2010 - 09 - Madeira Island

Wednesday, 01 September 2010 00:00

The Island of Madeira, 750 miles southwest of Lisbon in the Atlantic Ocean, may just have a nearly perfect climate—warm in winter and never too warm in summer. While unprecedented rain a few months back caused some damage, Madeira is back, up and running, as its wonderful sub-tropical self.

Cliffs that rise dramatically from the sea characterize Madeira’s fascinating landscape. When explorers came upon the island of Madeira in about 1420, they thought its dark cliffs signaled the gates of hell. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The steep rise creates six unique climate zones, each with its own beautiful flora and fauna that contribute to the comparison of Madeira to Hawaii.

Americans are no strangers to warm and sunny Madeira Island or its wine.

George Washington was a great fan of Madeira wine. Both his inauguration and the signing of the Declaration of Independence were celebrated with Madeira wine. The legendary frigate Constitution was christened with Madeira wine.

President Franklin Pierce spent several months exploring the island after leaving office in 1857.

Visitors come for the natural beauty, and they stay to experience the climate, golf, hiking, deep sea fishing, diving, and old world charm of the two islands and their cities and small towns. Madeira remains an uncrowned and authentic jewel of European charm, where a visitor can experience fine wines, mountain hiking, or city culture—and easily, all three in one day.

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*** INSIDE THIS MONTH'S EDITION ***

1. THIS MONTH'S TRAVEL SECRET

2. NEWS

3. PACKAGES/DEALS

4. EVENTS

5. EATS

6. CONTACT INFORMATION

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Despite its size, Madeira has a wealth of beautiful scenery. While the majority of the island is a natural reserve there is also a wide variety of gardens and parks that are carefully maintained and exhibit a vast array of flowers, plants and trees.

- Madeira Botanical Garden – can be found just a mile from the center of Funchal on the south side of the valley with exceptional conditions for its wealth of vegetation. More than 2,000 exotic plants from all over the world are at home in the 41,000 square yards of land. In view of the increasing destruction of biodiversity and habitats all over the world, the garden has also become known as a center of science and culture in the defense of endangered species of plants. Sweeping views of the city and bay.

- Monte Palace Tropical Garden - located in Funchal‘s Quinta Monte Palace, which belongs to the José Berardo Foundation. Plants from all over the world enrich this collection of more than 100,000 species including azaleas, heather and a wide variety of ferns.

- Orchid Garden - This Funchal garden has more than 50,000 plants and its orchid jungle is one of a kind in Europe. They display interesting crossbreeding work and have plants that flower all year round.www.madeiraorchids.com

- Palheiro Gardens - In addition to panoramic views of Funchal, the Palheiro Gardens, with their spacious lawns and lakes, have some of the rarest and most valuable exotic plants in the world.

- Quinta das Cruzes Garden - This Funchal garden is in the park adjacent to the Quinta das Cruzes Museum and boasts a wide range of local and exotic plants and is also a historic site dating back to the 16th century.

- Quinta da Boa Vista Gardens - There are areas devoted to South American bromeliads, Australian martinets and African aloes. The main attraction is, the 20-year-old orchid exhibition. From December to May, the orchid houses are a riot of colors. Cymbidiums, Paphipedilums (slipper orchids) and Lycastes are all on show. For the rest of the year, there is a superb collection of hybrids and exquisite species to fascinate visitors.

- Quinta do Arco Rose Garden - Here visitors can see one of the largest collections of rosebushes in Portugal. The collection consists of more than 1,000 different types of rose bushes. You can see old and modern garden of climbing and non-climbing roses. The most rare and important are marked with their names and classes.

- Municipal Garden - The Funchal Municipal Garden, also known as Dona Amélia Garden, has some beautiful specimens from Madeira and the rest of the world, all of which are marked.

- Funchal Ecological Park - This park covers an area of around four square miles. The considerable differences in altitude and the park’s many watercourses mean that it boasts a wide variety of indigenous flora. Trees such as the "stink" laurel, (Ocotea foetens), laurel (Laurus azorica), Madeira mahogany (Persea indica) and Canary laurel (Apollonias barbujana) have also been planted there. Shrubs thrive in the higher areas of the park, with a predominance of tree heath and Madeira bilberry (Vaccinium padifolium).

- Ribeiro Frio Forest Park - Located nine miles from Funchal, Ribeiro Frio is known for its beautiful gardens where plants and trees live side by side in perfect harmony. We can see a variety of native plants, some of them quite rare. This is an excellent place for a walk, savoring fantastic views from Balcões, where we are stunned by the sublime landscape of the deep valley of Ribeiro do Faial and the rocky amphitheatre of Maciço Central.

Close by is a trail to Pico Ruivo, the highest peak on the island.

- Queimadas Forest Reserve - Queimadas is an isolated area 2.5 miles from Santana. It’s an ideal spot for a picnic or a walk.

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2. NEWS

World Travel Awards nominations from Madeira

The New York Times enthuses about Destination Madeira

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3. PACKAGES/DEALS

Vouchers for Solares de Portugal is the perfect gift for all to enjoy. You can personalize this gift with a sentence or a photo or anything you like. Gifts can be used at any Solares de Portugal at an exclusive price from 65€ to 125€

New Special Offers at the Martinhal Beach Resort & Hotel

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4. EVENTS: Madeira Wine Festival

This Madeira Wine Festival will be held between September 2nd and 5th paying tribute to the most famed local product. Festivities will take place in Funchal and Câmara de Lobos, the downtown area of Funchal, and particularly Avenida Arriaga, will be decorated with flags and lights. There will be exhibitions, decorations, living pictures and shows regarding Madeira wine, and all its cultural traditions, as well as performances by bands and folklore groups. The wine harvest - Vindima ao Vivo, will begin at 10 a.m.

on September 5th in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos. All visitors are invited to take part in this event joining locals in the wine harvest and also in the ethnographic parade. This popular event ends up at the venue where the grapes will be stepped amidst a joyful atmosphere with musical entertainment and traditional regional cuisine.

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5. EATS

Fried Corn Squares

Portugal's Madeira is a magnificent place of warm weather, huge mountains, and 200 years of hospitality. Those who know Madeira, know of its specialty "Milho Frito," a fried corn square not unlike a white corn polenta square.

Milho Frito is an excellent accompaniment to a meal of grilled tuna or beef.

Seasoned with local flavors, the recipe varies across the islands. Here is one variation:

Fried Corn Squares (Milho Frito)

Ingredients:

2.5 pounds corn white cornmeal (polenta) Half-gallon water 1-tablespoon lard or butter

1 cabbage (finely chopped)

1 handful of broad beans;

Salt to taste

A sprig of savory

Instructions:

Add the salt, lard and savory to boiling water. Add the cabbage and corn to the water while it is warm. Stir constantly, until mixture comes to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally. Pour the corn onto a plate.

Form into squares and fry until crisp. Serve hot.

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Need a guidebook? Call 1-800 PORTUGAL.

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