A drop of Madeira

The rich history and spectacular landscape make the Portuguese island a fascinating destination, says author Richard Mayson

Most visits to Madeira begin and end in the capital, Funchal. Much the largest town on the island, the city centre is compact, if congested, and can be visited easily on foot (sightseeing buses are also available). A good place to start is the Zona Velha (old town) with its old houses and black-cobbled streets. The Madeira Story Centre on the edge of the old town tells the story of the island through audiovisual exhibits and has an interesting section on the history of the wine trade.

To take in the local colour and culture be sure to visit the fish and vegetable market (Mercado dos Lavradores) when it is at its most active on a Friday or Saturday morning. The 16th century Sé or cathedral marks the centre of the city, which extends westwards along the elegant Avenida Arriaga with its open-air cafés. Overlooking the Praça do Município, the Museu de Arte Sacra (Museum of Sacred Art), housed in a former bishop’s palace, has a good collection of Flemish paintings bought by local merchants in the 16th century when the sugar trade was at its height. As well as taking in at least one of the wine producers, it is worth ambling along the narrow cobbled back streets. The Rua da Carreira, Rua dos Netos and Rua dos Ferreiros are lined with prosperous mercantile houses. Look upwards for the torres avista-navios, look-out towers built by merchants to keep watch over the port.

The steep Calçada da Santa Clara leads past the Casa-museu Frederico de Freitas (a collection of English and Portuguese furniture and paintings) to the Convento de Santa Clara. Founded by João Gonçalves Zarco in 1497, the interior walls are adorned with magnificent 17th century azulejos, or ceramics. Zarco, who discovered Madeira for the Portuguese, is buried under the altar. Many of the larger houses around Santa Clara and nearby São Pedro and Santa Luzia have gardens at Monte Palace and return to the city by the traditional Madeiran corsa or toboggan.

Outside Funchal, new roads have brought even the most remote part of the island to within half a day’s drive of the capital. Most of these roads burrow through deep tunnels, so to see the island to full advantage it is still better to take the old switchback roads, painfully slow as they are. A road leads up from Funchal through Poiso (past the Abrigo da Montanha bar and restaurant) to Pico de Arieiro, at 1,818 metres above sea level.

There is now a giant radar station at the top. A path (not for those who suffer vertigo) leads four kilometres north to Pico Ruivo, the highest point on the island at 1,862 metres.

Head west towards Santana and São Jorge; Santana is known for its emblematic and much photographed A-frame houses. Stay at Quinta do Furão at Achada do Gramacho west of Santana or Quinta do Arco, Arco de São Jorge. Arco de São Jorge also has one of the largest rose gardens in Europe as well as a small museum of wine.

The coast road along the north side of the island is steadily being improved. Part of the old road between São Vicente and Seixal used to be single track, following a

The cable car to Monte at Funchal, above switch-back roads