Madeira

Two major islands—Madeira and Porto Santo—as well as two uninhabited smaller island groups make up the Madeira archipelago. Only 400 km north of the Spanish Canary Islands are the Madeira Islands, also known as the “Garden Isle” or “Pearl of the Atlantic.” It is thought that these islands may have been inhabited as early as the 15th century. They are closer to Africa than the Azores. Funchal, the nation’s capital, as well as Santa Cruz, Câmara de Lobos, and Machico are some of Madeira’s larger towns and cities.

The largest island in the archipelago, Madeira, is quite mountainous in the center, with sea cliffs, valleys, and ravines running from the spine to the coast. In the north of Madeira Island, lush laurel forests predominate while in the south, there are both rural and urban areas.

The main industries in Madeira are tourism and Madeira Wine, making it one of Portugal’s best wine-producing regions. Funchal is a popular stop for European cruise ships. The 9 km of sandy beaches on the island of Porto Santo are solely used for tourism. To transport water from the wetter north to the dryer south, Madeira Island has a large number of levadas, also known as aqueducts. They frequently contain walking and hiking trails, which are well-liked by tourists. Watching whales and dolphins is another well-liked tourist activity.