Funchal In Madeira For The First Time Tourist
The Madeira Archipelago is a tourist location that most American tourists only visit during a short stop. The reason for this is that most US based tourists to Madeira have come courtesy of one of the many Atlantic cruise liners. As is the norm when travelling on cruise ships, these liners only dock in port for a few hours before departing once more again for another port of call. The shortness of visit is a pity since Madeira has a vast selection of attractions to offer it's visitors.
As a person engaged in the Madeira tourist industry, I often get approached to suggest a timetable so that the whole island can be seen in a single day. It is perfectly reasonable for travellers to expect this. After all, if you look at Madeira on a map, you will find that the island is barely 14 miles across and 33 miles long.
In the recent past, the challenging volcanic terrain meant that taking a journey by car was laborious and difficult. Up until 20 years ago, the only way to drive from one end of the island to the other was by using old, narrow, mountainside roads that were typified by hairpin bends and almost vertical drops alongside. Certainly not a choice past-time if you suffered from an absence of a head for heights or travel sickness!
For the benefit of both locals and tourists alike, nowadays, Madeira cherishes a motorway network that makes fast and trouble free travel the rule rather than than an exception. However, touring the entire island in a just a few hours would simply not give justice to the full extent of landscapes, noteworthy towns and villages and tourist attractions that Madeira has to offer. As a more realistic alternative, I would suggest that you opt for an excursion that covers just one area or aspect of Madeira.
Hence, for the visitor with restricted time, what is the tour operator excursion that offers the most?
Well, for people who haven't visited Madeira before, I would strongly suggest a city jaunt around Funchal, the island's capital. As all cruise ships drop anchor in Funchal harbour, this choice will consists of minimum travelling mileage.
Funchal and its suburbs have plenty of interesting attractions to visit that cater for almost everyone, no matter what their own personal likes and dislikes. A top five list would definitely hold these choices:
Take the Funchal cable car departing from the seafront promenade up to the remote mountain village of Monte. As your cable car cabin conveys you up you will be offered some simply amazing views of the roof tops of the city. You will also gain an aerial view of your cruise liner at anchor in the harbor - this is the ideal opportunity if you want to snap a special photograph of it.
Having completed your cable car journey, your first stop should be the church at Monte. This church, regarded with profound respect by the islanders, occupies the exact location where the first chapel on island was built. This chapel, if Portuguese folklore is trustworthy, was built by the first children to be born on the island, twins appropriately named Adam and Eve. Inside the church, you will discover the final resting place of the last Habsburg Holy Roman Emperor.
If you delight in things botanical, then stop by at the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. These exquisite gardens, built into the mountainside, have intricate displays of trees, shrubs and flowers from the four corners of the earth along with a variety of cultural objects that are housed in and around the grounds. In particular, look out for the charming Oriental Garden and the collection of ceramic tiles that includes examples spanning 150 years.
When you find it time to leave Monte, head for the unique Monte Toboggans ride. These icons of traditional Madeiran transport are constructed from large, flimsy, wicker baskets secured to ski-like wooden runners. Having seated yourself down, a couple of skilled steering side-runners will guide your ancient form of transport downward along the steep twisting roads. Ernest Hemmingway once described this ride as the most exhilarating experience of his life. Unfortunately, in this modern age concerned with health and safety, it now takes a form that is not so breathtaking, but you will still enjoy an experience that is unlike any other in the world.
When you disembark from your Monte Toboggan, you will be looking for a refreshing, but more calm, moment. It's now time to return back to the center of Madeira's capital city and choose from the many restaurants and cafes that are available.
Overlooking the yacht Marina there are some high quality fish restaurants. Here, you can guarantee that each and every dish offered will have been purchased in the local fresh fish market earlier that morning.
Or, you could choose to head for the side streets where some of the more intimate cafes have a selection of typical Madeiran dishes at very affordable prices. You could find yourself sipping a post meal glass of Madeira wine in a converted old wine cellar. Or, possibly, sampling the delights of espetada, a traditional beef meal cooked by laying cubes of meat over the flames of an open fire on skewers, whilst being entertained by a traditional Madeiran folk troupe.
Whatever your choice, I can guarantee that, as your cruise liner sails out into the Atlantic ocean and the mountain tops of Madeira fade into the blur of the horizon, you will be drawing up fresh plans to visit this delightful Portuguese outpost once again.
Robert James B.Sc (Hons) is the editor of http://www.love-madeira.com the independent Madeira travel guide. He has enjoyed visiting the island on numerous occasions and highly recommends that one of the first attractions visitors try is the Monte Toboggan ride, details of which may be found at http://www.love-madeira.com/monte-toboggan-madeira.php.
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