Madeira, officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal, the other being the Azores. It is an archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean, in a region known as Macaronesia, just under 400 kilometers (250 mi) north of the Canary Islands and 520 kilometers (320 mi) west of Morocco. Madeira is geologically located on the African Tectonic Plate, though the archipelago is culturally, economically, and politically European. Its population was 251,060 in 2021. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, located on the main island's south coast.

The territory includes the island of Madeira and two archipelagoes (Porto Santo and Desertas Islands) administered by the region.

The Madeira Islands have an indigenous population of plants and animals, including flightless finches unique to the archipelago. Its flora, particularly in the upland zone, is highly diverse and features plants found nowhere else in the world. This has led to the designation of the entire archipelago as a botanical reserve and helped Madeira to become one of the world's top tourism destinations.

In addition, it is the only place where the rare giant sunflower, a species of Plantago, is native. The islands have a rich oceanic ecosystem, a near-pristine example of the maritime terranes formed following the Gondwana supercontinent's breakup. They are home to many endemic species, including land and marine mammals, birds, and plants.

Climate

Madeira has many different bioclimates. Based on differences in sun exposure, humidity, and annual mean temperature, there are apparent variations between north- and south-facing regions, as well as between some islands. The Gulf Stream and Canary Current strongly influence the islands, giving them mildly warm year-round temperatures. Madeira is always cool and humid, with temperatures rarely reaching 30 °C (86 °F). The average rain period lasts from October to May, with May being the wettest month. It is drier in the mountains, where the average rainfall is about 600 mm (24 in), decreasing near sea level, where it reaches 500 mm (20 in).

The archipelago's largest city, Funchal, on the island of Madeira, enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate. With wet winters and dry summers, the average annual temperature in Funchal is about 20 °C (68 °F). The average summer temperature is about 23 °C (73 °F), and the average winter temperature is about 16 °C (61 °F).

Cuisine

Fishes

Because of the geographic situation of Madeira in the Atlantic Ocean, the island has an abundance of fish of various kinds. The species that are consumed the most are Espada (black scabbardfish), bluefin tuna, white marlin, blue marlin, albacore, bigeye tuna, wahoo, spearfish, skipjack tuna, and many others are found in the local dishes as they are located along the coast of Madeira. Espada is often served with bananas. Bacalhau is also popular, as it is in Portugal. Seafood dishes are mainly served grilled, fried, or boiled.

Among the dishes that include fish is Bouche de Tres Rios, a traditional canned fish dish from Madeira. The Cataplana is a popular Madeira dish with meat, fish, and seafood served as a stew with onions, tomatoes, and coriander. Another dish popular on the island for centuries is "Carreteiro" an omelet made with wine and spices.

Meats

Madeira has many different meat dishes, one of the most popular being espetada. Espetada is traditionally made of large chunks of beef rubbed in garlic, salt, and bay leaf and marinated for 4 to 6 hours in Madeira wine, red wine vinegar, and olive oil, then skewered onto a bay laurel stick and left to grill over smoldering wood chips. These are so integral a part of traditional eating habits that a unique iron stand is available with a T-shaped end, each branch of the "T" having a slot in the middle to hold a brochette (espeto in Portuguese); a small plate is then placed underneath to collect the juices. The brochettes are long and have a V-shaped blade to pierce the meat more easily.

Bread

Meals are usually accompanied by the local bread called bolo do caco, a circular Madeiran flatbread shaped like a cake and thus called bolo (Portuguese for 'cake'). It is traditionally cooked on a caco, a flat basalt stone slab. The garlic butter is usually added on top of the bolo and eaten with the hands. It is not cut into slices but torn apart; it can also be eaten with octopus, espetada, milho frito, or as a prego (steak) sandwich.

There is also a type of naan bread similar to pita bread called pão ázimo and the pastel de nata (an egg tart). Folar da Madeira is a dish that consists of a filo-pastry filled with manjerico and covered with goat cheese, then finally baked in a wood oven. The dish has a sweet flavor and scent.

Another popular Madeiran snack is milho frito (fried millet). It is served like an olive tapenade, with a piece of crusty bread and olives. It is a popular dish in Madeira, similar to the Italian dish polenta frittata.

Desserts

Madeira is famous for its sweets. Some of them are the "Migas" (literally translated as crumbs) which is a thick variety of crêpe made with flour, milk, and eggs and folded to have the appearance of a small pouch. They are sweetened with sugar and eaten with lemon juice. "Arroz Doce" is a very traditional dessert.

Traditional pastries in Madeira usually contain local ingredients, one of the most common being Mel de Cana, literally "sugarcane honey" (molasses). The traditional cake of Madeira is called Bolo de Mel, which translates as (Sugarcane) "Honey Cake" and, according to custom, is never cut with a knife but broken into pieces by hand. It is a rich and heavy cake. The cake commonly known as "Madeira cake" in England is named after Madeira wine.

Malasadas are a local confection that is mainly consumed during the Carnival of Madeira. Pastéis de Nata, as in the rest of Portugal, are also very popular.

Fruits

Local farmers also produce fruit and vegetables that create many tasty dishes. Many farmers sell their products directly to local people or in public markets, making buying fresh products easier.

Madeira is known for the high quality of its cherimoya fruits. The Annona Festival is traditional and is held annually in the parish of Faial. This event encourages the consumption of this fruit and its derivatives, such as liqueurs, puddings, ice cream, and smoothies.

Levadas

The island of Madeira is wet in the northwest but dry in the southeast. In the 16th century, the Portuguese started building levadas or aqueducts to carry water to the agricultural regions in the south. However, Madeira is very mountainous, and making the levadas was difficult, often using convicts or enslaved people. Many are cut into the sides of mountains, and it was also necessary to dig 40 km (25 mi) of tunnels, some of which are still accessible.

The most spectacular of the levadas is the "Caminho dos Gigantes" (Path of the Giants), where the route goes into a cliff face of the Pico do Arieiro. Today, more than 5,000 km (3.1 mi) of levadas carry water from the mountains to the island. The island's capital, Funchal, has a large harbor that serves as the port for cruise ships and yachts.

The greatest of these aqueducts is the Esteveira Levada, which extends 18 km (11 mi) across the steep mountains. A stream splashing down into a narrow channel carved from solid rock Ribeira Brava Ditch: In 1585, the first Levada was constructed in Ribeira Brava.

Drywalls support the Levada. The steepest sections had wooden steps called escadas. Traditionally the central Madeira wine regions were separated by the levadas, but today transport links have been improved, and the quality of wines has improved. There are around 30 wine estates, most of them in the south. The most famous is probably Aldeia do Xisto, Lajide, and Laranjeiras.

Some levadas are several kilometers long, with vertical drops of up to 400 m (1,300 ft), including the Limia and Machico (ancient name of Machico locality) levadas. The longest one is the Cristiano Ronaldo Levada, a 10 km long aqueduct completed in 1858, which starts at Porto Moniz, passes through Funchal, and ends in Machico.

Conclusion

Madeira is a beautiful Island, prices are on the low side, and most of the people speak English. If you love hiking and fresh food, this is a place to go… And did I mention that it is spotless? You will not find garbage anywhere; everybody cares for their little island.

The last thing, there are freeways everywhere on the Island; they go through the mountains and allow people to travel very fast from one side to another (around 1h max)

More Information

Wikipedia

Visit Madeira