Private jet charter to Madiera
Surrounded by ocean some 370 miles off the coast of Morocco and 560 miles from the southern tip of Portugal is the archipelago of Madeira, the ‘pearl of the Atlantic’. A popular destination for winter sun, thanks to its mild year-round climate, the islands wow visitors with their dramatic sea cliffs, verdant valleys that wouldn’t look out of place as the backdrop of a Jurassic Park movie, historic settlements that are full of charm and black- and gold-sand beaches. Experience it all today, charter a private jet.
The main island in the archipelago is Madeira, a breathtaking island where the land rises dramatically from the waves of the Atlantic Ocean and the volcanic interior is swathed with ancient forests. The island’s capital is Funchal, a characterful city on the south coast. This sunny spot is home to a beautiful old town, known as the Zona Velha, with its network of narrow streets and alleyways that are lined with old buildings that house many of the city’s many restaurants, bars and shops. Spend hours wandering the maze of cobbled walkways and stop off at a local establishment to rest, refuel and refresh. Try espetada – a local beef dish served on skewers – or just sip the traditional alcoholic beverage, Poncha.
Funchal has a handful of attractions that reflect the island’s history, culture and natural wonders. The highlight of the old town is the gothic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption. It’s one of the oldest surviving structures in the city, dating back to the early 1500s, and has been Madeira’s main place of worship for hundreds of years. Another spot that gives a glimpse into 15th-Century life in Funchal is the Convento de Santa Clara with its shaded cloisters tiled walls and intricately painted frescoes.
Along the Rua da Santa Maria you can check out the vibrant works that make up the Arte de Portas Abertas (the art of open doors). This formerly run down corner of town has been transformed into an outdoor gallery where many of the doors have been given a makeover by some of the island’s most talented artists. Another popular place for city visitors is the bustling Mercado dos Lavradores (the farmer’s market), a colourful world of sights and smells where local flowers, fruits and fish are sold from Monday to Saturday. If you visit on Friday, you’ll see women dressed in traditional Madeiran clothes selling their locally-grown flowers.
In the hills above Funchal is the picturesque village of Monte. It’s easily reached by a 15- to 20-minute cable car ride from the heart of the Zona Velha but it seems a world away from the bustling streets. As well as its jaw-dropping views of Funchal, a pretty church and wonderful botanic gardens, Monte is known for its rather unique form of transport – rattan toboggans controlled by two men known as carreiros that you can take back down the hillside towards the capital.
Around Madeira’s coast you’ll find charming seaside towns and villages. One of our favourites is Câmara de Lobos, a traditional fishing village that sits at the foot of the highest sea cliff in Europe; Cabo Girão is a vertigo-inducing 580 metres above sea level, and is the setting of a glass-floored skywalk cantilevered over the edge of the precipice. The village itself, which was a favourite destination of Sir Winston Churchill, sits at the top of a much lower cliff and spills down to a small cove filled with colourful fishing boats. Inland from here you can explore hidden-away settlements such as Curral das Freiras (Nuns’ Valley) which is surrounded by towering cliffs and mountain peaks. From the view point of Eira do Serrado, you can look down on the narrow hand-cut terraces where villagers grow cherries and grape vines, and out onto the spectacular natural scenery that surrounds this unique spot.
One of the most popular activities in Madeira is hiking the levadas – historic irrigation channels that fed water around the island for agricultural use. As you follow the network of trails that follow these aqueducts, you can see the beauty of the island’s interior. You’ll walk in the shadow of towering mountain peaks, through deep valleys and canyons and see the terraces (or poios) where local villages grow their produce. There are 28 easy-to-follow routes across the island with varying degrees of difficulty and length.
Due to its year-round pleasant climate and situation on the route to the New World and Asia, Madeira has had a thriving wine industry for hundreds of years. The main variety of grape grown here – usually on those stair-like terraces – is Negra Mole, a red grape that is fortified with neutral grape spirits and aged using a heating process known as estufagem. Blandy’s is arguably the most famous – and definitely one of the oldest – wine producers on the island, and during your time in Funchal you can visit the Blandy’s Wine Lodge. This is where many of the family-owned company’s oldest wines are stocked, many of which are going through the aging process. There’s also a museum where you can learn about the industry’s history and the process of wine making from the grape to the glass.
Although it has some stunning coastal scenery, the island of Madeira is not known for wide sweeping beaches. To play in the sand, you need to make your way over to the only other inhabited island in the archipelago – Porto Santo. Known as the ‘golden island’ thanks to its 5½ -mile long beach (which is believed to have restorative properties), this is where many Madeirans go for their holidays.
There are two airports in the Madeira archipelago: one on the main island that’s 12 miles west of the centre of Funchal and the other over on Porto Santo. Simply contact one of our team and we can arrange everything you need to charter a private jet to Madeira.
