All posts filed under: Madeira

Fine Dining Experiences in Madeira

Published by From Madeira to Mars

Fine Dining Experiences in Madeira If your list of things to do on Madeira Island includes having dinner in a restaurant, worthy of Michelin stars, this article was written for you. Madeira has two Michelin-starred restaurants in Funchal: The Il Gallo d’Ouro Restaurant (with 2 Michelin stars) and the William Restaurant (with 1 Michelin star). Moreover, once a year, around the month of March, the chefs leave the starry sky of their kitchens, to walk a route, the “Stars Route”one of the most prestigious gastronomic events in Portugal. It all started in 2010, when António Trindade, President of the PortoBay group invited his team, namely Benoît Sinthon (Head Chef of Il Gallo d’Oro 2 Michelin-starred restaurant at The Cliff Bay Hotel) to develop an event in the fine dining cuisine. It began in Madeira and toured the country, in several points of reference in the stardom of local and international cuisine. It already has eight editions and brings together dozens of invited chefs and hosts from various countries, namely Portugal, Spain and France, whose restaurants are …

Visit Funchal

40 pictures that will make you want to visit Madeira

Published by From Madeira to Mars

Spend a few days, walking around this historic Island. Take your camera, visit some museums, listen to live music on the streets and have a glass of madeira wine. Listen to the sounds of the gardens: water flowing, birds singing, flowers blooming, it’s a bliss… See how the waves crash onto the the beach pebbles, hear that noise; addictive and relaxing. It covers all the noises inside your head with nothing but the perception of nature’s power – Meditate. Enjoy the sunsets, I mean, PLEASE enjoy the sunsets. Don’t stay inside when the sun sets (or rises) it would be disrespectful to yourself, to do such a thing. The sun shows are unbeatable, the colors, the clouds, the sea, the seabirds, the dolphins, they’re all frequent costumers here. Gaze at those high mountains. How can lava coming out of a vulcano turn into the greenest forests – the Laurissilva forest, since the ice age to our days. Talk about strong, lasting relationships – this one is a keeper. Meet people. People that live in a …

Discovering the Universe of Memories of João Carlos Abreu

Published by From Madeira to Mars

Discovering the Universe of Memories of João Carlos Abreu Life is made of memories, as evidenced by the Universe of Madeiran João Carlos Abreu. This museum is located in São Pedro, in a palace from the 19th century. It also has a beautiful garden and a friendly tea house with delicious cakes and homemade teas. It houses the memories of João Carlos Abreu, journalist, traveler, poet, writer, politician, actor, artist and also former regional director of tourism of Madeira with passage through several countries of the world. He was awarded multiple awards in the areas of tourism and culture. Events such as the Flor Festival, Wine Festival, Carnival Parade, New Year’s Festival and Atlantic Festival are part of its initiative. He has published hundreds of chronicles, two Madeira tourist guides, ten poetry books and six prose books. He is currently engaged in writing, theater, travel, painting and humanitarian causes. The variety of objects, jewels, clothing, furniture, paintings, statues and passports is breathtaking, the result of an intense, rich and challenging life, built from travel stories. …

Route of Ponchas – Part 2

Published by From Madeira to Mars

Route of Ponchas – Part 2 Venda do Sócio – Tendeira – Caniço For over 50 years, this grocery store has belonged to Mrs Amara’s family. She tell us that this is a family business, which attracts lovers of bikes, sports and good ponchas. It is decorated with sports props, mainly national and international scarves and even regional clubs, like the Canicense. They offer the dish of the day and barbecues of entrecosto, chicken and beef. The tapas “dentinhos” vary:  wine and garlic pork, pasta and beans “feijoada”. The regional poncha and the fisherman’s poncha are the most popular. Snack Bar Vermelho- Nogueira – Camacha This snack bar used to belong to Mr. João Vermelho, hence the name. It was about 3 months ago that Márcia and Dionísio Teixeira acquired this establishment. They serve poncha and regional tapas. Chicken wings, stewed stews and pork ears are some of the specialties. Here you can alço attend fado performances, on one of the last Saturdays of each month. O Girinho – Caboucos – Camacha Two and a …

12 Things to do in Madeira on a rainy day

Published by From Madeira to Mars

  12 Things to do in Madeira on a rainy day “On a sunny clear day, you can improve your body; on a rainy fogy day, you can improve your mind!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan A rainy day during a holiday in Madeira can be annoying or not… Although Madeira is renowned for being a sunny island with a mild climate all year, there are days when the rain comes pouring down. It might also be raining near the sea and up above the clouds the sun is shinning or the other way around so “don’t judge a book by its cover” and try to find out where the sun is shinning. (To help you search for the best location to visit, check this site with web-cams spread all over the Island and see how it’s like out there.) To make the most of your stay in Madeira, I’ve created this list of things to do in the Island when it’s raining. #1. Visit a Museum – Get to know the local culture and feed your mind. …

