About me: I’m originally from Lisbon and I have lived in Madeira since 1999. After graduating with a degree in Business Communication I worked in the Sales & Marketing teams, as well as in Management for various hotels. Since 2008 I have been the Marketing Coordinator for the Madeira Promotion Bureau.

What I like about my job?: My job unites “the best of both worlds” – communicating with people who are connected with the tourism sector and with the general public too.  It is an exciting blend that requires a high degree of empathy and creativity.  I come into contact with many different cultures and must constantly learn so that I remain at the cutting edge and not miss new trends.

What’s  special about working in Madeira?: We try to make dreams come true and we “sell” an experience – so it is much more interesting than marketing shampoo!  In this respect, Madeira offers a huge amount: it is an exotic but very safe island, with a mild climate, and easy to reach from Europe by a short flight.  The beautiful scenery, stunning views and opportunities for a wide variety of activities make it a great destination.

My favourite places in Madeira: I like Ponta do Sol (a small, charming village on the south coast), the mountains in the north of the island and also the Chão da Ribeira valley where the lush vegetation makes you feel as if you were in Hawaii, or New Guinea. The Barreirinha Bar Café is also a great place to go for a drink after dinner.

What not to miss: Fajã dos Padres on a beautiful summer day is the perfect place to swim, sunbathe and enjoy delicious fresh fish and a glass of white wine. The cove can only be reached by boat, or an elevator that goes down the steep cliff – which is very exciting.
Castelo dos Hamburgers is a small family-run shop serving the world’s best burger – you have to try it!  I would also recommend trying the Bodião, which is parrot fish – a speciality that is less well-known than the traditional black scabbard fish but just as delicious.                                                                                                                                                  Paragliding is not for the faint hearted but for those looking for adventure, a flight over Madeira is just the thing.  During the tandem flight you can rely on a professional partner and enjoy the view of the island from above – fantastic!

“Research shows that the island’s golden sand contains therapeutic properties. Rich in minerals, it helps restore, for starters, lack of salts in the body caused by stress and fatigue….”

Read the full article from Richard Webber’s trip to Porto Santo featured on TheTravelEditor.com 

As one of the world’s top windsurfing destinations Madeira’s subtropical climate, deep and temperate waters and spectacular scenery make it a stunning host for this year’s championship, held in Funchal Bay from 23^rd February 1^st March 2012.

Visitors to Madeira over this period will have the opportunity to join in the excitement and watch top windsurfers gliding over waves on boards that reach incredible speeds of up to 30 knots.  For water sports fans who are impatient for the London 2012 Olympic Games to begin,  the championship is an important precursor to the sailing events due to be held in the UK at Weymouth and Portland Harbour later this year.

Madeira’s own João Rodrigues is an ambassador for the event.  A windsurfing world champion, he has represented Portugal in the Olympic Games for over 16 years, 121 international competitions and won 51 medals.  Last June he entered the Guinness Book of Records by windsurfing more than 160 consecutive miles, in 10 hours, from the island of Madeira to Selvagem Grande Island, part of the Savage Islands located above the Canaries in the North Atlantic Ocean.

From 15th to 22nd February the streets of Funchal will be flooded with fantastical parades, crazy costumes and spectacular sounds.  Visitors and residents alike will party island- style, as the traditional ‘Mardi Gras’ or Shrove Tuesday celebrations are taken to heady heights.

Marking the beginning of the Christian festival of Lent, Funchal’s bars and restaurants will open their doors to host bands and live music, whilst decorations light up the island and Atlantic waters beyond.

Charlotte Jones, editor of the travel blog Charlotte’s VVeb, discovers adventure, marine wonders and relaxation in Madeira.  Here’s her report from a recent visit.I’ve got to say, cycling downhill at speed through the bustling streets of Funchal was not what I had in mind when I was sent to Madeira.  Where were the flowers, the rolling picturesque hills, and community of retired, ex-pat Brits? I frantically pedalled up and down in a desperate attempt to keep up with our terribly attractive and sporty guide who proceeded to navigate the hilly streets like a pro. Despite making me look obese (I’m not) and showing me up for just how unfit I was (I am) the guide Carina, was a delightful girl who seemed on a mission to change the perception about Madeira.

While cycling was fun (in retrospective) I was glad for a change of pace. Retreating to my beautiful room at the city centre The Vine Hotel I indulged in a relaxing bath in my giant bathtub before heading to the spa for a facial. The Vine and I share one common love – wine.  Even the spa menu is created around the positive powers of my favourite tipple.  I’m pleased to say that instead of leaving me with that unattractive rosy glow I often encounter after leaving the pub on a Friday night, the wine-inspired facial ensured I departed the spa with perfectly smooth and rejuvenated skin.  If cycling was my penance, glowing skin was my reward – one I was willing to suffer sore thighs for too!

In some respects the cycling was actually a bonus because that evening, after sipping refreshing gin and tonics on the chic terrace which provides dramatic views across the city and sea, we were ushered into the restaurant and indulged in a feast.  The wine was flowing, as expected, and I’ll be honest, as a result I can’t recount what I ate, but I know it was a culinary triumph.

