madeira4u - Resources & Information - General Madeira Overview
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| Geography & Features: Lying 2500 kilometres southwest of London, or 600km west off the coast of Morocco, or around 500km north of the Canary Islands, this very small island will be hard to see unless using a large-scale map. The map reference for those who know how to use it is 32:41:31N 16:46:23W. The island is just over 50 kilometres long from west to east; although there is an uninhabited peninsular to the east that extends this distance. The terrain is dramatic, being almost entirely mountainous, with the majority of the population of Madeira living in the valleys around the coast. The island boasts the highest sea-cliffs in Europe (the second highest in the world), and the highest mountain peak is at nearly 1900 metres. Water on the island is plentiful due to the mountain rain mainly in the centre of the island, and this is captured by a massive expanse of open water channels, each called a 'levada'. Madeira has a sister island to the northeast called Porto Santo. Travel there can be by air (about 15 minutes) or by sea (3 hours or more). Porto Santo is renowned for its 9 kilometre long white sandy beach, and many Madeirans go there for holidays. Madeira itself does have some beaches, but mostly with pebbles or black sand, although there are man-made white sand beaches. Anywhere you choose to live in Madeira will have a mountain view, but the vast majority of properties and plots on the island enjoy sea and mountain views. Funchal is the capital city, and over 30% of the island's population of around 250,000 live there. Money & Banking: As Madeira is part of the Portuguese economy, the Euro is the only currency now in use. Banks are plentiful in the city and main towns, and also exist in very small towns. The technology is very good, with multi-purpose cash machines in use and internet banking services are also available. In fact in most respects the banking system here is superior to that in the UK. Interest rates are based on central European rates, and should be lower than UK rates for mortgages and other borrowing. Exchange of popular currencies is commonplace, but beware of poor exchange rates and commission charges at some establishments. Climate: Semitropical in climate, usually a high of around 20 centigrade at sea level in winter, rising to a typical high of 27 centigrade in the summer months. The temperatures can be cooler in the north, and will be cooler of course in the mountains where once in a while snow does fall in winter. Temperatures and climatic conditions vary tremendously around the island, and change can happen very quickly making weather forecasting a near impossible art. Atlantic weather systems do occasionally bring a few mild storms, but these are normally short lived and infrequent. There is a range of native vegetation that varies across the island and at height, due to the climatic variations. The all year round warm climate also allows for growth of fruit and vegetables through long seasons, mostly grown on steep mountain terracing, often up to a height of several hundred meters. Bananas grow all year around, grapes are seasonal, and there are wonderful flowers that bloom across varying seasons, providing a great attraction for many of the islands visitors. The best climate is found along the south west coast between Ribeira Brava and Calheta. |
| Media & Communication: English language newspapers are available in the main towns. TV is usually by cable and there is a basic package of about 30 channels with extra premium film and sports channels as required. There are a few English language stations, and also many modern films in English are shown, if you don't mind putting up with subtitles in Portuguese. You can also buy a box, similar to the freeview system in the UK, which gives you around another 50 channels, with a few in english. Sky TV is installed in a few places around the island, although Sky does not have the rights to transmit its signals to Madeira. Using the phone can be a little expensive but these costs can be overcome by using global calling cards. Internet use is widespread, and home surfing packages can include high speed broadband, so you don't need to buy UK newspapers to keep in touch. The postal system inbound and outbound is pretty good, although deliveries can be a little sporadic. Items of importance can be sent by registered post if required. Property: Property prices are still pretty reasonable by western european standards. There are several websites where property for sale can be found, but beware of 'unpriced' properties where foreigners may well be quoted over and above the market value. Building land in prime populated areas is scarce and therefore expensive, but relatively inexpensive plots are available further out, but still having wonderful sea and mountain views. UK and European residents are welcome to live here or to own holiday homes. If spending a lot of time here residential status does bring some worthwhile benefits, even though it is a tedious application process. People and Culture: The pace of life here is often slower than in Spain. Getting things done can be tedious as time doesn't seem to have so much importance here. Larger companies seem to be much more focused on customer service. The island is virtually free from serious crime, and when you read the newspapers here it's nice to see island events having more prominence than bad news. There is a limited use of illegal drugs here, although quite often its immigrants and visitors involved. Living standards have several tiers, as there are many poor native Madeirans living amongst more wealthy people. The less well-off tend to be those working the land and those in the retail and leisure sectors. The better-off sectors tend to be made up of professional people. Religion forms a big part in the lives of many native Madeirans, and churches are prominent around the island, and colourful religious festivals are frequent. The major festivals often take place on the 12 main public holidays. However, in virtually all villages, there is something going on at some point in the year. Christmas and New Year are big occasions here; the effort put in here puts most UK celebrations to shame. New Year in particular is a spectacular occasion where a number of cruise ships dock and take part in a massive firework display. The Madeirans are generally a friendly and helpful people, but, with some, money is an obsession that makes the rules. In particular, non-Portuguese people in Madeira can get charged more in some shops, cafes, bars, hotels restaurants, and by taxis, than locals do, but thankfully this is as far as racism extends here, although the madeiran job market does seem to exclude employment of foreigners, so most start their own businesses. |
| Language: Portuguese is the native and main language spoken here, but it is a very difficult language to learn. English is widely spoken in Funchal, however, and combine this with the helpful and friendly Madeiran people and any minor problems should be straightforward to resolve. Employment: Generally, and especially for non-Portuguese speakers, opportunities are very limited and generally low paid. Jobs linked in some way to time share or tourism are probably the easiest to find, but you should not expect to get much more than the national minimum wage, which is one of the lowest in Western Europe. in 2007 the most common wage was less than €500 per month. Professional classes on the other hand can achieve high earnings if they can find the right niche. Leisure: There are endless possibilities, although cycling is not recommended except for the fittest of athletes. Levada walking is the most popular healthy activity for the island visitors. The island has over 2000 kilometres of these open-topped water channels, many built long ago by African slaves. The levadas enable relatively easy walking expeditions through the most spectacular scenery at varying altitudes. These walks are very popular, but mainly with the Germans who market holidays especially for Levada Walking. Swimming is possible for most of the year in the warm Atlantic waters, or all year around for some enthusiasts. Although not blessed with white sandy beaches, Madeira does boast some nice lido facilities, and most coastal towns provide some sort of facility to allow easy sea access. Bars and restaurants are plentiful across the island, especially in Funchal where most tourists stay. Eating and drinking is relatively cheap for most foreigners from the prosperous parts of europe, but for the locals on low earnings this perception is pretty much the opposite. For the visitor to Funchal there is a mountain cable car, balloon ride, helicopter ride, and various wonderful botanical gardens, churches, and museums. Also a fairly normal nightlife exists with cinemas and clubs, but mainly in Funchal. Public transport is pretty well organised and reliable to the main population centres on the island, through 3 regional bus companies. Taxis on the other hand are comparatively expensive, particularly for some unlucky visitors who get taken for a ride in more ways than one. Funchal has some major festivals throughout the year. Of particular note is carnival week in February, the flower festival, and at new year one of the biggest fireworks displays you are ever likely to see takes place across the city and extends out to the many cruise boats that dock there over new years eve into new years day. The tourist population here is strangely elderly, and has always been that way. Hence youngsters coming here for a 'costas' holiday are likely to be disappointed. This may well change with the commencement of budget flights from the UK in late 2007, as the climate here is probably the best in europe with its consistency and temperate extremes. Madeira has for many years been one of Europe's best kept secrets, but with around 40 weekly UK flights during peak seasons that may be all about to change. |
| Resources & Information - Madeira Overview |
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