All about the natural beauty and riches of Madeira. From Laurissilva forest, ocean creatures, to cloud milking
What is the Pico Ruivo? Pico Ruivo is the highest peak on Madeira. Pico Ruivo is 1,861 metres (6,106 ft) high and provides some of the most incredible views of the island from coast to coast, but unpredictable weather conditions can make it quite dangerous. It can be reached only by foot, usually either from Pico …
The Pico de Ariero With its altitude of 1818 meters the Pico de Arieiro is the third highest peak on the island. But fortunately this one can be reached by car. There are no lush forests here, just a tall mountain towering the clouds, which are playing catch and seek with the mountain peaks. …
Hiking on Madeira Madeira is a fantastic destination for hiking lovers. In fact, that is because Madeira has a huge network of levadas covering large parts of the island. Notably, a levada is a small water channel, typically in concrete. Now there are two interesting rules about levadas (or any aquaduct). One is that the …
Who should see this? The flora lovers won’t be disappointed when visiting Madeira island. You’ll have plenty to do with no less than 37 gardens and parks to explore and wander through. One of them, the Monte Palace Tropical Garden, displays a rich and outstanding collection of plants from all over the world. Interestingly, it …
Dolphin and Whale–watching In Madeira, like in other parts of the world, marine mammals have passed from being a hunting resource to a (eco)tourism resource. In the Whale Museum you’ll learn all about Madeira’s past as a whaling island. The maritime region of Madeira Island is actually one of the best whale-watching sites in the …
Porto Moniz Porto Moniz is a charming small village perched on the dramatic north western tip of Madeira. The region offers towering mountains and views over endless deep Atlantic Ocean blue. Historically, the topography of the region isolated Porto Moniz from the rest of the island. Yet it survived by specialising in whaling, a practice …
What to expect from the laurel forest The Laurisilva or laurel forest of Madeira is a true garden of Eden. Visiting it is much like traveling back 3 million years to a typical Western European forest. On the whole, that’s because the laurel forest is an outstanding relict of a previously widespread laurel forest type. …
Cabo Girão Protected Area Cabo Girao is one of the highest cliffs in the World and the highest European cape. Above all, it is famous for its suspended glass platform. For instance, here is an intersting fact. Did you know that: It owes its name to the fact that it was the starting and ended …
Madeira and VALCONMAC The projects “VALCONMAC” stands for the Valorisation and Conservation of Forest Resources in Macaronesia. The project aims to identify, conserve, rehabilitate and protect the ecosystems of Macronesias’s unique forest habitats. The specific areas are thus of incalculable beauty and contain unique tress species and groves. Source: European Union Website. Macronesia The Macronesia …
Carrot fossil found on Madeira A carrot fossil found on Madeira Island is the world oldest. More specifically, the lucky scientist discovered the specimen in Porto da Cruz. Furthermore, Porta da Cruz belongs to the Camara of Machico. This finding is important for several reasons. Firstly, the Insular Syndromes Plants on oceanic insular islands can …
Life Programme – European Union Life Dunas is part of the greater LIFE programme. The latter is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment and climate action created in 1992. The previous funding period 2014-2020 had a budget of €3.4 billion. The report on the LIFE programme’s impact on nature and society is available. It …