The following day posed something of a dilemma.  I am not really at one with the sea.   I love to swim but I’m not a huge fan of boats.  Unfortunately, the enthusiastic mountain bike guide had teamed up with a local marine biologist (also incredibly attractive and intelligent – these Madeira ladies were proving serious competition!) to launch dolphin- and whale-watching tours.  In order to do this, this required me to get on a boat.  

It proved less horrific than I actually anticipated and although I declined the opportunity to swim with the dolphins we did spot (incredibly quickly) it was still special to see them. Naturally you were not allowed to touch them and you could only stay for a short time – the emphasis was very much on conservation rather than tourism and I liked that.

After the dolphins I wondered what else could wow me but I didn’t have to wait long to find out.  The boat dropped us off at a tiny, remote restaurant. We were served all manner of dishes, mostly seafood, and drank copious quantities of delicious wine.  As that post-feast fatigue set in, we reclined in the sun and took an afternoon nap – what a luxury.

The only thing left to do was actually spot some of the flowers and retreat into those hills!  After walking through the hills and learning about the levadas we headed for a holistic retreat where we could partake in a little yoga while overlooking the sparking blue sea.  I’m a total yoga novice but it convinced me I needed to do more exercise.  I left the retreat (only after consuming healthy tea and a good slice of cake) in a state of nirvana.

It seemed fitting that the final night would be spent at Choupana Hills Resort & Spa – a gorgeous Asian-inspired resort which overlooks Funchal.  As with hotels in Asia, the service was exceptional. I was in some sort of Thai paradise, yet I was just a short plane journey from London. How was this possible?  The veranda of my individual chalet seemed the fitting place to sip some famous Madeira wine while stargazing.

That’s not to say that Madeira was all relaxing or all exhilarating.  It was an odd combination of both.  Would I return? Yes – if only to smell the burning of rubber shoes while being pushed down a hill in a giant wicker basket with two other screaming girls.

Read more from Charlotte’s VVeb at www.charlottesvveb.com/about

Here, the dramatic topography and clear sub-tropical waters brought in by the Gulf Stream culminate in an awe-inspiring sub-aqua experience enjoyed all year round.

With sea cliffs dropping sharply to depths of 3,000 metres, Madeira’s deep and temperate waters, ranging from 17°C – 24°C, provide a colourful home for dolphins, whales and a dazzling host of sea creatures.

The protected biosphere of the Parcial do Garajau Nature Reserve which hugs Madeira’s southern shore famously attracts a rare combination of warm and cold water species, including Barracudas, Mediterranean Moray, White Sea Bream, Monkfish, Turtles and even the colossal Atlantic Manta Ray.

Providing the chance to spot the monk seal – Europe’s most endangered mammal – on the Desertas Islands Nature Reserve and explore wrecks such as the Bom Rei (Bowbelle) at Madalena do Mar and the sunken Madeirense, which was famously shipwrecked off the coast of Porto Santo in 2000, Madeira is a diving and snorkelling paradise, attracting a wealth of underwater flora and fauna and scuba divers alike.

Thanks to its remarkable coastline, truly breathtaking array of sea life, and magnificent variety of dive points, Madeira is a scuba goldmine for all abilities.

Clube de Golf Santo da Serra is a Robert Trent Jones Snr. designed course which has a dramatic cliff-edge setting.   This 27 hole course has been described by Thomas Cook Magazine as the ‘glittering jewel in Madeira’s golfing crown’ and is the oldest in the archipelago.

The 18 hole Palheiro Golf , designed by Cabell B. Robinson is set within a staggering 200 year old estate  and has breathtaking views over Funchal.  This course has the eco angle down to a tee and only uses electrically powered buggies.   Those who’ve overdone the overswing can relax with a Golfer’s delight massage at the estate’s own spa at the Relais & Chateaux hotel,  the Casa Velha do Palhiero .

Golfers should be sure to take their clubs to the Porto Santo Golfe, designed by the super-cool Severiano Ballesteros and located next to a 9km stretch of golden sand. The Madeira Islands Open, part of the PGA European Tour has been held on this course since 2009.

Take in the views from Madeira’s levada trails

Dating back as far as the early 16^th century, they were originally created to channel water from the wetter northern parts of the island to the drier southern slopes.  These days, as well as supplying homes, towns and agriculture, the water in the levadas helps to generate hydroelectricity to power the island.

Winding their way across Madeira’s spectacular landscapes, the levadas have paths running alongside them, meaning that they make perfect walking trails for anyone wanting to explore the island’s stunning scenery or access some of its more remote villages.  Twisting and turning as they traverse the hillsides and with a total length of more than 1,500km, the levada trails present walkers with ever-changing views.

Walking the levadas is also one of the best ways to explore Madeira’s ancient laurel forest, recognised by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site in 1999.

Whether you’re an experienced walker or just like the occasional stroll, there’s a levada trail to suit you – from gentle meandering pathways to longer walks that tackle the full range of Madeira’s dramatic geography.