The Finest Properties in Madeira

About Madeira

The Climate In Madeira

The climate is tropical and fairly uniform throughout the year allowing tourist to enjoy the sun in summer and in winter too. Air temperatures fluctuate between 16º and 19º C in winter to 23 - 28º C in summer. Annual average is around 25ºC.

Helpfull facts on Madeira

Madeira is an island of sunshine, beauty and friendship. Only 36 miles long and 18 miles wide, Madeira squeezes in some of the worlds most breathtaking scenery. Dramatic mountain peaks and valleys tumble down to an ocean covered in an abundance of exotic flowers. Hire a car, take a tour or simply walk on the lavadas (a complex irrigation system). The capital Funchal is a charming old city nestling against a backdrop of green hills. It is a fascinating place of narrow streets, colonial houses and places of cultural interest including the famed Madeira wine lodges.

The Portuguese found Porto Santo in 1418 and Madeira in 1419.

Prince Henry the Navigator was one of his time's most skilled seafarers. He educated young seamen and discoverers in the art of navigation.
Two of his students were João Gonçalvez Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira.

One day in 1418, the prince gave the two young sailors permission to equip a ship and sail south along the west coast of Africa. A storm took them off course and they ended up at the island we know as Porto Santo. Teixeira stayed with a few of his men while Zarco sailed back to Portugal to inform about the new island.

The prince became enthusiastic and sent Zarco back with large supplies and more crew. When they reached Porto Santo, Teixeira could tell them about the contours of an even larger island in the southwest seen sometimes in clear weather.

Some of the crew and supplies were left at Porto Santo while Zarco and Teixeira sailed out to find this island. They landed in Machico and named the long tongue of land São Lourenço, after Zarcos' ship.

Geography

Madeira Island is the largest and most important island in the Archipelago of Madeira which is located South West of Portugal (approx. 1 000km from Lisbon). The other main island in the archipelago and the first to be discovered is Porto Santo. Known as the "Golden Island", Porto Santo is a much smaller than Madeira and very different - the land is flatter and vegetation is scarce, making it more arid than Madeira. The main attraction is the beautiful golden soft sandy beach stretching approx. 9km long.

Currency

Madeira is now in the Euro € & the average exchange rate from the UK pound to the Euro is £1.00-1.41€

The climate is fairly dry with around 80 days of rain each year, most of which occurs during the winter months and usually altitudes of between 700m and 1350m.
The telecommunication and postal services includes latest technology with direct dialing to and from anywhere in the world, plus an express mail service.

Access

The success of the island has always depended on good communications. The Archipelago has airports on both the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo. Direct flights are available from many European cities including, London Gatwick,Manchester,Bristol, Paris,Frankfurt, Milan,Madrid, Zürich and Lisbon.

Life,Culture & Leisure

Due to its geographical location and traditional links with foreign countries, Madeira has been welcoming European gentry since the early 1900's, particularly from the United Kingdom. The available infrastructure for sports - such as golf, tennis, mountain-climbing, horse-riding, fishing, sailing and many more are extensive and its rare mild climate allows for some of the most fascinating and exotic flora and fauna in the world. Many of the flowers you see are exclusive and indigenous to Madeira Island.

Population

The population is presently around 280,000 and is rather unevenly distributed.75% live in Funchal, Camara de Lobos, Machico and Santa Cruz ,south of the island. although 10,5% of the population are over the age of 65, the 0-14 age group represents around 31% of the total population.

Time

Madeira operates on GMT,The Same time as the UK.