Guide to Madeira

Introduction

The archipelago of Madeira, located in the North Atlantic some 360 miles from the coast of Africa, is an autonomous region of Portugal. Originally discovered by the Romans and known as the Purple Islands, Madeira was rediscovered by Portuguese sailors and settled in the early 15th Century.

Two of the islands are inhabited, and provide a year-round tourist resort. The major attractions of the islands, aside from the favourable climate are the cuisine, the wine and an abundance of flowers. With its popularity as a family and retirement holiday destination, overseas property opportunities have followed closely behind.

The region

The smaller of the two inhabited islands of the archipelago, Porto Santo, lies 50km northeast of Madeira itself, and has a population of around 4,500. The main attraction of the island is the famous 9km beach in Porto Santo itself, which extends for almost the whole length of the island. Alongside this there is a golf course promoted by Severiano Ballesteros, and a museum dedicated to Christopher Columbus, who married and lived on the island for some years.

In contrast, the island of Madeira itself has virtually no beaches at all around its coastline. The island is around 57km long and 22km wide, with a mountain chain running along its length like a backbone. The northern half of the island is still dominated by the thick forest that used to cover the whole island. The original settlers cleared much of the south for grazing and agricultural land, while the northern forests have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Perhaps the most spectacular feature of Madeira is the Cabo Girão, one of the highest cliffs in Europe, reaching up 580 metres above sea level. The capital port of Funchal is also a popular stop for cruise liners.

Climate

The climate of Madeira is classified as subtropical, its ocean position keeping the humidity levels pleasantly low. Temperatures fluctuate little, and rarely deviate outside a range from around 16 and 22 degrees Celsius. This attracts tourists who want almost guaranteed good weather without extreme temperatures.

Getting there

Most flights landing at Madeira’s main international airport are from Lisbon or Porto on the Portuguese mainland, though direct flights from the UK now originate from most major cities. Flight times are around three and a half hours.

Property

As the tourist market on Madeira has developed and changed, so has the market for property bought by foreign nationals. Traditionally, there have been a large number of timeshare apartments and properties available on the estates of the large hotel groups. The year-round popularity of the island among visitors virtually guarantees that these properties are well-used, but as the concepts of independent travel and residential tourism extend in scope, more and different developments are coming onto the market.

More and more new-build developments are coming onto the market, with apartments and villas form the mid-range of property upwards available for overseas buyers. As this is quite a new element to the real estate market in Madeira, many of the properties have extensive sea views and have good rental prospects. A three bedroom apartment on a new complex is likely to cost around £153,000 if bought off-plan.

Developments tend to be smaller and lower density than might be found elsewhere in the western European holiday home destinations.

Local life

Part of the reason why Madeira wine became increasingly popular in hotter climates is that because of its exposure to oxygen and extreme temperatures during its making, it was not necessary to keep it stored in cool wine cellars.

Conclusion

Madeira is often written off as a destination for retirees and cruise ship passengers, but to do this is to potentially miss out on one of the most glorious islands in the Atlantic. Pleasant climate, spectacular scenery, and a burgeoning property market make this one of the most interesting property destinations in Europe.