Lonely Planet Pocket Madeira (Travel Guide)

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Consider a night in Funchal to get oriented, and supplement this with stays in one or two more destinations elsewhere on the island – dedicate a day to active pursuits and, ideally, the following day to recover on the beach. A tradition dating back 100 years, Madeirans came up with a unique way to commute down into Funchal from the steep mountainous slopes of Monte village.

In general, and especially outside of the relatively wet period between November and February, rain is only an occasional concern on Madeira.

Check out Lonely Planet's Portugal guide for a comprehensive look at all that the country has to offer. Designed for first-time thrill-seekers and experienced enthusiasts alike, each book showcases 200 unmissable activities along with awe-inspiring photos, engaging first-hand accounts, and practical advice on how to get there, where to stay and what to eat along the way. Madeira is a stunningly beautiful island with lots going for it including a lot of Portuguese culture and English and French influence.

Downing a couple of glasses of this extremely potent punch at a local poncha tavern, like Mercearia da Poncha in Funchal, is one of Madeira's best and booziest times. It would seem there’s nothing like a stiff sea breeze and an open mind to stoke some culinary creativity. Lonely Planet Pocket Madeira is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Madeira succeeded over the other nominees - The Azores, Balearic Islands, Canary Islands, Crete, Cyclades, Cyprus, Guernsey, Jersey, Malta, Sardinia and Sicily.

The most famous natural pool is in Porto Moniz, on the island’s northwestern corner, although with its extensive handrails, bathrooms and changing rooms, it doesn’t feel so natural these days.

For a taste of the nightlife head to Funchal’s Zona Velha - the historic center, jam-packed with bars and pubs for a busy nightlife. The market has a particular emphasis on drinks, with vendors selling pitchers of poncha, local cider, and even boozy coffee drinks, all of which are paired with dentinhos – snacks that can range from deep-fried pork rinds to a tiny salad of favas. You can slowly mosey onto the glass-bottom lookout at Cabo Girão, which sits atop one of the highest sea cliffs in the world (from below, the menacing 580m-high rock wall rivals 'the wall' from Game of Thrones); or hike the cinematic mountain-strewn landscape at Pico do Arieiro (1818m), Madeira's third-highest peak, showered in yellow gorse and purple massaroco flora in spring.It’s perfect as a snack or for mopping up typical soups, such as tomate e cebola (tomato and onion) and açorda (bread and shellfish stew).

These days a cable car has eliminated the need for commuting in this way, so the sledges have become the island's best one-of-a-kind amusement.Grapes are grown on the island’s steep slopes before being heated and oxidised (generally considered wine torture), and are then bottled as affirmative examples of tough love.