“A nomad I will remain for life, in love with distant … places.” – Isabelle Eberhardt 

Located almost 1000 kilometers (600 miles) from the European mainland, distant Madeira and its sister island Porto Santo may have been visited by the Romans before Christ, the Vikings in the 10th century, and the Genovese in the 1300s, before a couple of Portuguese captains shipwrecked here in 1419. The Portuguese crown lay its claim in what was the first territorial discovery of the European “Age of Discovery”, and settlement of Madeira, which means the island of wood, began the following year.

Funchal gained city status in 1514 when the ornate gothic Cathedral of our Lady of the Assumption was dedicated. Given its great distance from the mainland, it was soon elevated to an archdiocese. The Portuguese crown built the harbor and the Sao Tiago Fortress in the 1600s to promote the local sugar cane trade and to protect ships trading between the old and new worlds. Here, supplies of all types were taken on for the long voyages, including the fortified wine, now known as Madeira.

This volcanic island has a mild climate year-round though snow falls annually in the mountain range that extends along the island’s center. Changeable weather leaves the steep north shore and the remote interior ravines wet, but the south is dry. This led the Portuguese to build an extensive system of Lavadas, or water channels, in the 1500s to conduct water from hilly areas of high rainfall to the dryer farmland.

Cut from rock, much of the many kilometers of Levadas now have paths alongside, creating perfect terrain for hikes through Madeira’s subtropical laurel forests. From downtown Funchal, the gondola up to Monte provides a starting point for numerous walks, several down to the city with lunch stops dotted along the way. After taking in uninterrupted views of Funchal, another way to return to the city is in a wicker basket, steered and run down 2 kilometers of steep streets by men in boater hats and white suits. This slightly scary tradition remains from the 1800s when this mode of downward travel was the norm for the locals. Of Madeira’s many seductively scented gardens, the botanical and tropical gardens are located on Monte. Nearby Palheiro golf course is as challenging as it is breathtaking, set in the hills overlooking the ocean.

Funchal’s old town, the Zona Velha, with cobbled streets and the principal street, Rua de Santa Maria, dates from the 1400s. The nearby two-story exotic and very colorful farmer’s market stocks exotic fruits, spices, flowers, and fish, reminiscent of the provisions for which early navigators stopped here. Reminders of the island’s volcanic past are everywhere, from Funchal’s Municipal Square with its black fountain and black and white paving to the beautifully patterned sidewalks, laid with volcanic stone. A drive out of town and along winding mountain roads past picturesque towns to the north shore reveals the same: a black sand beach in Seixal and a spectacular natural lava pool at Porto Moniz.

Don’t miss:

A gondola ride up to Monte and the unique wicker sled ride back down.

Lunch Tip:

The Ritz Madeira open balcony for local food and a view overlooking the fragrant Municipal Garden.

Bedtime:

The Vine, a chic urban hotel atop a small shopping mall with gorgeous rooms and a scenic rooftop pool/bar.

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*All photographs are mine, taken with my Nikon D3100 or iPhone 8.*