If you are looking for your next vacation destination you may consider coming here. About a 4-hour flight from Milan is the island of eternal spring in the Atlantic Ocean that is part of the Archipelago of Portugal: Madeira. A true paradise on earth lush and flourishing enough to be nicknamedthe “floating garden” or Hawaii of Europe, just to make a point. A natural place where the climate is always favorable at any time of the year given its location, lush nature with volcanic landscapes and breathtaking cliffs. It is located only 500km from the coast of Africa.
A perfect island for those who love nature, trekking and hiking, Madeira lends itself to so many activities.
Madeira: the island of Portugal’s eternal springtime reachable from Milan, Italy.
Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, is an archipelago consisting of four islands off the northwest coast of Africa.
You may object. Why talk specifically about Madeira? There are so many beautiful places to reach from Milan. Correct objection. But we at Secret Milano like to give travel advice in general. True, there are a myriad of places, but just as we talked about the Milan Tokyo flight or the Arctic Circle, now it’s Madeira’s turn-it’s so beautiful it deserves it.
The island is characterized by lush vegetation and volcanic landscapes that evoke the exotic beauty of Hawaii; with its more than mild temperatures (December to April they range between 20 and 21 degrees – 26/27 degrees from July to September) they please everyone, both those who love the heat and those who do not.
What to do
It is a perfect island for those who enjoy hiking because of the wealth of mountain trails surrounded by wilderness. Worth mentioning are the levadas, characteristic canals used for irrigation made by the inhabitants in the 16th century that have now become scenic paths to walk. Madeira is an island rich in water and therefore very green, you will be impressed by its vegetation. Forests, waterfalls, fairy tale villages to discover, Madeira enchants at every step.
If you then climb to the top of a mountain peak, such as the Pico de Ruivo, with its stairs that seem to lead to Paradise, you can admire a panorama that will remain indelible in your heart and mind. And then Madeira is also special in terms of food and wine with its excellent local products to enjoy. The fish, fruit and wine recommended to try.
Lots of tours to do to best visit the island on foot or by jeep and boat trips to get closer to the water so you can spot, whales, dolphins and turtles. Online you can find all kinds, we leave a link where you can browse.
How to get to Madeira
We have written 4 hours flight time, but then the hours of travel depend on the flight you take, there is no direct you have to stop over in Porto or Lisbon and this can lengthen by quite a bit. By itself Milan Porto or Lisbon is a couple of hours and from Portugal to the Island in question, another couple. So an even short trip, if there were not the stopovers to make it less smooth. But it still remains a fairly easy destination to get to. Airlines to consider are Easyjet, Ryanair, Tap Air Portugal, Iberia, Lufthansa, Swiss, ITA, KLM, Eurowings, Volotea and others as well. In short, of choice there is plenty. It starts from Malpensa. The best time to go there on vacation is autumn, it’s cheaper and there’s not the crowds that fill the beaches in summer so you can enjoy the authenticity of a magical island. Ah, you don’t need a passport.