Horarios do Funchal (Funchal’s Bus Company) has launched a new ticketing project called GIRO, which is a travel smart card that works as a (contact less) ticket. From now one when entering the bus you need to validate the card.
The GIRO month pass (yellow card) and the GIRO ticket (blue card) are rechargeable and can be bought at the Horarios do Funchal offices, authorized resellers in Funchal and in the bus. The cards have a validity of 5 years and can be recharged on the locations mentioned before. Please be aware that when buying in the bus these are more expensive.
A musical compilation of vintage pictures of the Madeira Island.
Reflections and memories of the streets, buildings, people and scenery of the nostalgic past.
Lets walk down memory lane and have a look at the sands of time ….. the moments when time itself stood still … to be captured on a photograph …. and now is being displayed on the World Wide Web.
There are a whole lot of cheap travel deals online that make your travel planning a lot easier. Many airlines offer vacation packages, discounts and other travel deals on certain destinations. For example, the las vegas airline provide discounted airfares, travel and stay deals if you avail the las vegas resorts package on las vegas airlines. The American airline also offer travel deals and packages to various holiday resorts. You could check out the american flight schedule to see availability of flights to your desired destination. One must look for the most economical and entertaining rental cars to travel during your vacation. Many car rental companies like hertz car rental provide low rate car rentals and entertaining packages.
(Lisboa) I was born in Madeira and of course I know Santo da Serra. It is a small and beautiful village full of great things to see. First of all you must be there and now is even easier to go with the new road to Camacha from Funchal. Second thing don’t forget to wear proper clothes because even if it is warm in the main city Funchal probably it is cold in Santo da Serra situated approximately 700 meters above the sea level. If you are from the north of Europe you may find this advice funny.
This place was known as Nova Aldeia or Aldeia da Rainha in the past. Aldeia da Rainha was created in the kingdom of Maria I as a result of bringing people from Porto Santo.
The Golf in Santo da Serra gives a lot to this region but you may visit as well the park located in the center of the village or you may walk throw the roads and see the beautiful landscape and the great houses built here. Many British visited and built houses here in the past. The park is now property of the Government but it was called Blandy Park many years ago. On the weekend the main village road serves as a market where you can find local products at a reasonable price.
Here I show you one picture of the park. If you appreciate tranquillity and life with no stress at all you may find this place a paradise.
On May 2005, my wife and I spent six days in Madeira Island. We were enchanted by its people, by the marvelous panoramas, by so many thousands of flowers, and also by its monuments and works of art. It was a fantastic trip!
It was our guide Mr. Renato Barros (high school teacher) who is the legal owner of this small fort. He took us to the top platform of the fort, from where we could see on the Atlantic side, a triangular anchor and steps carved by João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira, and their sailors after July 1st, 1419.
Due to the dense forest that Madeira presented itself in 1419, the new discoverers, without knowing the dangers that might exist inside the forest, they decided to build a cave inside of this small island and therefore creating a fort with a shelter. For several years this dock served for people to get into Madeira and also to leave it.
As I contemplated this triangular anchor and the steps on this small island, my brain went all over the world to recall small islands and famous places where man put his feet for the first time: (more…)
The next main event here on the island of Madeira is …. the Carnival, Mardi Gras or Carnaval 2007. The related festivities will take place on the days Monday 12th of February till the 20th.
According to lot of people who visited Madeira this is one of the best Carnivals in Europe. If you have not seen it yet … then you can have a look at the pictures of last year’s parade and judge for your self.
There are two main parades, namely the Allegoric Parade and ‘o Trapalhão‘.
The Grand Carnival Float Pageant or Allegoric Parade (Cortejo Alegórico) takes place on the Saturday of the Carnival weekend, with a total of 1,500 participants … members of numerous Samba groups …. which will compete against each other by giving the best performance and show on the streets of Funchal. Colours, music, dancing, laughter, singing, erotic and mind-dazzling costumes are a few of their ‘weapons’ to achieve their goal … which is … getting the bystanders and tourists also to dance. It is like Carnival in Rio …. only closer to home!
