Madeira - Portugal

Welcome to Madeira

After a glorious 2-day stay in Porto, we flew to the island of Madeira.  I had heard a lot about that place but I wasn’t ready for the true beauty of its coastline, the luxurious and abundant vegetation, the friendly and helpful locals and the delicious foods that awaited us there.  After a short 90-minute or so flight, we touched down at Funchal airport.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Madeira Island



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: The Mountain Peaks of Madeira

The archipelago of Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, southwest of Portugal, 520 km from the African coast and 1,000 km from the European continent.  The archipelago is just under 400 kilometres north of Tenerife in the Canary Islands.  It includes the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo and the Desertas.  The capital of Madeira is Funchal, located on the main island's south coast.


Daniel Food and Wine Tours:  The Desertas Islands



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Funchal

Madeira is at the top of a massive shield volcano that rises about 6 km from the floor of the Atlantic Ocean.  The volcano formed over 5 million years ago.  The most recent volcanic eruptions were on the west-central part of the island only 6,500 years ago.

Madeira was claimed by Portuguese sailors in the service of Prince Henry the Navigator in 1419 and settled after 1420.  The archipelago is considered to be the first territorial discovery of the exploratory period of the Portuguese Age of Discovery, which extended from 1415 to 1542.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Portugal's Empire During the Age of Discoveries

Today, it is a popular year-round resort, being visited every year by about one million tourists.  The region is noted for its Madeira wine, gastronomy, historical and cultural value, its flora and fauna which are classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The famous soccer player Ronaldo was born in Funchal and the city dedicated a museum to him.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Ronaldo's Museum



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Ronaldo's Statue

Archeological evidence suggests that the islands may have been visited by the Vikings sometime between 900-1030 AD.  Knowledge of some Atlantic islands, such as Madeira, existed before their formal discovery and settlement, as the islands were shown on maps as early as 1339.

The first Portuguese settlers began colonising the islands around 1420 or 1425.  When Grain production began to fall, other commercial crops were planted so that the islands could be profitable.  The planting of sugarcane, and later sugar beet, allowed the introduction of sugar into Europe, where it was a rare and popular ingredient.

Sugarcane production became the primary engine of the island's economy, increasing the demand for labour.  African slaves were used during portions of the island's history to cultivate this crop.

After the 17th century, as Portuguese sugar production was shifted mainly to Brazil, and elsewhere, Madeira's most important commodity product became its wine.  Madeira is a fortified wine, produced in the Islands. Varieties may be sweet or dry.  It has a history dating back to the Age of Exploration when Madeira was a standard port of call for ships heading to the New World or East Indies.  To prevent the wine from spoiling, neutral grape spirits were added.  When an unsold shipment of wine returned to the islands after a round trip, it was discovered, that the flavour of the wine had been transformed by exposure to heat and movement.  Today, Madeira is noted for its unique winemaking process which involves heating the wine and deliberately exposing the wine to some levels of oxidation.



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Madeira Wine

The British occupied the island in 1801 After the Peace of Amiens, British troops withdrew in 1802, only to reoccupy Madeira in 1807 until the end of the Peninsula War in 1814.

On 31 December 1916 during the Great War, a German U-boat entered Funchal harbour on Madeira and sank three ships.

Charles I, the last Emperor of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, went into exile in Madeira, after his second unsuccessful coup d’état in Hungary.  He died there on 1 April 1922.  On 1 July 1976, following the democratic revolution of 1974, Portugal granted political autonomy to Madeira.  The region now has its own government and legislative assembly.  Two of the attractions in Funchal are its teleferico which takes you right up to the top of the city and the toboggans which in turn take you right back to the bottom in some sort of basket guided by two attendants.


Daniel Food and Wine Tours: The Funchal Teleferico



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: The Teleferico Terminal at the top of the Hill



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: The Toboggans and their Drivers



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Yesteryear's Toboggan Drivers

Drought conditions, coupled with hot and windy weather in summer, regularly cause numerous wildfires.  In August 2010, a fire burned through 95 percent of the Funchal Ecological Park.  In July 2012 Madeira suffered again from severe drought and wildfires broke out in the midst of temperatures up to 40 degrees.  Numerous residents had to be evacuated and firefighters were sent from the mainland to help battle the fires.  In August 2016, wildfires again spread on Madeira and reached Funchal, killing three people and destroying many homes.


Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Madeira Fires in 2012

Tourism is an important sector in the region's economy, providing support throughout the year for commercial, transport and other activities.  Whale watching has become very popular in recent years.  Many species of dolphins and whales can be spotted near the coast and offshore.  Because of the geographic situation of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean, the island has an abundance of fish of various kinds.


Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Bryde's Whale Swimming off Madeira

Funchal

We spent two days in Funchal and stayed at the Monte Carlo Hotel.  Previously a school, the hotel offers large comfortable rooms with breath-taking views of the bay and the ocean.  The hotel is a reminder of the many influential tourists from a bygone era who regularly frequented these premises.


Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Monte Carlo Hotel



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Entrance of the Monte Carlo Hotel

Funchal is the capital and principal city of Madeira.  Located along the southern coast of the island. It is a modern city, located within a natural geological amphitheatre.  Beginning at the harbour, the neighbourhoods and streets rise almost 1,200 metres along gentle slopes that helped to provide a natural shelter to the early settlers.  Funchal is the 6th largest city in Portugal, and has been the capital of Madeira for more than five centuries.


Daniel Food and Wine Tours: View of the Funchal from the Monte Carlo Hotel

The name comes from the Portuguese word "funcho" meaning fennel and "al", for plantation of fennel.  This name was applied by the first settlers who landed on its shores and noted the abundance of wild fennel growing in that region.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Anyone for a Ride?



