Poncha, originally invented by the fishermen at Câmara De Lobos, comes in several variations, but count on high levels of sugar cane rum, fresh orange juice, fresh lemon juice and honey, mixed on the spot by gaggles of fishermen, grandmothers, amateur distillers and everyone in between. The waters that surround Madeira have both an otherworldly azure hue and a temperature that’s accessible year-round. Tradition supports saving on washing up by tearing and eating the cake by hand, and bolo de mel will generally preserve up to one year, because just like the wine, the cake is born tough in Madeira.

Spend a night discovering the bars and restaurants of Zona Velha, ascend to Monte on a cable car, and explore Quinta das Cruzes- all with your trusted travel companion.

Madeira’s particular geography and location mean that the island’s beaches consist exclusively of round stones.

The tipple was subsequently used to toast America’s Declaration of Independence on 4 July 1776 as well as the inauguration of George Washington as the USA’s first president in 1789. For a low-key tipple, try Beerhouse – a microbrewery with a view to the Funchal marina and several beers on tap, including local Coral. However, what this fish falls short of in the looks department it makes up for in taste, and you’ll find it widely available on menus across the island. Grapes are grown on the island’s steep slopes before being heated and oxidised (generally considered wine torture), and are then bottled as affirmative examples of tough love.About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Pocket Madeira, an easy-to-use guide filled with top experiences - neighbourhood by neighbourhood - that literally fits in your pocket. For something much more natural, consider the pools in Seixal or Cachalote, both of which also have the benefit of being free. Finance is provided by PayPal Credit (a trading name of PayPal UK Ltd, Whittaker House, Whittaker Avenue, Richmond-Upon-Thames, Surrey, United Kingdom, TW9 1EH).

Lonely Planet: The world's leading travel guide publisher Lonely Planet Pocket Madeira is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you.One of the most popular places for the drink is Taberna da Poncha, located in a mountain town in the island’s interior. It’s perfect as a snack or for mopping up typical soups, such as tomate e cebola (tomato and onion) and açorda (bread and shellfish stew). Lovers of the outdoors will enjoy hiking the levadas - narrow irrigation channels that were dug as far back as the 15th century and have been used over the centuries to disperse water. Visitors love traveling down the steep streets into Funchal from the steep mountainous slopes of Monte village in special wicker sledges on wooden rails that reach speeds of up to 38kph. It would seem there’s nothing like a stiff sea breeze and an open mind to stoke some culinary creativity.

Dubbed the “pearl of the Atlantic”, Madeira — an island located about 670 miles (1078 km) off the Portuguese coast ⁠— has plunging green valleys and tranquil ocean bays that help it live up to the name. Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, British Virgin Islands, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde Islands, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, European Union, Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas), Finland, France, French Guiana, French Polynesia, Gabon Republic, Gambia, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guernsey, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Montserrat, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Niue, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Republic of Croatia, Republic of the Congo, Reunion, Romania, Saint Helena, Saint Kitts-Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, San Marino, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State, Venezuela, Virgin Islands (U.

Located off the coast of Africa but also an autonomous region of Portugal, Madeira has its own unique identity. Tack on at least another two nights if you plan to hit Porto Santo, the other inhabited island that forms part of the Madeiran Archipelago. The island counts an astonishing 2100km of these man-made channels, many of which now parallel highly-organised hiking paths. If you arrange a highly-recommended 4WD tour with Adventure Land Madeira, you can knock these and plenty more out in a single day.