Madeira is a small quiet sub-tropical island off the west coast of Portugal that is popular with tourists for its beautiful locations and is hot all year round. The people of the island are just as warm and inviting as the island itself. The capital of the island is Funchal, which is a modern city with all the usual services and amenities.
Madeira offers many sporting activities, especially in its Atlantic ocean. From swimming, diving, surfing to water skiing and sailing from almost anywhere along the coast, there is no shortage of things to do for people who enjoy the water. Even if you enjoy the water but prefer not to get wet, you may also enjoy going whale and dolphin watching and see many varieties of these magnificent mammals close up in their natural habitat as well as some rare species of sea birds that are unique only to this area in the world. Many people also enjoy hiking around the island for its magnificent views atop its tall mountains. For the families with kids, there are theme parks and aqua parks on the island that will be sure to entertain both the young and old in their range and variety of activities.
There are several fine restaurants over the island offering a large variety of quality dishes from regional specialities and specialised fish restaurants to local and international cuisines - there will be some place you can find whatever you enjoy. Madeira also has many modern shopping complexes with hundreds of different shops with well known well known chains of stores throughout but especially in the capital of Funchal; surely the first port of call you'll wish to visit if you have the slightest interest in shopping. Although quite popular with tourists, the nightlife of Madeira is largely localised to the capital city where you will find the island's best bars and nightclubs. Going away from Funchal and you'll find the nightlife to be much less or completely non-existant in some places.
Looking for self catering holiday accommodation in Madeira? Then below is a selection of holiday villas in Madeira and holiday apartments in Madeira that can be rented direct from their owners. You can either click on each listing for further details or you can use our search engine on the left if you are looking for something in particular.
