EXPLORE MADEIRA WITH US
STEEP VOLCANIC ISLAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ATLANTIC | DIVERSITY & VARIETY | LIGHT & NATURE
Located about an hour and a half southwest of Lisbon, an island awaits you that no longer seems to be in Europe. An island that will spoil you with its colorful variety of flowers, the lush green of the jungle, the famous Laurissilva and the overgrown cliffs, a breathtaking mountain panorama and fantastic views on the Atlantic from almost everywhere, whose inhabitants will give you a friendly welcome and whose climate will do the whole thing is subtropically mild all year round.
EMIGRATE TO MADEIRA
12 REASONS WHY THE FLOWER ISLAND IS A PARADISE FOR EXPATS OF ALL AGE GROUPS
Are you looking for an oasis of safety where you can enjoy your retirement surrounded by beautiful nature?
You want to work where others go on vacation and don't want to miss out on
a variety of leisure activities and exciting cultural and culinary highlights?
Do you want to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city, price increases in every area of life or the tense political situation in your country and would you like to improve your quality of life?
In these cases, the island of Madeira is exactly the right place for you to tackle an air change.
And we are exactly the right partner for you to make your dream come true.
Because the founder of IMMOMADEIRA showed the way: He came, worked, saw and stayed.
Find out here why now is the right time to emigrate to Madeira,
what reasons speak for this
and how we can support you as a partner...
HIGHLIGHTS
FACTS & OUR VERY PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS
TAX PARADISE
Madeira is a quiet and safe oasis, far away from Mediterranean mass tourism and with stable political conditions. And now the TOP destination for emigrants who want to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life and the problems in their country.
Madeira is also a tax haven: if you register your primary residence in Madeira, for example, this offers you many tax advantages.
GOLF
Madeira is the mecca for golfers:
Three courses with fantastic views of the sea, the capital and bay of Funchal and the mountains, playable all year round: Palheiro Golf (on a cliff high above Funchal),Santo da Serra Golf Club (700m high in the mountains) and Porto Santo Golf (on the neighboring island).
And best of all: Michael Otto ran one of the three clubs and would be happy to play a round with you.
HIKING & NATURE
Among the many opportunities for outdoor activities in Madeira, such as canyoning, para-gliding and surfing, hiking is still the undisputed number one.
Whether you take a tour along the levadas, cross the central massif or explore the jungle (UNESCO World Heritage Site Laurisilva), you will encounter breathtaking nature in different climatic zones everywhere.
CULINARY
In addition to gourmet temples, you will find typical Madeiran cuisine all over the island: Bolo de Caco, Lapas, Espetada, Espada and Milho frito are served here. Try the national drink made from sugar cane schnapps, honey and orange juice in the poncha bars. Convince yourself of the varied and exotic range of fruit and vegetables in the market hall Mercado do Lavradores and taste the Madeira wine at Blandys, both in Funchal.
HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Whether you want to do a Panchakarma cure in Portugal's only Ayurveda clinic, have a wellness day, book a treatment after a day of outdoor sports, complete a yoga retreat or do yoga outdoors - on Madeira you will find luxury SPAs, gyms, top stylists, yoga studios, Ashoka Ayurveda and many other facilities for your health and beauty, where you can detoxify, recharge your batteries and feel beautiful.
VIPS & CULTURE
Even Empress Sissi and Winston Churchill appreciated Madeira as an oasis of relaxation. You can not only follow in their footsteps in Madeira, but also visit the facilities of the two currently most famous children on the island during a walk at the port of Funchal: the CR7 Museum with its statue in front - Cristiano Ronaldo in bronze is one of the most popular photo motifs in Madeira - and the Design Center by Nini Andrade Silva.
TRADITION & EVENTS
Every year people from all over the world travel to Madeira to marvel at the lavish illuminations and decorations at Christmas, the unique New Year's fireworks and the traditional processions at the Flower Festival and Carnival.
