All about the natural beauty and riches of Madeira. From Laurissilva forest, ocean creatures, to cloud milking
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 …
Madeira’s subtropical climate Madeira’s subtropical climate makes it a year round destination. Temperatures are Mediterranean and quite stable throughout the year. This together with its unique topography, its traditions and its nature turn Madeira Island into a favorite tourism destination. The average temperatures vary between 17 and 23 degrees. This climate is ideal for many …
Ilhas Selvagens – Selvagens Islands or Savage Islands. The Selvagens Islands is a small Portuguese archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. It is situated some 280 kilometers south of Madeira and 165 kilometers from the Spanish Canary Islands. Your head is tilting right now. Certainly, you are wondering why we write a blog post about savage …
The Funchal Municipal Gardens One of the many points of interest in the capital of Madeira is the Funchal Municipal Garden. Also known as the Dona Amélia Garden (in honour of the former queen of Portugal), it is located in the center of Funchal, north of the Avenida Arriaga. Overall, the gardens cover an area …
