madeira4u - Resources & Information - Other Miscellaneous & Useful Information for Madeira
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| Resources & Information - Other Miscellaneous & Useful Information for Madeira |
| Sport General Participation sport is not big on Madeira, and although schools have access to sports facilities, active sporting adults are not particularly commonplace. The mountainous terrain of the island restricts land availability, and sports like cycling and long distance running are restricted to the very fittest athletes. The government and media are trying to persuade the residents to be fit and healthily, but the nearest many get to planned exercise is a swim in the sea. On the 7th September 2007, a new sporting facility was opened near to the town of Ribeira Brava, branded as Madeira's central sport centre. As well as full size and reduced size football pitches, there is an excellent stadium stand, seating well over 2,000 spectators, top class athletics facilities, tennis and other ball game courts, and very importantly facilities for adults and children to get fit and keep fit. Click the button to view pictures of the complex. Football Like most european countries, football is the most popular spectator sport on Madeira. The two major teams on the island, Nacional & Marítimo, both play in the Portuguese top league, along with several other professional clubs in the lower leagues. The football teams here are not especially well supported, as most Madeirans throw their allegiances to one of the big three mainland teams, Porto, Benfica, and Sporting (Lisbon), in what can best be compared to the Manchester United phenomenon in England. How Madeira, an island of 250,000 residents can sustain so much professional football is a mystery to most people. For example, one professional team on the island spent well over half a million euros in 2006 with gate receipts accounting for around 1% of that, but government intervention and funding is commonplace, even if not 100% legitimate. Madeira's most famous son, Cristiano Ronaldo, is a native of the island. His magic feet have impressed football watchers around the world, and won him many awards. Other Sports The other sports played and watched by Madeirans all take a back seat to football. For instance even though the 2008 Rugby World Cup in France had a Portuguese team and it was televised on the subscription sport station, it passed by virtually unnoticed by most of the Madeirans. Rally driving is probably the most important event, with the big event in August every year. There is also the Madeiran Open Golf Tournament, and other 'B' list golfing events throughout the year. In addition, cycling, volleyball and indoor football have some support, but there is hardly any presence of the other major international sports, aside from football. |
Religion
The Portugal and Madeiran
people are mostly catholics,
and most take their religion
very seriously. The many
churches on the island form a
big part of daily life for many
Madeirans, and church bells
can be heard regularly on a
daily basis, and especially at
times of religious festivals.
The Portugal and Madeiran
people are mostly catholics,
and most take their religion
very seriously. The many
churches on the island form a
big part of daily life for many
Madeirans, and church bells
can be heard regularly on a
daily basis, and especially at
times of religious festivals.
| Mail / Postal Service There are regular deliveries, Monday to Friday, seemingly less regular the more remote you are. The regular mail service is run by Correios (you can view their website in english), who do a marvellous delivery job considering there are numerous streets without names, and many houses without numbers, but this seems to be changing over time. The main two outgoing mail types are the ones which go in the red pillar boxes (normal) and those that go with the quicker service 'azul' and go in the blue mailboxes. You can also send parcels, and sent items by registered post, Stamps can be bought at Correios and in large red street dispensers. Beware that the Correios Post Offices often have large queues. Usual opening hours Monday to Friday from 8.30, and Saturday morning. Closing times vary, but the main Post Office in Funchal stays open until 8.00 pm at night. Closed on public holidays. |
| Earthquakes When you take out house insurance, you are normally asked whether you want earthquake cover, which in certain parts of mainland Portugal is a wise precaution. On Madeira, there have been no tremors of any significance recorded for a long time, but you can check on the Portuguese Institute of Meteorology if you want to find out more. |
| Environment Madeira cares for its environment and has had measures in place to reduce energy consumption, pollution and waste, for many years. Hotels, businesses and individuals all have responsibilities to recycle. You will see the coloured plastic recycling bins across the island. Blue is for paper, yellow for other packaging, and the green ones marked as such are used for glass. That said, there are litter problems on the streets and that situation seems to improve little, except to say that street cleaning is generally very good. |
| Solar Powered Parking Meter |
Crime
Madeira is a safe place to live, but there are
of course exceptions. Like anywhere, you
should lock your home, hotel room, and car
when not occupied, and take good care of
yourself and your personal possessions.
The police on the island are plentiful and
well experienced in dealing with visitor's
problems, so don't be afraid to ask. The
police do carry guns, civilians don't.
There are small pockets of drug problems
on the island often started by or fueled by
foreigners, who are not only breaking the
law but are also creating social problems.
They are not welcome visitors.
From 1997 to 2007, Madeira averaged 1
murder per month, mainly through alcohol
induced bar brawls, domestic violence, and
family or neighbour disputes. The use of
guns is rare, and street crime levels are
very low.
Madeira is a safe place to live, but there are
of course exceptions. Like anywhere, you
should lock your home, hotel room, and car
when not occupied, and take good care of
yourself and your personal possessions.
