After Lisbon, we headed to the island of Madeira, where we spent four unforgettable days. Funchal immediately enchanted us: the cozy restaurants hidden in the narrow streets near the coast and the huge, lush parks in the middle of the city create a special atmosphere.
For me, this trip was also a kind of time travel, since I had already visited the island thirty years ago. It was incredible to see how much everything has changed since then! In the past, one had to reckon with the fact that one could only get from one point to another on endlessly winding, narrow mountain roads, and even a short distance meant an hour-long jolt. Today, however, the island is woven through by modern tunnels and viaducts, thanks to which the previously exhausting journeys have often been shortened to minutes.
We also visited Monte, which is particularly dear to the Hungarian heart, since the last Hungarian king, King Ferdinand IV, is buried in the Church of Our Lady (Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte). Charles. The exiled monarch is highly respected on the island. But he is not the only Hungarian connection: the locals still mention Queen Sisi, who spent twice as long in Madeira to relax in the island’s healing climate and seek relief from her illness.
After our visit to the famous Botanical Garden (Jardim Botânico), I had a very special experience: a taxi driver brought us down from the mountain, who has been driving the island’s roads for 35 years in the same old, indestructible diesel Mercedes. The next morning, while my wife and daughter went on an exciting boat trip, where they even managed to see dolphins, I chose the peace of the city. I cooled off under the cool arcades, on the terrace of a small restaurant overlooking the sea, and listened to the roar of the ocean with a cold beer.
On our penultimate day, we visited the picturesque fishing village of Câmara de Lobos. We admired the famous bay, which once inspired Winston Churchill, and of course, we tasted the island’s national drink, Poncha, which is made from aguardente (sugar cane spirit), honey and lemon. We even had time to swim, although the ocean water here, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, was quite refreshing, even cool, even in the middle of summer.
The island of Madeira was officially discovered in 1419 by Henry the Navigator’s sailors, João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira. The name of the island means “tree” in Portuguese, referring to the dense, untouched forests of that time. The settlers soon began farming: in the 15th century, sugar cane made the island rich (“white gold”), and from the 17th century, wine production took over the main role, which has made the region world-famous to this day.
In the 19th century, Madeira was already a popular destination for the European aristocracy, who visited it for the healing effects of the climate. In the second half of the 20th century, especially after Portugal joined the EU, the island underwent a huge infrastructural development and has now become one of the most beautiful and modern tourist paradises in the world, while preserving its authentic charm and natural assets, such as the protected laurel forests (Laurissilva).
The most famous native of the island is undoubtedly one of the best footballers in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo, whose name now also bears the name of the Funchal airport and in whose honor a museum was built in the city. It is also worth mentioning Herberto Hélder, who is considered one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Portuguese poetry and was also born on this wildly romantic island.
