and there all the details that make you feel at home"; "Jardim do Mar is a superb village with a good atmosphere."

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Guest message 42

January 2014

Key words & ideas:

"You have a very, very nice house!"; "Madeira is a wonderful Island."

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Carnival of Madeira 2014: programme

This year the Carnival events will take place between February 25 and March 5, 2014.

The Carnival of Madeira (Carnaval in Portuguese) is an annual festival held forty days before Easter, that ends on Shrove Tuesday (called Fat Tuesday in Madeira - Terça-feira Gorda in Portuguese) the day before Ash Wednesday (first day of Lent).

Here is the programme.

Street Events:
From the Wednesday before Carnival allow yourself to be captivated by the magic of Carnival in Funchal city centre, especially the central walkway of Avenida Arriaga, which becomes the focus for numerous street events including carnival music, performances, pageants and events of various kinds that contribute to rousing the carnival spirit in tourists and residents alike.

Children's Carnival:
The morning of the Friday before Carnival is given over to children. A thousand of so young carnival goers from various schools and kindergartens in Funchal, all in costume, parade through the city centre (Avenida Arriaga), where they are entertained with carnival fun.

Solidarity Carnival:
On the afternoon of the Friday before Carnival, the city centre is again the scene of another highly original and creative event. With an energy that sweeps everybody along with it, hundreds of carnival goers from the Funchal Community Development Association parade along Avenida Arriaga to the Municipal Gardens, where they perform a show in which they are the leading players.

Parade of Floats:
On Saturday night the centre of Funchal is thronged with thousands of tourists and residents who come to watch the parade of floats, one of the major attractions of the Madeira Carnival. Over a thousand participants spread between ten groups and a dozen floats parade to the sound of carnival music, all of them choreographed and rehearsed beforehand and dressed in eye-catching costumes, radiating an unbeatable enthusiasm that gets everyone going.

"Trapalhão" Parade:
On the Tuesday of Carnival everyone is free to display their originality. Carnival goers come out spontaneously onto the streets in fancy dress, mostly grotesque or caricatured, to take part individually or in groups in a typically Madeiran informal parade in which humour and social satire about regional, national or international events form the inspiration for the throngs of participants.

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More info:
History and traditions of Carnival in Madeira
Carnival of Madeira

Nature & Adventure in Madeira

(video direct link)

Nature & Adventure activities (Active Tourism) are extra reasons to visit Madeira Islands. On land, on air or on sea, the choices are plenty and everybody can experience activities, offering a multiplicity range, designed for all age groups.

Particularly in CALHETA municipality territory (Southwest), where Jardim do Mar is located, you can do all: hiking, mountain biking, surf, bodyboard, wind surfing, diving, climbing, canyoning, paragliding, sailing, dolphin & whale watching or (big game) fishing.

CALHETA, besides its breathtaking landscapes and the friendly local people, has the best weather conditions all year round.

It is not the first time we hear someone saying that the impressive landscape is similar to Jurassic Park island ("pretty similar to the Jurassic Park island", it is said on the this video). We have also heard comparisons to New Zealand type landscapes.

All that in Europe and with good climate.

Come and feel the landscape around you. Dive in it.Take a deep breath. Surrender to the charms of an island that exhales energy and inspires emotion and adventure.

Besides all this, you may also feel Madeira's Nature profound and empowering quietness, working as a self (relaxing and healing) retreat from modern life rush, stress and anxieties.

--
Related info:
NATURE/ECO Tourism & Madeira & Sofia's Place

Gisela João, a new «fadista»

Gisela João is already one of the best and most applauded Fado singers in Portugal. She has just released her selftitled debut album. Listen to the true emotion in the song "Meu amigo está longe" (My friend/ lover is far away") or in "Vieste do Fim do Mundo" (You came from the end of the world).

