Madeira Transfers, Taxis & Shuttles

Madeira is a charming archipelago sitting off the south west of Portugal and the west coast of Morocco, in the North Atlantic Ocean. The archipelago includes other smaller islands, such as Porto Santo, and Madeira itself is built on the top of a huge volcano. Since the 1970s, Madeira has had autonomy from Portugal, and celebrates this on the 1st July with folk dancing, fishing competitions, jazz concerts and wild street parties. 

Madeira's capital, Funchal, has excellent street markets selling all kinds of fresh local food, backdropped by beautiful red-roofed houses in leafy streets. There are cable cars that take you over the city for amazing views or a perfect day could be spent just exploring. The Madeira Story Centre is in Funchal as well; an interesting museum devoted to the fascinating history of the archipelago.
For walking, the coastline is spectacular, with craggy volcanic rocks making up the edge of the archipelago, while the magical Laurisilva forest is a World Heritage site covered with Laurel trees and occasional pools of clear water. If you fancy swimming, there is the Lido pool - a glorious and huge swimming area looking out over the sea and rocky outcrop, or the natural pools formed by rock formations make little pools of seawater ideal for paddling. Madeira is a good place for whale and dolphin watching, or taking those diving lessons you have always thought about!
If you are feeling brave you could take a walk on the Cabo Girão – a glass floored sky walk that looks high over the archipelago and the sea. If you are in search of history and architecture, Madeira has a lot of churches, and the magnificent Sé cathedral that are worth trekking for.  

Madeira is famous for its wine, which locals make from different grapes grown on the archipelago, but there is also the local drink 'poncha' - a sort of alcoholic lemonade that can be drunk hot or cold. Some of the delicious local food - fresh fish cooked in lemon and salt or meat grilled on wood chips - can be enjoyed on a high terrace overlooking fantastic seascapes. The beautiful Portuguese Fado music can be heard here as well; seek it out at the end of a satisfying day of sun soaked exploration.