The second parade is called ‘o Trapalhão‘, which is the Fun Parade in which everybody can take part. If you have lived or are living on Madeira then this day will amaze you … because you will detect an unknown side of the local people of the island …. in daring and exciting costumes … or creations of their own …. that sometimes you wonder ‘are these the same people I run into each day?‘
Carnaval Trapalhão takes place the same day as the ‘Mardi Gras‘ (French for ‘Fat Tuesday’, meaning Shrove Tuesday) … the Tuesday … the day before Ash Wednesday and ending the Carnaval period.
Both parades take place in the center of Funchal.
The Grand Carnival Float Pageant start at 9:00 pm. Route: Starting from the Praça da Autonomia (South side), going along Avenida do Mar and Avenida das Comunidades Madeirenses (Southbound), crossing to the Northbound side (in front of Marina Shopping) then going up Rua Dias Leite, Rotunda do Infante, Av. Arriaga (Northbound side – as far as the Banco de Portugal), Avenida Zarco (Northbound side), Rua Câmara Pestana and the end (11:00 pm) will be at Praça do MunicÃÂpio.
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago that is located between 32°22.3′N 16°16.5′W and 33°7.8′N 17°16.65′W in the north Atlantic Ocean.
It is since 1976 an autonomous region of Portugal.
The largest of the group of islands is Madeira. Of the other three islands in the group, only Porto Santo is inhabited; the Desertas and Selvagens groups are too rocky and narrow for habitation.
The equable climate has made the island of Madeira a popular health resort, and the famous Madeira wine is a chief export; its capital city, Funchal, was founded in 1421.
The islands are of volcanic origin and are the summits of lofty mountains, rising in Pico Ruivo to 1861 m (6106 ft).
Although the islands were known in Roman times, they were uninhabited until the early 1400s, when they were rediscovered by the Portuguese.
We, of the Blog.Thoughts.Madeira, are looking for Madeira-lovers and/or visitors that would like to share their views, suggestions, stories, and experience about the island.
Do you want to participate as a guest blogger on our blog?
Would you like to write an article about the island? Its culture … nature … the people … history etc. and publish it here with your name and, if desired, a link to your own website?
Then please send/mail your article to the following address:
The team of the www.madeiraarchipelago.com has created very great (high quality) video footage of the recent fireworks of Funchal – Madeira (2006 – 2007).
Visit www.madeiraarchipelago.com/video or click on the image below. To see the videos you need to click on the small images with the fireworks … and it will pop up a small new window with the video footage. Enjoy!
Funchal the capital of the Madeira Island has achieved to register a Guinness World Record with its pyrotechnic exhibition, which involved 17 tons of fireworks … that caused 660,300 detonations … 8,000 explosions per minute … over an area of 6 km by 2.7 km wide … more than 8 minutes long.
For those that could not witness this spectacular fireworks display … here is a video that was made on that day. Unfortunately a video will never capture the true atmosphere. Just imagine that all around you the sky is being lit up … that is almost impossible to capture it all on film. As you will notice the first few minutes I was enjoying the show and forgot to take the camera to film around.
Imagine …. A whole area of 6 km by 2.7 km wide … that is being lit-up by millions of lights and hundred colors …. 8 minutes long. Imagine it …. Done!
Yes … the city of Funchal (of the Madeira Island) has achieved this ….. with its pyrotechnic exhibition, that involved 17 tons of fireworks … that caused 660,300 detonations …. 8,000 explosions per minute … and this all at a cost of 1,2 million euros (including tax).
More than ten thousands of people (locals and tourists) contemplated this magnificent show … that has now received a record-title in the book of Guinness World Records as the world biggest pyrotechnic show.
Horarios do Funchal (Funchal’s Bus Company) has launched a new ticketing project called GIRO, which is a travel smart card that works as a (contact less) ticket. From now one when entering the bus you need to validate the card.