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Mosaic Work

This settlement began around 1424.  Owing to its geographic location, the site became an important maritime port, whereas its productive soils became a focus for the new settlers.  Its coastal position, the most productive on the island, quickly permitted Funchal to develop.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Cruise Ship at the Funchal harbour

Funchal became an important transfer point for European commercial interests; many sailors and merchants located in Funchal in order to take advantage of the transient conditions of port.  Christopher Columbus was one of the early settlers.  During the second half of the 15^th century, the sugar industry expanded significantly along the southern coast, making Funchal the most important industrial centre of the industry.  The island, and Funchal specifically, were vulnerable to pirate attacks.  During the 16th century, Funchal was an important stop-over for caravels travelling between the Indies and the New World.


Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Replica Age of Discovery Ship

With the formal creation of the Port of Funchal, and later the establishment of the Santa Catarina Airport, Funchal turned into a major international tourist destination.  The harbour of Funchal was the only major port in Madeira.  Since 2007 it has been fully dedicated to passenger transport – cruise ships and ferries – and other tourist-related boats and yachts. In that year all remaining fishing activity and cargo trade was moved to the newly developed port of Caniçal, 19 km to the east.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: View of the Funchal Airport from our Hotel

Funchal Airport is located east of the city, in the municipality of Santa Cruz.  The airport was one of the most dangerous airports in the world due to the limited flat space in close proximity to cliffs, but the extension of the runway on concrete pillars in the sea has greatly improved safety.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Funchal Airport at Night

 

Porto Moniz

We left busy Funchal and headed to Porto Moniz in the North of the island.  On the way, more spectacular scenery, lots of tunnels dug through the mountainous terrain to allow the traffic to flow.  I was taken by the luxuriant vegetation, the ocean on one side of the road and steep slopes on the other side – not unlike some coastal parts of New Zealand in fact.  After a short and most pleasant drive, we reached our destination.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours:  The Relentless Assault of the Atlantic Ocean

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Rock Formation and the Ocean

Porto Moniz is a municipality in the northwest corner of the island of Madeira.  The municipality features a natural complex of lava pools that are popular with locals and tourists.  Porto Moniz is surrounded by massive hills offering wonderful view points over the town and its coastline.  It is unclear when the area of Porto Moniz was first colonised, although it is likely that it occurred at the beginning of the last quarter of the 15th century.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Lava Pools

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: More beautiful Lava Pools

The natural swimming pools at Porto Moniz are formed by volcanic lava into which the sea flows naturally.  These pools have been carved out from the black basalt rocks and are the highlight of the village.  These pools have been enhanced to become the town’s main attraction.  This space has a surface area of 3800 m².

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: The Restaurant Complex at the Lava Pool

Gaula

We reluctantly left Porto Moniz and headed to Gaula as our stay in this enchanting island was coming to an end.  We chose Gaula for no particular reason other than it was located only 7 km from the Funchal airport.  There again we weren’t disappointed.  Our hotel or apartment I should say not only offered a very comfortable place to spend our last night in the island but also a spectacular view of the bay and the nearby airport.


Daniel Food and Wine Tours: The Desertas Islands



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Sunrise at Guala

At the hotel, our friendly receptionist told us we simply had to visit Caniçal, made famous by its recent whale industry and a museum entirely dedicated to this activity.  Not having much time left, we headed straight for that place.

Caniçal

Opened to the public in 1989 in the fishing village of Caniçal, the whale museum shows the history of whale hunting in the seas of Madeira.  The museum bears witness to the entire history of whaling and the activities that formed a central part of many fishermen's lives for many decades. Whaling has been prohibited in Madeiran waters since 1982. Instead, those sailors who once harpooned whales for a living are now working hard to help preserve these gentle giants of the ocean.  In an effort to promote this ecological issue many fishermen surrendered their hunting instruments to the museum.  It is one of the most innovative museums of its kind internationally. 

Daniel Food and Wine Tours:  The Canical Whaling Station

 

Opened in a new building in 2011, the museum is now is equipped with a valuable collection of utensils and past experiences.  The museum is an accurate witness to the history of whaling in Madeira throughout the 20th century.  This museum houses life-size models of whales and dolphins and 3D stereoscopic movies.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours:  Life-size Model of Monk Seal

The institution also promotes scientific research projects on cetaceans and marine life in the seas of Madeira, as well as the collection, preservation and study of the heritage and documentation on the history of whaling in Madeira.  A major attraction of the museum is the model of a life-size whale on display. Alongside the replica of the whale is a small fishing boat, similar to those used when fishermen went whale hunting.  Visitors are able to compare the sizes and dimensions of the boat and whale to each other - and in so doing appreciate how difficult and dangerous this now banned activity must have been for the local residents of Caniçal.

Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Life-size Replica of a Whale and Whale Boat

Some individuals have even created crafts and pieces of artwork from parts of old whale bones or teeth.  On display, there are many photographs and video footage, depicting many of the processes involved in the trapping of whales by Madeiran fishermen.  The visual exhibit ranges in pictures of the preparation of boats, whale spotting on the high sea, hunting methods, and images of festivities after a successful hunt.  There are other pictures showing the processing and transport of processed whale material, including oil extraction and meat preparation.


Daniel Food and Wine Tours: A Dish of Patellas



Daniel Food and Wine Tours: Black Scabbardfish with Banana

The following day, we left this amazing island and headed back to Porto and then on to Spain’s Salamanca as we were making our way back to Calpe.  We were totally enchanted by our brief stay on the island and some of the specialties we ate there.  My only recommendation to anyone contemplating a visit there would be to allocate more than the four days we had.  There is so much to see and the whole place needs a thorough investigation.  We will take more time when we next return to beautiful Madeira.