Madeira in March

I had always been intrigued by Madeira but had never been, so we took the opportunity of a sneaky week away in March. The weather was glorious, if a little windy – which makes for a fun approach and landing into Funchal! We hired a car for the first 3 days to explore the island from a hotel in the village of Estreito de Camera de Lobos – a small village with 2 or 3 very good local restaurants – one of which served the famous Espetada em Pau de Lauro (skewered meat) – delicious! This 35-mile-long island has a subtropical climate, stunning scenery, wild coastlines and lush vegetation. There are no golden sand beaches but there is black sand, man-made lidos and natural swimming pools to enjoy. Although there aren’t many roads on Madeira, they are very good, and it is easy to navigate to the coastal towns and villages and criss-cross though the forest. Madeira is home to a unique irrigation system and walking along the Levada’s is very popular – we enjoyed 2 of the Levada’s but really only scratched the surface. One of the walks was just like Jurassic Park – but without the dinosaurs! We spent 4 nights in Funchal old town in a fabulous boutique hotel with a rooftop bar and pool offering views over the old town – there is no need for a car in Funchal - using local buses, the cable car and walking are the best ways of getting around. The capital city, Funchal, has a mountainous back drop, cobbled streets, and some of the best restaurants on the island are in the Old Town. We caught the cable car up to Monte and of course had to experience the toboggan ride – the ‘Carreiros do Monte’ before spending the morning in the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens – simply wonderful! Overall, it was a very enjoyable getaway, and I was so glad we went!