Related info:
FADO, THE URBAN SONG OF LISBON

FADO PART OF THE INTANGIBLE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF HUMANITY

SOFIA'S PLACE MUSIC EXPERIENCE - A SOULFUL SELECTION

FADO FILM SELECTION IN SOFIA'S PLACE

SOFIA'S PLACE AUDITORIUM

More information on Fado:
www.museudofado.pt
www.portaldofado.net
www.unesco.org (here)

David Byrne (musician and producer) on Amália's music: "she expresses the sadness of the Universe and existence"

Farmer's Market day

On December 23rd, Madeirans take this opportunity to make their last minute Christmas shopping in a commotion, that intensifies the essence of the "Festa", a designation commonly attributed by locals to refer to the beginning of the Christmas season.

The locals go to the Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmers' Market) to buy the last items or delicacies in order to ultimate their Christmas decorations and prepare the typical delicacies of the season. The market hall thereby becomes small venue taking into consideration such big demand.

The surrounding streets are closed to traffic and are filled with various food stalls that are open all night, selling innumerable regional products like flowers, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, sweets, pork in wine and garlic rolls and typical drinks like "poncha".

More information on Christmas and New Year festivities: HERE

Christmas and New Year 2013-2014

Please, check the photography album by Madeira Tourism

As always, the Festive Season is lived intensely in Madeira islands. Lots of joy, religious celebrations, social gatherings and good food (and drinks, too).

On Christmas Eve it is customary serving chicken soup and various meat dishes at family gatherings. In addition, home-made tangerine, orange or aniseed liquors or a good glass of Madeira wine are also drunk. On Christmas Day generally people eat pork in wine and garlic or stuffed turkey. Furthermore the most common sweets for this season are "Bolo de Família" (Family Cake), "Bolo de Mel" (Honey Cake), and popular sweets like "rosquilhas de manteiga" (butter biscuits) "broas de mel" e "broas de manteiga" (honey and butter biscuits) and "palitos de cerveja" (beer finger biscuits)

Please, also check the Christmas and New Year festivities programme HERE (or in pdf files English, French and German).

(picture by Francisco Correia)

Guest message 41

October 2013

Key words & ideas:

"We had a great stay here"; "We will come back"; "Sofia's Place had everything we needed and our compliments"; "We will recommend the house to everybody."

Please, click on the image for better reading

Guest message 40

September 2013

Key words & ideas:

"It was a great pleasure to be here. The house emanates well-being and happiness. I believe that the people that stay in the house feel at home. See you next year."

Please, click on the images for better reading

Free Internet access

From September 2013 onwards at Sofia's Place

Internet access: MOBILE BROADBAND WIFI HOTSPOT - up to 5 devices connected simultaneously 

More specifications on the R206 device

Note: there is also free internet access in the village library five minutes walk away from house.

Madeira Islands: Europe's Leading Island Destination 2013

Ponta Delgada (North coast of Madeira) in May 2012 [ © Nelio ]

Madeira Islands elected the Europe's Leading Island Destination by World Travel Awards. Its 20th edition took place in Turkey, on the 31st of August, 2013.

Give yourself a chance to experience Madeira Islands and come to visit us in Sofia's Place in Jardim do Mar, one of the most exclusive, dreamy and romantic places around.

Madeira 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.» (Read more)

More information on Madeira Islands:
www.visitmadeira.pt

 

Guest message 39

May 2013

Key words & ideas:

"We thank you for your welcoming and for trusting us with the beautiful home in such generous way. We had a very good week even if the sun wasn't present all the time."

Please, click on the images for better reading

Guest message 38

May 2013

Key words & ideas:

"Enjoyed our stay"; "Your house is a beautiful place"; "Thank you for this «book of music» selection - it made us feel at home and learning new sounds at the same time".

Please, click on the images for better reading

Guest message 37

April 2013

Key words & ideas:

"Very beautiful house"; "sun, sea and gardens"; "We spent a very beautiful week in family"; "thank you for the welcome, the trust and your smile".

This family made a diary of visits in Madeira island.

Please, click on the images for better reading