Madeira Island - tours and attractions
The word Madeira (aka - Madera), the majority are associated primarily with the sort of strong wine. But originally the word ispolzoavalos only as the name of the central islands of the archipelago of the same name. Portugal, in addition to the mainland has autonomous regions - Archipelago of Madeira and the Azores. Most of the two and a half dozen islands that make up the archipelago, is not populated, or the status of nature reserves is limited by the presence of people. Therefore, the theme of our story is the main island - Madeira, a small inhabited island of Porto Santo.
What you can see in Madeira
The capital of Madeira - Funchal city, which is sometimes referred to as 'Little Lisbon' for the reason that the direct avenues and parks, and buildings in the style of a traditional Portuguese architecture have here is much smaller than in Lisbon and other major cities in the mainland.
Promenade "Formosa", stretching along the coast abounds with observation decks and food service establishments. Botanical Garden of Madeira, located near the center of Funchal, includes a museum of natural history, and has a rich collection of flora and fauna of the archipelago, some of which are not found anywhere else in the world. Those wishing to enjoy the taste of different exotic fruits is waiting for the urban market, "Lavrador." And the services of gamblers - the casino with the original architecture. The central temple of the city - an ancient Roman Catholic cathedral Funshalsky (XV c.).
In Funchal, cultural and historical heritage of the archipelago of Madeira is carefully preserved in more than two dozen museums. Among the most important museums worth mentioning Museum of Modern Art and History Museum, Museum of Electricity and embroidery, the Museum of sugar and wine museum, military museum and a museum of sacred art, a museum and a museum of toys whales (whaling) as well as an ethnographic museum and a museum library .
Tours in Madeira are popular among fans of wild nature. Mountain laurel forests of Madeira listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Delivery of excess rain water from the mountains in the north to the plains to the southern part of the field by means of man-made irrigation canals. This channel is called "Levada", and the construction of irrigation canals first began here in the XVI century.
Today, along the many canals are popular with tourists walking trails, and in difficult places on the routes stretched Tethers. Thus, the irrigation canal acts as a landmark on the route, and does not allow to get lost. However, the printed circuit routes should not be neglected. On some routes have very complicated place that can not be overcome without climbing equipment and is not recommended to proceed without a local guide. The highest point of the island of Madeira - the top of Pico Ruyvu, equipped with a viewing platform, but the complexity and unpredictability of the weather conditions in the area (rain and fog) may interfere with inspection of landscapes. In the town of Pont-du-Parga, on the westernmost point of the island of Madeira, is a lighthouse.
Sights of the island of Porto Santo are scarce. It attracts fans of beach tourism, thanks to the long sandy beach, about nine miles. On the beaches of the island of Madeira is almost there. The only high-grade sand beach in the town Cailletet, Madeira was created artificially, with imported sand. On the island of Porto Santo is also a museum-house of Christopher Columbus, who has lived here for some time.
