“There is a land to discover here, with sea, mountains and a people, where the days are warm and welcoming; a haven that receives and cherishes all.” It is in this loving, poetic tone that journalist Marta Caires speaks of Madeira. “Here the sea is the colour of lead, imbuing one with a sense of seclusion, longing, nostalgia and a measure of the infinite. The island’s “levadas” (traditional irrigation channels) tear through escarpments and transport water across a forest that appears luxuriant on sunny days and enchanted in foggy weather.” Marta Caires then evokes Funchal, the city where she was born 43 years ago and where, in 2014, she launched her book “Crónicas de Marta Caires – Um Extraordinário Regresso a Casa” (“The Marta Caires Chronicles – An Extraordinary Return Home”). This is a city that should be visited during springtime, when the jacaranda and tipuana trees are in full bloom, or in December, when the locals transform themselves, casting their worries aside. According to Marta, those who travel to Madeira should explore the green wilderness of the island’s North Coast and not leave without also visiting Porto Santo, where they will find “the best beach in the country”. Another must is risking a downhill ride in a wicker basket sled – a “regional eccentricity”.
AND HER BEST OF IS…
VISIT: Jardim Botânico, Museu de Arte Sacra, Museu Quinta das Cruzes, Fortaleza do Pico, Convento de Santa Clara, Igreja do Colégio, Fanal, 25 Fontes, Caldeirão Verde; ACTIVITIES: Walks in the levadas, boat rides for whale and dolphins watching, canyoning down a river; SLEEP: The Cliff Bay, The Vine, Quinta Jardins do Lago, Quinta das Vistas, Estalagem da Ponta do Sol, Four Views Baía, Hotel Madeira, Porto Santa Maria, VidaMar, Torre Praia; EAT: Il Gallo d’ Oro, O Celeiro, Doca do Cavacas, O Calhau, Café do Museu, Loja do Chá, A Confeitaria; CAFÉS: 23 Vintage Bar, Noir; NIGHTLIFE: Vespas, Jam, Scat; SHOPPING: Blandy’s, Barbeito, Henriques e Henriques, Justino’s.
