Self-Catering Holidays In Madeira By Karen Waller At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

If you’re looking for an all year round holiday destination, head to the beautiful island of Madeira.

The island, which is 35 miles long and 13 miles wide, offers its visitors so much to see and do. It boasts many lovely coastlines, villages, parks and gardens, stunning scenery and a wealth of tourist attractions and activities suitable for all ages and tastes.

It’s also ideal for a self-catering holiday, as there is a good selection of holiday properties to rent for the duration of your vacation.

Funchal is the capital of the island and has a great interactive museum, The Madeira Story Centre, where you can find out all about the history of Madeira. It’s well worth a visit and is a great place to begin your holiday.

While you’re in Funchal, be sure to take a cable car ride. In fact, there are two rides you can enjoy and they provide a great opportunity to admire the island’s breathtaking views. One travels from the old part of Funchal to Monte. The other goes from the Botanical Garden to Monte.

The Botanical Garden itself is a big tourist attraction. It boasts an interesting collection of plants and is well worth a visit. It is just one of many beautiful parks and gardens in Madeira which you might want to check out during your stay on the island.

Not surprisingly, Madeira is a great place to go walking. Why not hike alongside the levadas? The levadas, or water channels, provide an important irrigation system around the island. But take great care if you go levada walking, as some of the paths can be very narrow and there are some steep drops, too!

If you’re looking for a sporty holiday, Madeira offers some good activities and facilities. Whether you’re looking to do a spot of surfing, sailing, scuba diving, swimming, water-skiing or swimming, you will be able to do it all here! Or if you prefer a land-based sport, you can enjoy a game of golf, go horse riding or play tennis or squash.

If you want to do something completely different, why not take a toboggan ride from Monte! Not surprisingly, this mode of transport is a popular tourist attraction. You sit in a wicker sledge with wooden runners and slide down the streets all the way to Funchal. It’s great fun and you can just sit back and enjoy the ride, as a couple of men in traditional dress will push and guide you along the way!

Another exciting way of seeing the sights of Madeira is by taking a panoramic hot-air balloon ride in Funchal. The balloon offers some amazing views of the area.

If you’ve got kids in your party, be sure to visit Madeira Theme Park. It’s located in Santana and makes a great day out for all the family! Another fun - and family friendly - attraction is Santa Cruz Aqua Park.

During your self-catering vacation, you will no doubt want to go shopping and stock up on some supplies. If you’re eager to catch up on some serious retail therapy, then you won’t be disappointed either, as Madeira has a great selection of shops to check out. And if you plan to sample some of the delicious food during your holiday, you will be spoilt for choice, as there are plenty of restaurants on the island.

All in all, Madeira is a great destination for an enjoyable holiday at any time of the year!

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