Madeira - Funchal
These are the islands of eternal spring - famous for their natural
beauty and for the hospitality of their people. The spectacular landscape
and singular climate of Madeira makes it especially attractive to tourists
who always marvel at the mountains that reach towards the sky, steep
cliffs that lean into the blue sea. Few places on can rival Madeira's
wealth of natural gifts, especially in such a small area. Indigenous
flora combines with an immense variety of plants from the farthest corners
of the world in glorious harmony, making the islands a very beautiful
and inspiring haven for plant enthusiasts.
Location
Situated 1,000 km (600 miles) from Lisbon, 600 km (375 miles) from
the coast of Morocco, and 443 km from the Canary Islands, at latitude
of 32. 38' north, and a longitude of 16. 54' west, benefited by warm
waters of the Gulf Stream, Madeira occupies a privileged position in
the Atlantic.
Access
One can reach the islands of Madeira by air or by sea. Madeira International
Airport is located in Santa Cruz and is 15 minutes from Funchal. Because
the port of Funchal is often visited by cruising ships, it serves as
a gateway to the islands, as well as a departure point to other destinations.
Connections between the islands are either by plane or ferryboat, which
also transport cars.
Climate
Never too hot in the summer, nor too cool in the winter, the archipelago
is truly the all year round destination. Its privileged geographical
position and mountainous relief, originate very mild average temperatures:
22 Celsius in the summer and 16 Celsius in the winter, and a moderate
level of humidity, confer exceptional subtropical features. The seawater
temperature is also very mild, because of the influence of the warm
Gulf current, presenting averages of 22 Celsius in the summer and 18
Celsius in the winter.
Currency
The Euro is the currency of the Economic and Monetary Union and was
adopted by 11 State-members from the European Union on the 1st of January
1999: Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,
the Netherlands, Austria and Finland. In 2001, Greece also adopted the
Euro.
The symbol of the Euro currency is an "E" crossed by two parallel
lines. It is inspired on the representation of the Greek letter epsilon,
calling up the birth of the European civilization and the first letter
of the word Europe. The two parallel lines represent the internal stability
of the Euro.
The circulation of the Euro starts on the 1st of January with 7 different
bank notes and 8 different coins: bank notes of 500, 200, 100, 50, 20,
10 and 5 euros, and coins of 2 and 1 euros and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, and
1 centimes. Although the coins have both a European common side and
a specific national side, they are accepted in all the countries that
joined the Euro currency, and the same is applied to bank notes.
Both bank notes and coins were also conceived for people with visual
disabilities. Therefore, the bank notes - besides having different sizes
- count on elements that allow the identification of the different notes
through touch. The different configurations of the coins' circumference,
together with the different sizes, allow blind and partially blind people
to identify the several coins.
If you don't want to carry large amounts, you can exchange your money
in the local bank. Banks are usually opened from Monday to Friday, between
8.30 a.m. and 15.00 p.m. Exchange houses operate everyday between 9
am and 1 PM and from 2 PM to 7 PM. Besides this, you can exchange money
at hotels. Beware when changing cash at the bank. There is a minimum
fee of 8 Euros independent of the amount you exchange. In exchange kiosks
there is no exchange fee, but a slightly lower exchange rate is used.
MasterCard, Visa, Cirrus, CLAU, Bancontact, and Mister Cash, are a list
of some of the bank/ATM cards that can be used on the island of Madeira
(also on mainland Portugal). Euro cheques can be used to exchange for
cash at the banks - but Euro cheque cards although useful for ATM machines,
cannot be used to make payments in restaurants and shops.
Language & Religion
Once in Madeira, the Madeirans will appreciate that you make an effort
to speak their language. Their language is Portuguese. Almost all the
inhabitants of the Island speak English. The main religion in Madeira
is Catholic.
Time
The Madeira Islands operate on the 24-hour clock which can be quite
confusing for those who are accustomed to 'am' & 'pm'. Madeira maintains
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT/UTC) as summer time.
Electricity
The local current is 220 AC and the connection is made by a two-pin
plug. Traveler's from the USA and Canada will require a voltage converter.
Travelers from the UK will require a plug adapter and this is best bought
in the UK, as they are hard to find in Madeira.
Weights and Measures
Metric
Tourist Information
The tourism offices can provide you with useful information about
interesting places to see, bus timetables, which bus to catch to see
"that" place, island maps and other relative services. Once on the island,
you can contact the Tourist Green Line by telephone on 800 296 296.
They will be able to help you in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish,
advise you about places to stay, to see, to eat, and give you information
about cultural events, and the major festivals happening at the time.
This service operates everyday (including holidays), from 09h to 21h.
For further information click
here.
