Year: 2015

40 pictures that will make you want to visit Porto Santo Island

Published by From Madeira to Mars

Porto Santo Island has always been my idea of paradise. Possibly yours too? Picture a 9 km long golden sand, deserted beaches, crystal clear blue waters in a volcanic island with around 5400 locals, where? In Europe, right in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, as part of Madeira Island Archipelago, Portugal. It is situated at a distance of 50 Km northeast from Madeira Island. Porto Santo measures 11 Km length and 6 km in width. The highest peak is ‘Pico do Facho’ with 517 mt. The moderate climate is felt all year round with average air temperature of 23ºC (summer) to 19ºC (winter) and a sea temperature from 22ºC (summer) to 17ºC (winter). However, when you mention Portugal as a destination to travellers, you tend to find most tourists heading to Algarve or to Lisbon, considered to be the 2nd best destination in Europe. However for the curious traveller who is willing to run away from the crowds to experience something exclusive, still undiscovered to the majority of the world, you will discover an …

About divorce

Published by From Madeira to Mars

Based on a story (about divorce), I saw a few days ago on TV; Portugal has an average of 70 divorces per day. I decided to share a text I wrote a few years ago. “One of the hardest decisions in a parent’s life is getting divorced. With children life has another meaning, another flavour. It is as if living makes a lot more sense … When I became a mother for the first time, I felt life was better, “Ahhh yes, now, I get this “higher existence” in the world …” But with that same feeling others arise. The sense of not being allowed to fail, to provide, survive and give good examples. Now I cannot go away if I feel like it, I can no longer quit my job and become a volunteer in Africa, I can no longer go “crazy”, live on a daydream state etc. Now it’s time to grow up, you have kids okay? And so begins, a new life; we are all grown up, we are all responsible and …

airbnb madeira

Airbnb na Madeira – Wishlist

Published by From Madeira to Mars

My favourite places to stay in Airbnb – Madeira| In this post, I introduce you to some of my favourite properties to stay in Airbnb Madeira including my own apartment in Funchal. I love discovering new places to stay and to plan little getaways, whenever possible. Some of them I’ve experienced myself, others I can’t wait to visit. Airbnb offers some amazing properties, in fact, there are plenty to choose from luxury to budget rentals in Madeira. If you’re planning to visit Madeira, check these intimate places. They are located all over the Island: by the beach, in the middle of the mountains, with ocean views, in the heart of the capital, you name it. My choice was purely based on my personal preferences, friends recommendations and guest reviews. I hope you like and it inspires you to visit to my beautiful Madeira Island. Let me know which one you would pick! Enjoy!  From Madeira to Mars Apartment | Funchal |Airbnb Madeira 
After travelling across Europe, I’ve stayed in many airbnb apartments and I loved the …

Shopping in Madeira

Shopping in Madeira Island

Published by From Madeira to Mars

 When you visit Madeira, you’ll find the typical souvenir shops that sell Honey cake and Madeira wine. They are both great and I recommend it. However, one of the things I like when I travel is to seek for shops of local designers, which I do not find elsewhere. With this globalization, I always get a bit annoyed to see the same kind of shops everywhere and it delights me when I find a special store or any item that is unique. I also like to go home and whenever I look at that piece, I have a story to tell, being able to associate it with a moment of my life, or the person who gave it me. Incidentally, this is also one of the pleasures of traveling, finding pieces that tell stories (eventually) have a sentimental, timeless value. So I proposed myself to show my readers  special gifts from Madeira. I suggest wonderful gifts to yourself (or to anyone you like giving special gifts to), which are the result of Madeiran creativity, ranging …

10 Coffee Shops with free wifi in Funchal

Published by From Madeira to Mars

10 COFFEE WITH FREE WIFI IN FUNCHAL You can not leave home without your phone? You love to read online news, Facebook updates, post photos on Instagram and check the mail on your phone? This list is for you. We tested 10 free Wi-Fi coffee shops in Funchal. There is also an application called Mandic Magic indicating which are the cafes in the surrounding areas of your location with WiFi. If you know other cool spots or want to make a suggestion, you can leave your comment below the post. 10 COFFEE SHOPS WITH FREE WIFI IN FUNCHAL 1) Barreirinha Bar Cafe An alternative place, very close to the Old town. The music is great and the view is unforgettable. Live DJs at night. A super brunch on Sundays. Largo do Socorro 1 Open Mon-Sun 7-24h 2) Snack Bar Garden Santa Luzia A garden, a park, a lake and na ice-cream. Take your dog for a walk and share his photos on instagram. It also has a beautiful playground. Rua 31 de Janeiro Open Mon-Sun …

Paris for two, 40 tips

Published by From Madeira to Mars

PARIS for Two , 40 tips “She liked to be in Paris, favourable city to lovers, where the taxi chauffeurs never interrupted a kiss …” Anais Nin Paris. Each reunion is like the first time; discovery and excitement. I never get tired of Paris; there is always a new neighbourhood to find, a new spot to relax, a new graffiti to admire … and then there is the Seine, this river of stories to tell, that transports us to another century. I unplug from reality. The sounds of Paris … the movement of Pigale and its mills, the clicks of cameras that shoot in front of the Moulin Rouge, the “bateaux” sailing down the river,  the subway musicians, the sights of tourists sitting on the steps of Montmartre and voices of vendors carrying miniature flashing Eiffel Towers. The colours of Paris, pink (like life there), the green lawns, the grey roofs, the lake in Tuileries Garden and the multi-coloured shops like Pylones. And of course, the smell of “Nutella Crepes”; that addiction. Here I give you 44 tips for Paris for two (Other than …

If Santorini could speak…

Published by From Madeira to Mars

If Santorini could speak, it would tell you that here life is blue. Blue as in the color of the sky, the sea and the 365 domes of the churches that exist on this island (one for each day of the year). Santorini is made from the remains of a volcanic eruption that formed this huge boiler, which looks like a lake, around which are located the beautiful small villages of the island. Santorini has around 15,000 inhabitants. The island’s capital is Fira. The main source of income is tourism and the production of wine. Santorini comes from the name Santa Irene, but its official name is Thera meaning “the most beautiful”. The beaches are black sand except for two, a white sand and a red one (dependent on the geological layer that they are exposed). You can hop on a boat trip to the crater of the volcano. You can swim in volcanic waters, 5 degrees warmer than the usual. Oia is the oldest town, beautiful but crammed with people, especially due to the …

Things to do in Lisbon

Published by From Madeira to Mars

Things to do in Lisbon My cousins Justi&Roberto went recently to Lisbon, to spend a Holiday in Bairro Alto. This wasn’t their first time there, in the University days, they lived in different areas of the city (Benfica, Novas Avenidas, Graça), but nothing compares to the intensity of living in the central frantic Lisbon. Here are their fun things to do in Lisbon: To Sleep in Lisbon: An accommodation in Bairro Alto was our choice.The central location and the possibility of walking into areas where “everything happens” (Principe Real, Chiado, Baixa and Cais do Sodre) was our priority. There are some places with excellent ratings on Booking.com, including ours: rent4rest, which is well located in a quieter street, but very close to the center of nightlife. Contrary to what most people would think, the area is very safe (a friend lent us a smart cabriolet, which we parked in the surrounding streets without any type of vandalism) and we had the privilege, every day at night, to open the windows of the apartment and listen to fado in a nearby restaurant. Book it here. What better Lisbon experience …