PORTUGAL : Madeira

The archipelago of Madeira lies about 360 miles from the coast of Africa, 535 miles from Lisbon, 240 from Tenerife, and 480 from Santa Maria, the nearest of the Azores. An archipelago of volcanic origin, discovered in 1419 by Portuguese navigators, it consists of the island of Madeira (the largest and more populated, with its capital in Funchal), the island of Porto Santo , and two groups of uninhabited islands: the Desertas and the Selvagens (bird sanctuaries). The islands exceptional climate (between 16°C and 25°C 61°F and 76°F) and legendary natural beauty have made this a chosen destination.

Madeira Island is the largest island of the group with 741 km ², has a length of 30 geographical miles (57 km), an extreme breadth of 13 miles (22 km), and a coastline of 80 or 90 miles. Its longer axis lies east and west, in which direction it is traversed by a mountain chain, the backbone of the island, having a mean altitude of 4000 feet, up to which many deep ravines penetrate from both coasts. Madeira is also very famous for its natural environment, where the most important feature is the Laurissilva Forest , a relic of the Tertiary Age, which has been classified by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage Site. It is no less well known for its year-round outdoor sports.

The islands mild climate and a water temperature that never goes below 17ºC mean that you can be on the go all the time. Its traditions and customs, visible in its old buildings, museums and churches and even in regional products like its wine and embroidery, have lasted for centuries and deserve your very special attention.

A long narrow and comparatively low rocky promontory forms the eastern extremity of the island, and here there is to be seen a tract of calcareous sand, known as the Fossil Bed, containg land shells and numerous bodies resembling the roots of trees, probably produced by infiltration.

Porto Santo is 40 km from and has  a 9 - kilometre beach of golden sand washed by warm, crystalline The Desertas Islands are about 22 miles southwest of Funchal and have been made a biogenetic reserve, which, today, is that last Atlantic refuge of the Mediterranean monk seal (Monachus monachus), the rarest seal in the world.

The Selvagens Islands are made up of two groups of small islands, Selvagem Grande and Selvagem Pequena, and are about 180 miles from Madeira .

These islands also have a nature reserve, where you can find some of the rarest flora on the planet.