SPOTLIGHT ON
The Portuguese island of Madeira lies closer to the African continent than to mainland Portugal. It’s a place whose geography brings surprises right from the start: flat land is a precious rarity, so the runway of Madeira’s Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport is partly built out on columns to make for more room. The island has an abundance of greenery, however, from exotic imports to Unesco-listed native laurisilva forests. Adventurous activities here rise to the challenge of the dramatic landscape, while the hilly capital Funchal is graced with many Portuguese heritage buildings dating back up to five centuries. Jet2 is among the airlines serving Madeira, with flights from nine UK airports including London Stansted (from £165;jet2.com).
WORDS: CLAIRE RICHARDSON. PHOTOGRAPHS: DISCOVER MADEIRA/MADEIRAALLYEAR.COM, JAN WLODARCZYK/AGE FOTOSTOCK, THE VINE FUNCHAL, MARTIN SIEPMANN/AGE FOTOSTOCK/ROBERT HARDING, HUGO REIS, CLAIRE RICHARDSON