In this category you will find posts about Madeira’s cultural heritage. This includes subjects about Madeira’s music, music instruments, folk dance, art scene and history, and several contributions about Madeira’s never ending festival calendar. We also have the official calendar for you.
Saudade Portugal, Saudade is one of those words for which there is no literal translation. However, it seems that Portuguese are born with an innate understanding of its meaning. Saudade means a mixture of melancholic longing or yearning coupled with a sense of loneliness and incompleteness. That is a mouthful, right? Certainly, it is one …
Unlike what some would believe, the wintertime remains an ideal moment to visit the archipelago. It is the perfect moment to witness Madeira at Christmas. When it comes to Christmas, Madeira goes all out! During the festive season, Madeira island is completely covered in lights, which conveys for a truly magical atmosphere. Video of Funchal …
Funchal Mosaic Pavements There are countless things to see and do in Funchal. In fact, something worth paying attention to might be right under your feet – Calçada Madeirense. Madeira’s mosaic pavements, found all over the city, adds a certain “je ne sais quoi” to the charming city. All the various mosaic pavements create a …
Funchal Christmas and New Year’s Celebrations December is a very special month on Madeira. It brings along the much sought-after Christmas season, atmosphere and delights. Even if Madeira is never cold and the island does feel festive! The Christmas Preparations The city of Funchal starts hanging the extensive Christmas decorations and lights during the month …
Madeira’s Night Life In need of a fun night out during your holiday and want to experience Madeira’s night life? Do not worry, we’ve got you covered! Sure, Madeira is not really a party island. Some might go as far to say that the night life in Madeira is quasi nonexistent during workdays (which is …
The Santa Clara Convent in Funchal, was founded at the end of the 16th century. The convent was already partly built at the end of the 15th century and was fully constructed around the Our Lady of Conception chapel. It is classified as a National Monument and we can understand why. History of the convent …
Retoiça – cultural activities on Madeira Retoiça is a non for profit association which organized cultural, sports and recreational activities on Madeira. Many of these projects are linked to music. Hence, in this blog post, we will focus soleley on Music related acticities. You can see the impressive list on their website. Retoiça excels in …
Madeira’s Terraced Landscape or Poios Suspended gardens, terraces and stone walls are man-made constructions. These ensure farmers have land to cultivate even on steep hills and in spite of environmental limitations. Moreover, these terraced landscapes provide inhabitants throughout all mountainous regions in the world with farmland. Here on Madeira, terraced plots are part of …
Madeira Nature Festival The Madeira Nature Festival celebrates Madeira’s unique natural heritage by promoting outdoor activities. Its goal is to bring humans closer to nature. Therefore, this festival is ideal for the adventure-thirsty and sports lovers, who are eager to spend more time outdoors to discover all that the island has to offer. The yearly …
Quinta Vigia The Quinta Vigia, previously called Quinta das Angústias, is an old mansion in Funchal located next to the Parque de Santa Catarina. Residence of the President Before becoming the official residence of the President of the Regional Government Funchal in 1984, the Quinta was home to several historical figures, such as Russian Prince …
Portugal has a long history of using tiles. Azulejos or tiles are part of Portugal culture. Azulejos on Madeira: These blue tiles adorn buildings and walls across Portugal and Madeira. Moorish – Spanish Influence The use of tile in Portugal is an inheritance of Islamic culture borrowed from Spain after the Moors left back home …