25 Things to do in Madeira this summer

Published by From Madeira to Mars

25 Things to do in Madeira, this summer Although the last days have been terribly sad in Madeira, with the fires that unfortunately assaulted our capital city, it’s time to rise up and keep looking foward. I’m happy to say that things are slowly getting back on track. Whether alone, as a couple, with children or friends, here are some suggestions to enjoy Madeira this Summer: #1. Join a kayak tour. At Quinta do Lorde you can rent kayaks and paddle all the way to the Baía d’Abra. Book it with Esther or the Marco from the Blue Diving Center Madeira. I’ve had the opportunity to try it and loved it! #2. Enjoy a ‘Levada’ walk. Did you know that there are about 30 recommended routes in Madeira?  Hit the mountains early in the morning, take good company and join a group of tourists or a group of friends on a guided walking tour and enjoy. #3. Have fun in local summer parties ‘Arraiais’. From Machico to São Vincente there’s no lack of parties and …

5 cool things to do when you visit Funchal

Published by From Madeira to Mars

I am always happy that anyone wants to visit me and my city – Funchal. You see we (the madeirans) share this passion for the Island and we want visitors to experience the best spots. Funchal is a beautiful city. I know I’m biased since I just love living here (the more I travel the more I appreciate the benefits of this Island), but I challenge you to spend a few days in Funchal and then you can see it for yourself. Here I share 5 cool things to do when someone visits Funchal: # 1 Head to Largo do Socorro Funchal, the capital of Madeira, has three historic districts: Santa Maria (renown as Old Town), São Pedro and Sé. Santa Maria São Pedro |This photo was courtesy of Budgettraveller Sé Cathedral Many of the streets in these areas of Funchal are pedestrian, which means strolling around, photographing and discovering palaces, manor houses from the XIX century (which are now museums), viewpoints overlooking the sea, houses with flower gardens and typical Madeiran pavements made with …

A route of ‘ponchas’ in Madeira

Published by From Madeira to Mars

I accepted the challenge proposed by a group of friends, to write this article on the blog – A route of the best ponchas in Madeira. (Due to practical issues, the route was divided into 2 parts, this is the route 1, to be coming soon is route 2) Some of the oldest grocery stores of Madeira are called ‘ Vendas or mercearias’ . These are the symbol of our grandparents lifestyle, when life had a quiet pace; other times. At those times, the products were sold by weight, without pre-packaging or pallets. The ‘Vendas’ sold pretty much everything. Since creams, potatoes, brooms and shovels, chewing gum, candies and even string. Right beside the groceries selling area, there was always a bar, selling wine with fizzy orange juice ‘ laranjada’ and local rum drink, Poncha. It was with joy and pleasure that through this route, I was able to relive the old days, where all the bills were registered in a “list” and paid at the end of the month. We were able to glance …

5 good reasons to visit Museums in Madeira

Published by From Madeira to Mars

5 good reasons to visit Museums in Madeira Museums are a big part of Madeira’s Heritage. Curious to know were we came from and who we are? Here are 5 good Reasons to get you started … 1. Discover the amazing old manor houses of Madeira ‘Quintas’ Museum Quinta das Cruzes This was once the house of the governor of Funchal, João Gonçalves da Câmara, the son of Zarco. In its gardens you can admire a stunning Manueline style window, a greenhouse of orchids and an “orquestrofone”, a wooden music instrument, which was manufactured by Limonaire Frères in France in 1900. Inside the house “Quinta” there’s a decorative arts museum with a stunning collection of ancient furniture, paintings and other unique pieces of art. Price: 3€ Monte Palace Museum Located in the Monte Palace Tropical Garden, this used to be a popular hotel in the XX century under the name of Monte Palace Hotel. Besides the romantic gardens, you’ll find a Museum with a large collection of minerals, including diamonds, sculptures from Zimbabwe and tiles, …

16 Do’s and Don’ts in Madeira

Published by From Madeira to Mars

16 Do’s and Don’ts in Madeira 1. Do bring your best walking shoes. Madeira is a volcanic island with many hills, you will walk better in flats or sneakers. 2. Do bring a jacket. We are known as the Island of the “eternal Spring”, which means it’s mostly sunny here and you can certainly get 16ºC in Winter. However, we cannot guarantee that the week you’re here it will never rain or get chilly (specially at night or at 500 meters of altitude). 3. Don’t forget to wear sunscreen. Yes, please! Even if it’s cloudy, we’re in close distance to Africa so sun really ‘gets under your skin’. 4. Do join good guided tours. I have joined many amazing tours in Madeira and the insight and knowledge of some of these guides are well worth the investment. My advice is: start your holiday with a tour and then discover it at your own rhythm, knowing where you’d like to explore further. 5. Do hire a car, but only if you enjoy driving and like to …