The police on the island are plentiful and
well experienced in dealing with visitor's
problems, so don't be afraid to ask. The
police do carry guns, civilians don't.
There are small pockets of drug problems
on the island often started by or fueled by
foreigners, who are not only breaking the
law but are also creating social problems.
They are not welcome visitors.
From 1997 to 2007, Madeira averaged 1
murder per month, mainly through alcohol
induced bar brawls, domestic violence, and
family or neighbour disputes. The use of
guns is rare, and street crime levels are
very low.
| Smoking On 1st January 2008, Portugal introduced measures to curb smoking in public places. Madeira is equally affected. In public places such as the airport and on buses, smoking is not permitted. Bars, cafes and restaurants can choose to be a smoking or non smoking establishment. If smoking is permitted, then they must have extraction equipment installed and working. There are stiff fines for businesses, and fines for smokers themselves who do not comply with the law. A red sticker is used is used to indicate 'no smoking' establishments and areas. The majority of places have opted for the 'no smoking' option. For more information GO HERE. However, for those who still wish to smoke, it shouldn't be a problem, as with a climate like that on Madeira, who wouldn't rather sit outside anyway? Cigarettes are priced in the range of €1.50 to €2.50 per packet, the higher price being for imported cigarettes. Most bars and cafes have vending machines that are operated by a remote control to stop underage use, so you may have to ask for the machine to be switched on. |
| On this page, you will find information on the following topics: Clothes & Shoe Sizes Complaints (official procedure) Crime Earthquakes Environment Mail / Postal Service Recycling Road Safety Religion Smoking Sport Telephone Calls Water |
Most other topics are covered on specific pages on
the website, if you can't find them, try using the search
box at the top of this page. If you don't find what you
are looking for, we can add it to this page. Please use
the contact us page to make any suggestions.
the website, if you can't find them, try using the search
box at the top of this page. If you don't find what you
are looking for, we can add it to this page. Please use
the contact us page to make any suggestions.
| Use the side bar menu to find your category, or use the search box. If you want to find out about smoking on Madeira, just type in MADEIRA SMOKING |
| Road Safety Please click to go to the section which covers driving & road safety |
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| Telephones If visiting Madeira, you will find plenty of public telephones. Many look like the two in the picture, but they come in other shapes and sizes. Some public telephones work with a charge card you can buy in many shops. Phoning from a hotel telephone can be expensive, as can using a mobile phone not on a Portuguese network (both for receiving and making calls). If you want to have a phone installed in your home, check the Utilities Page. Directory Enquiries Tel : 118 International Directory Enquiries : 177 Country Access Codes: Australia 0061 Austria 0043 Belgium 0032 Brazil 0055 Canada 001 Croatia 00385 Denmark 0045 Estonia 00372 Finland 00358 France 0033 Germany 0049 Greece 0030 Holland 0031 Hong Kong 00852 Hungary 0036 India 0091 Ireland 00353 Italy 0039 Japan 0081 New Zealand 0064 Norway 0047 Poland 0048 Portugal (& Madeira) 00351 Russia 007 Slovakia 00421 Slovenia 00386 South Africa 0027 Spain 0034 Sweden 0046 Switzerland 0041 Ukraine 00380 United Kingdom 0044 USA 001 Venezuela 0058 Yugoslavia 00381 |
| Clothes & Shoes Sizes European sizes of clothes and shoes are sold in the shops on Madeira, or you will find small, medium, large etc. The figures below will give you a rough guide where you normally buy to a size number rather than a measurement. Womens Clothes: Size 6=34 8=36 10=38 12=40 14=42 16=44 18=46 Womens Shoes 2=35 3=36 4=37 5=38 6=39 7=40 8=41 Mens Shoes 6=38.5 7=40 8=42 9=43.5 10=44.5 11=45.5 12=46.5 |
| COMPLAINTS Shops, bars, restaurants, and other public service businesses and authorities should carry a complaints book and usually display a notice saying so. The complaint system is taken very seriously, and most businesses will bend over backwards to resolve any problem rather than have a registered complaint, not least because the repercussions can be serious. If you have a complaint you have a civil right to report it. As a matter of last resort, you should ask for the 'Livro de Reclamações', and complete the form. if they refuse to give it to you can write to the governing body (where one exists) or contact the police, in which case the business owner will be fined between €15,000 and €30,000 for refusal to hand over the book. Businesses facing complaints may also face other sanctions such as business suspension or closure, and disciplinary action for staff members. |
| Drinking Water Despite claims you might hear by businesses and tour companies (keen to cover themselves) the tap water on Madeira is drunk by local people without any detriment. Visitors to Madeira might find the water tastes different or is treated differently to water in their own country, but in general it is widely used for drinking, washing food, and for ice used in drinks. Bottled water on Madeira can be very expensive for foreigners, so beware. |