You can explore Madeira's history and the cultural characteristics of the island on a walk through the old town of Funchal, the Zona Velha.
PORTO SANTO
The neighboring island of Porto Santo, which belongs to Madeira, impresses with its kilometer-long sandy beach, which slopes gently and is therefore particularly suitable for children. Caribbean flair included, because here the Atlantic is turquoise and shows its tame side.
A liner commutes daily between Funchal and Porto Santo and the neighboring island can also be reached by planeen.
TOP 6 VIEWPOINTS
Madeira offers an incredible variety of breathtaking viewpoints.
We introduce you to our personal favorites and take you across the island from east to west.
PONTA DE SAO LOURENCO
We start our journey to the most beautiful viewpoints of Madeira at the extreme eastern tip of the island, at the Ponta de Sao Lourenco, which meanders narrowly into the Atlantic like a tongue of rock and offers many beautiful views on the entire north coast. The PR 8 hiking trail, which is easy to follow, leads over the ridges of the cliffs, from which you can admire the bizarre rock formations and spikes, as well as the view over the deep blue sea to the Ilhas Desertascan.
DOS BALCOES
Let's continue inland and visit the Massif Central, whose fantastic panoramic views are as famous as they are diverse. One of our favorite spots here is the viewing balcony Dos Balcoes, from which on a clear day one can admire the highest peaks of Madeira. This unique mountain panorama includes the Pico Ruivo, the Pico do Areeiro, the Pico das Torres and the Pico do Gato. From the trout breeding station in Ribeiro Friothe easy and short hiking trail PR 11 takes you to the most beautiful balcony in Madeira.
CABO GIRAO
Back in the south of the island, between Camara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava, you will find Europe's highest cliff, Cabo Girao, which you can already see from the west end of the capital, Funchal. This rock giant towers around 600 meters straight out of the Atlantic. Once at the top, the Skywalk glass platform offers a direct view on the small terraced fields on either side of the rock and the sea at the foot of the cape. You can easily drive to Cabo Girao by car.
EAGLE ROCK PENHA D'AGUIA
We continue along the north coast to the 590 high eagle rock Penha D'Aguia in Faial south of Santana. It is one of the most striking landscape points of the island, as it once belonged to the Massif Central from which it was separated by erosion. Now it stands picturesquely lonely, surrounded by small villages directly on the rough and beautiful north coast blessed with high waves and bizarre rock formations and offers a breathtaking panoramic view.
PICO RUIVO
Since we have from Dos Balcoes already marveled at the highest peaks of Madeira, we now want to climb them too. At 1,862 meters the Pico Ruivo is the highest mountain on the island, closely followed by the Pico das Torres (1,852 meters) and the Pico do Areeiro (1,818 meters). During a hike from Pico do Areeiro to the Pico Ruivo (hiking trail PR 1) enjoy this fantastic mountain landscape. View the Pride of Madeira, the Madeiran Bugloss that you can only find on the Flower Island.
FAROL DA PONTA DO PARGO
At the end of the day we head to the westernmost point of Madeira, the Ponta do Pargo. Striped in red and white, the Farol, the lighthouse, rises at a height of around 300 metres. Here we celebrate the most beautiful sunsets on the island and love the view over the southwest coast of our Pearl of the Atlantic. You are now in the sunniest and warmest part of the island, which between Calheta and Ponta do Pargo still offers great potential for property development.
EXTRA TIP VIEWPOINTS
TELEFERICO DO FUNCHAL
Do you want to enjoy fantastic views on the Bay of Funchal, the port and the capital of Madeira by the running (cable)meter without a strenuous hike? Then simply get on the cable car in Rua de Dom Carlos I in the immediate vicinity of Funchal's harbor promenade and travel 550 meters up to Monte. Be sure to visit the pilgrimage church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, whose bright white facade flanked by two towers can already be seen from Funchal. Another highlight of this excursion destination is the exotic Monte Palace Tropical Garden, which delights its visitors with themed gardens, heraldic stones, Azulejo tiles pictures and art exhibitions. Then it's back to Funchal in the traditional basket sled. If you after all feel like hiking, you can hike from Monte along the Levada dos Tornos down to Camacha, from where a bus or taxi will take you back.
