A Portuguese island of volcanic origin situated in the Atlantic Ocean, Madeira has long been a popular year-round resort, noted for its natural beauty, sub-tropical climate, Madeira wine, unique flora and fauna, embroidery, and its New Year's Eve celebrations, featuring a spectacular fireworks show generally considered to be the largest in the world. Its sister island Porto Santo has a stunning 9km beach and a superb golf course.

Where is it: Approximately 600 km off the coast of Morocco and 1000km from Lisbon, the islands of the Madeira archipelago are situated just north of the Canaries.

Why go there: Equable temperatures giving perennial appeal, an established tourist infrastructure, a diverse landscape, great food and wine, and a genuinely warm welcome. Ideal for those who enjoy peace and quiet, and in particular nature lovers, Madeira also has enough attractions and leisure pursuits to satisfy the most active visitor.

Where to go: There are many faces to the Madeira islands. The key areas include:

Funchal – the capital, with an historic 18th century core, cathedral, marina, museums and an imposing central square.
Monte – for panoramic views. Ride up on the rack and pinion railway and down on the toboggan
Machico – Madeira’s second largest town: see the Igreja Matriz and the Capela dos Milagres
Santana – thatched triangular houses
Ribeiro Frio – beauty spot with trout stream and gardens
Sao Vicente – volcanic caves and Volcanism Centre
Porto Moniz – natural rock pools
Canico – diving
Camara de Lobos – fishing village beloved by Winston Churchill
Pico Ruivo – Madeira’s highest mountain
Ponta Sao Lourenco - fantastic combination of rocks, sea and nature
Santo da Serra – animal park and village market
Cabo Girao - the second highest cliff face in the world
Porto Santo – Madeira’s neighbouring island, for beaches, golf and the house of Christopher Columbus

What to see: From the historical monuments, squares and streets of the capital Funchal to enchanting parks and gardens, picturesque villages, amazing landscapes, impressive volcanic caves, rugged coastlines, beautiful natural beaches and breathtaking views, Madeira is an incredibly diverse island for its size. Not to be missed are the laurisilva forests on the northern slopes of Madeira island, designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.

Madeira has museums dedicated to many subjects and aspects of its history, including religious and contemporary art, wine, embroidery, sugar and Christopher Columbus, together with several heritage centres and themed attractions. These include the Madeira Story Centre, which tells the history and development of the islands; the Madeira Theme Park, with a range of unusual attractions and the opportunity to tackle adventure sports such as bungee jumping and wall climbing; and The Blandy Wine Lodge for everything you ever wanted to know about Madeira’s most famous product.

What to do: Summer in particular in Madeira and Porto Santo is a delight, although the climate lends itself equally to spring, autumn and winter escapes. Golf, too, can be played year-round, at the Palheiro and Santo da Serra courses on Madeira or the Seve Ballesteros-designed course on Porto Santo.

Important dates include New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Carnival (February) and the Flower Festival (April). Popular activities include levada walking, swimming, sailing, surfing, riding, tennis, scuba diving, big game fishing, whale and dolphin spotting, helicopter flights, balloon flights, cable car and elevator rides, the world-famous Monte toboggan ride, trips to the uninhabited ‘desert’ islands of the archipelago, and an array of options for shopping, eating out and evening entertainment.

Madeira is also a paradise for bird-watchers, walkers and nature-lovers. In addition to several endemic bird species, it is an important breeding ground for many seabirds, and has an incredible floral diversity, with a composition similar to the forests found in the Tertiary period that covered Europe and Africa millions of years ago.