Madeira Island Favorite Tips by pikuu Top 5 Page for this destination

Madeira in the interNET

Favorite thing: THe collection of sites devoted for tourist attractions of Madeira is not so extensive. Apart of VT you can find several interesting pages. Preparing to visit Madeira I opened:

Madeira Web - http://www.madeira-web.com/ - the best site with variery of info. From beaches to sports, from essentials to historical guides.

Roman Garba's Madeira - http://www.garba.cz/madeira/index_e.html - detailed info in English about Czech team trekking trip across the Madeira

Madeira Islands - http://www.madeiraislands.travel/ - Madeira's Official Tourism Website

Madeira Tourist - http://www.madeira-tourist.com/ - looks OK but it is not especially full of info

Additional sites:
http://home.online.no/%7Enancys/portugal/madeira/index.html

This is our dominium >> Madeira Lizards

Favorite thing: The animal world of Madeira is not too rich comparing to the other regions located in the same geographical zone. Simply this is the place separated from other places by the thousends kilometres of water - the space difficult to jump over.

But the Lacertilia family is developed here wonderfully. The countless number of green, brown, 'painted' in stripes or dots lizards control the holes in walls and tunnels between roots.

Short story from small beach: I sit down on the boulder near the big rock wall. I'm hungry so I take the slice of pizza from my backpack. Sudenly strange movement directs my eyes. Hundreds of lizards - small and bigger slowly approach. I wave my hand. Lizards escape. But after the minute fabulous smell of pizza calls them again.

I'm staring at the sea horizen and forgot about lizards' invasion. Suddenly I feel that little creature is walking on my arm. Despite the lizard is not wet and slippy I order it "go out".

But after the minute brave lizards start again their patrol. And I have to give up and hide the yummy pizza from animals.

Take the advantage of your stay between these charming creatures and see how they are nice, dexterous and well-prepared to survive.

Tasting Madeira - fruits and drinks

Favorite thing: The title doesn't mean that we are tasting only marvellous wine from this island but also other natural products with ot without alcohol.

FRUITS AND JUICES: Above all Mango - totally different than in European shops - fresh and juicy. Also maracuja (passion fruit) - if you like. Madeira is famous for its bananas (big plantations on the south coast), cherries, chestnuts (Curral das Freiras) and different types of figs. Go to the market called Mercado dos Lavradores in Funchal and taste (buy) different exotic or local fruits like hybryds of banana and pineapple (yummy) or a passion fruit and orange. Madeira fruits area is a big field for your dicoveries.

DRINKS: Firstly, Madeira wine - strong and aromatic, good for dinners, desserts and for cooking (as an ingredient). Also Poncha da Madeira - excellent liquer from sugar-cane honey, lemon and sugar-cane alcohol (recipe: see separate tip). Here are many other sorts of liquers, most known are chestnut, cherry and maracuja. Try it - you will feel heavenly :)