Madeira

[karogorka]

Hello, I have a few question.
Is Madeira's popularity deserved? is it an island very similar to Hawaii, as they write about? Has anyone tried the famous Madeira wine? is it hard to get those?

Madeira is a volcanic island, so in that way it's similar to Hawaii. Hawaii is hot and tropical though, which Madeira is not. If you want to visit a volcanic island that not too far from home, then Madeira is one of several you could go to. Madeira is a fortified wine. You can buy it in the UK if you want to try it.

I can understand why Madeira is so popular - got back from a week there last week, temperatures range from 26-29 during our stay. Great food, friendly people, warm sea and plenty to do/see. There are no white sandy beaches though if that’s what you want.
Make sure you are aware of what will happen if you can’t land or take off from the airport - very common. We got diverted to Tenerife for 4 hours, others in the plane had previously spent days in Portugal and some even sent back to UK. Knowing that makes me reluctant to return.

We love Madeira, have been several times and fortunately have not had any landing problems. It is an island of many parts, tropical in some, Mediterranean climate in others. ( I know it’s not in the med).
The scenery is spectacular, the people are friendly and the food is lovely. We stay in Funchal, which is a vibrant small city and more or less on the flat. A lot of the large hotels are built on the hills surrounding Funchal. Great views, but we like to get out in the evening for a wander to a restaurant.
If going for the first time, I’d not hire a car as the roads are quite hairy at times, but go on a small 4x4 tour, also a wine tour and a walking food tour round Funchal. But don’t eat before hand!

I wasn't that fussed about it. Found Funchal a bit dull. We hired a car and the driving was a little bit hairy at times. We went walking and there was some nice hiking. To be honest though I did find it a bit middle aged and dull, same as me really...

If you’re interested in Madeira, I’d check out the Azores too. The Azores are absolutely gorgeous!

Madeira is good. We went for New Year's - great fireworks display in Funchal, pleasant weather (though can be changeable).

We found it a pleasant holiday location - generally calm, some good hiking. We hired a car for one day, didn't find the roads too challenging, but we live rurally in the UK... so narrow roads are normal.

Currently considering Madeira for a week at the end of November, does anyone have experience of what the weather may be like and if the pools are warm enough for swimming?

We are booked to go in April, our first foreign holiday in a few years so hope it's ok. have colleagues who have been recently and loved it. We like a quiet holiday, good food, looking forward to the Portugese custard tarts !

I absolutely loved Madeira! I’ve been to both Madeira and Hawaii and have to say I preferred Madeira (much to my husbands dismay as it’s obviously a lot cheaper airfare!) I would recommend staying in Funchal but explore the rest of the island as it is stunning. We hired a car at the start but driving around Madeira is not for the faint hearted, wasn’t the safest. So I’d recommend booking some trips on get your guide as these are coaches. Must dos are Sexial beach - voted one of the most beautiful in Europe and Porto Moniz for the natural pools. Enjoy!

We had no issues driving in Madeira, even the mountain roads are wide and well maintained. It’s worth getting a car for the flexibility of moving around the island.