MADEIRA

Against a backdrop of volcanic peaks, waterfalls and lagoons, new hotels and a raft of wild adventure tours are giving new edge to the lush Portuguese isle.

- Amelia Duggan

In some respects, Madeira has transformed within a generation. Located in the subtropical waters off northwest Africa, the Portuguese autonomous region was gifted a network of long-awaited highways this century. These snaking roads have opened up the island’s forested summits and mercurial northern coast to visitors previously concentrated around the cruise ship-friendly capital, Funchal, on the southern shore.

This infrastructure boom has allowed the island to shrug off a reputation for being sun-blessed yet fairly staid: any visit to modern Madeira shows it to be a hub of new adventure tours that capitalise on the island’s natural bounties. A year-round, temperate climate, wildlife-rich waters, surf breaks and twisting mountain trails mean there’s more than enough action for a long weekend — the perfect complement to the island’s ever-expanding cosmopolitan offering. Design hotels and edgy restaurants have found homes among the patchwork of vines and banana terraces, and Europe’s first ‘Digital Nomad Village’ opened this year.

But despite the island’s development, its proud traditions are still what characterises any time spent on Madeira: colourful dishes of buttery, black scabbardfish and cooked banana in passionfruit sauce; goblets of honeyed poncha, the beloved local punch; and riotous festivals that light up the night with fireworks.

DAY ONE OFF-ROADING & EXOTIC FLORA