In anticipation of an upcoming visit to Madeira — an island in the Atlantic Ocean — via a transatlantic cruise, we did a little background research.
Map of the Madeira archipelago (excluding the Savage Islands) created by Bourrichon.
1. Madeira — somewhat confusingly — is the name of three different but related things: an autonomous region of Portugal, an archipelago and an island.
2. The archipelago of Madeira is a group of islands in the north Atlantic Ocean located 280 nautical miles from the coast of Africa and 540 nautical miles from continental Europe.
3. This archipelago — which includes the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo, and the Desertas — together with the Savage Islands archipelago — make up the official Autonomous Region of Madeira.
Flag of Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal. Image created by Nuno Tavares.
4. Madeira is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal. (The Azores are the other one.) Funchal is the region’s capital city.
View of Funchal, the capital city of the autonomous region of Madeira. Photo by Bengt Nyman.
5. The Madeira region has a total population of nearly 270,000, most of who live on the main island of Madeira. About 5,000 people live on Porto Santo island. The Desertas and Selvagens are inhabited only by park wardens, military and Maritime Police.
6. The Madeira archipelago was claimed by Portuguese sailors in 1419 under Prince Henry the Navigator. In 2019, Madeira will celebrate six centuries since its formal discovery by the Portuguese.
7. Portugal granted political autonomy to Madeira on July 1, 1976 —giving the area its own government and legislative assembly.
8. Madeira Day is celebrated every year on July 1st.
9. Madeira island is mountainous with peaks reaching 6,100 feet. When claimed in 1419, the island was covered with laurel forest, leading to its name. ‘Madeira’ means ‘wood’ in Portuguese.
10. Some original Laurel forest remains on the island’s north slopes and is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
11. The island of Madeira has more than 1,350 miles of levadas created to transport water from the mountainous part of the island to the drier agricultural regions in the south.
Levadas, constructed to move water, are popular hiking trails. Photoo by Dietrich Bartel.
12. The Portuguese started building the levadas during the 16th century. Convicts and slaves were used to cut the aqueducts and 25 miles of tunnels into the sides of the mountainous ares.
13. In addition to moving water, today the levadas create hydroelectricity. They are also used as a network of walking and hiking paths that are popular with tourists.
14. Tourism accounts for more than 20 percent of Madeira’s GDP. Approximately 1.4 million tourists visit Madeira each year, including more than 500,00 visitors arriving in Funchal via a cruise ship.
15. The Madeira Islands are the home of Madeira fortified wine which can range from dry (consumed as an aperitif) to sweet (usually served with dessert.)
Madeira wine. Photo by y kawahara.
16. Wine making in Madeira dates back to late 15th century when Madeira was a regular stop for ships heading to the East Indies. Spirits were added to wine barrels to prevent spoilage during long sea voyages. When an unsold shipment of wine was returned back to the islands, it was discovered that extended exposure to heat and movement in the ship’s holds improved the wine.
17. Madeira labeled as vinho da roda (wines that have made a round trip) became very popular. Since using long sea voyages to age wine was costly, Madeira producers developed methods to produce the same aged and heated style on the island. They began storing wines in special rooms where the island sun would age the wine. Today, Madeira’s unique wine-making process which involves heating and aging the wine.
18. One of Thomas Jefferson’s favorite wines, Madeira was used to toast the U.S. Declaration of Independence. A bottle of Madeira was used to christen the USS Constitution in 1797.
19. Coral, the local beer, has been produced at the Madeira Brewery since 1872. The brewery also produces the Brisa brand of soft drinks and Laranjada.
Laranjada orange beverage. Photo by Willtron.
20. Launched in 1872, Laranjada is an orange-flavored, carbonated soft drink created 14 years before Coca-Cola. The beverage remains popular today. Its name is derived from the Portuguese word laranja which means “orange.”
Dancing the Bailino da Madeira. Photo by knoxkiller.
21. Local instruments such as the machete, rajao, brinquinho and cavaquinho are used in Madeira’s folklore music, and accompany traditional folkloric dances like the Bailinho da Madeira.
22. During the 1880’s, immigrants from Madeira introduced the ukulele to the Hawaiian islands. Their ukulele was based on the cavaquinho and the rajao — two small guitar-like instruments from Madeira.
23. Espetada is traditional dish made from beef rubbed in garlic, salt and bay leaf and marinated for 4 to 6 hours in Madeira wine, vinegar and olive oil. The pieces of beef are then skewered onto a bay laurel stick and grilled. The meat is often served with milho frito, fried squares of corn meal and kale that’s similar to Italian polenta.
24. Embroidery was originally introduced to Madeira by the Phelps family from England who settled in Madeira in 1784. In 1854, Elizabeth Phelps established a small school in her home and taught children and women to embroider with her original designs. These embroideries became popular and sought-after by tourists. By the 1860’s embroidery had become a major industry with 70,000 women embroiderers “bordadeiras” in Madeira.
25. Today Madeira’s finest and delicate hand-made embroidery arts are popular gifts and tourist souvenirs.
What fun fact about Madeira can you add?
Are you planning a visit to Madeira? Check out these resources:
Footloose on Madeira
Madeira: The islands and their wines
Top 10 Madeira (DK Eyewitness Travel Guide)
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