WALK THROUGH THE OLD TOWN OF FUNCHAL
The Zona Velha of Funchal is the historic city center of the capital of Madeira.
The narrow cobblestone streets lined with restaurants, bars and old merchants' houses are characteristic.
We will take you on a tour of the old town and tell you our very personal highlights.
The main street is Rua de Santa Maria. The first houses were built here in the 15th century. Back then, the Zona Velha was still a disreputable district, but today it is popular with tourists and locals alike as a nightlife area and a center for local culture and history.
The famous open-air gallery The arT of oPEn doORs on Rua de Santa Maria and the surrounding streets of the old town, where numerous artists have decorated front doors with their motifs, is a real eye-catcher.
ZONA VELHA TOUR
Starting point for our tour through the old town is the farmers' market Mercado dos Lavradores (Largo dos Lavradores). Here you can admire, taste and of course purchase a wide variety of local exotic fruits, vegetables, fish, delicatessen, spices and flowers. Local handicraft products, snack bars and cafes complete the offering.
From the exit of the Mercado on Rua Latino Coelho, we then turn right onto Rua da Boa Viagem and immediately left again onto Rua de Santa Maria. Enjoy the unique atmosphere while strolling through Funchal's oldest street. If you want to try Madeira's most popular drink, we recommend Bar Poncha do Pescador. Poncha is a traditional alcoholic drink made from Aguardente de cana (distilled alcohol from sugarcane juice), honey, sugar and either orange or lemon juice.
Then turn right into the next alley and walk to Largo do Corpo Santo. You are now standing in a picturesque little square in front of the Capela do Corpo Santo church. A visit to the small fisherman's chapel from the 15th century is absolutely worth it, because it may look simple from the outside, but the inside is decorated with magnificent ceiling paintings and carvings.
Further east, Largo do Corpo Santo becomes Rua Portao de Sao Tiago and we are on the direct route to our next highlight, the Fortaleza de São Tiago. When you arrive at Fortaleza de São Tiago, you first enter a magical inner courtyard, which is a popular photo opportunity due to the vintage cars on display there, the glimpses into the dark corridors of the fort and the old dragon trees. The bright yellow fortress from the 17th century was built to protect against the pirate attacks that were still plaguing the Atlantic at the time. You can also visit the viewing terrace, where you can look out over the Atlantic Ocean and the beach below.
On the way to the fort you will pass our second personal tip, the Restaurante Lá ao Fundo (Rua Portão de São Tiago 17), whose beautifully prepared dishes and desserts we particularly recommend for an evening outdoor dinner.
Just behind the Fortaleza de São Tiago you will find our third favorite in the Zona Velha, namely the Barreirinha Bar Café: you sit in the square in front and look directly at the Atlantic, which is why this little cafe at the beginning of Largo do Socorro is one of our favorite places for a chat including a sundowner in the evening.
We head back west along the sea via the Promenade do Funchal and the Promenade Almirante Reis to the Teleférico Funchal-Monte. From here you can take the cable car to the town of Monte, above Funchal, and enjoy the fantastic view over Funchal on the way. Or you can cross the small park where the cable car station is located and which also contains a skate and fitness facility to Rua Dom Carlos I and visit the Madeira Story Center, an interactive museum about the history of Madeira.
Did you enjoy our tour of the old town of Funchal?
Then write to us and we will send you the complete article plus a collection of links by email!
Of course we have many more Madeira tips for you. Write to us what you would like to know more about and we will email you the information you require.
More tips from us, for example our favorite restaurants and beach bars or hiking tours off the beaten track, will follow.
WHY MADEIRA ISLANDS
This fantastic video is not ours, but it shows in spectacular pictures why we love the flower island so much.