Madeira Holidays

Book your Madeira Holiday with Sunway today. With direct flights from Ireland to Madeira airport, what are you waiting for?

Located just north-west of the Canary Islands, the wonderful island of Madeira has so much to offer holidaymakers with its balmy summers and warm winters. Affectionately known as a ‘floating garden’ thanks to its stunning natural beauty, enchanting views, lush tropical gardens, rich emerald hilltops and mountains, twinkling turquoise waters and abundant plant life. Explore the charming squares and pretty streets of its capital Funchal, venture a little further to discover picturesque villages and quiet valleys.

Lapped by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean there are plenty of water based leisure activities on offer including swimming, sailing, water skiing, diving, surfing and dolphin spotting trips to name just a few! Back on dry land there is plenty to keep you occupied too. Take a day tour around the island to see it in all its glory. A long lazy day on the beach or at the Lido might be just the ticket! Perhaps a family day out to a theme park or water park. Explore its many amazing parks and delightful gardens. Arts and culture lovers will be happy with a host of museums to visit, including a couple of wine museums! Or spend the day shopping in the plentiful markets and shopping centers. Most of the commercial centers are open late into the evenings. Originally the local markets predominantly sold flowers but nowadays you’ll come across pretty much anything and everything!

Being an island, Madeira, is known for its excellent fish and seafood but you’ll find plenty of other tasty cuisine on offer with an abundance of restaurants to choose from offering everything from traditional dishes to international cuisine. For the most part nightlife is subdued in Madeira with the hub of activity being its restaurant and café-bar culture but, you will find pubs and even some nightclubs too. Many hotels offer themed entertainment nights also. And if you’re feeling lucky you can always head for the casino!

Things to do in Madeira

 

• Walking tours "Levadas"
• Botanical Gardens
• Natural swimming pools
• Typical liquours "poncha" and famous Madeira wine
• Gastronomy
• Flower festival
• Cable car & toboggan rides

CHILDREN IN MADEIRA

Visit Avenida do Mar and Marina do Funchal
The newly revamped harbour of the city where one can go for long walks, enjoy an ice-cream and enjoy looking at the cruise ships docking or leaving port.  Hope on a boat to spot dolphins, take the open top sightseeing bus or try the tuk-tuk for a unique tour of the city.  There are amazing walks in the Levadas or nature parks too.

Take a day trip the beautiful island of Porto Santo Island with its fabulous white beaches. There are a plentiful supply of small playgrounds scattered around the islands too.Praia Formosa – black sandy beach The black sandy beach is in the Funchal area approximately 30 minutes’ walk from the main hotel area and promenade.

 

Toy Museum
Visit the Toy Museum with over 20,000 antique toys on display or visit the Quinta das Cruzes Museum to discover 500 years of the islands history or the natural history Museum exhibiting excellent species of flora and fauna found here.

Basket Car ride
Visit this beautiful 18^th century church, the surrounding gardens and then hop on a three seater wicker basket on wooden skis that slides down the streets to Funchal…

Cable car trips

Visiting Funchal? Then come and take a ride on either the Monte or Botanical Gardens cable cars! Both rides offer unforgettable mesmerizing views of the city and surrounding nature.– One way up € 10,00 child € 5,00

 

Aquapark
Madeira premier water park offers an exciting fun day with water slides, lazy rapid rives, pools and green lawns to lay in the sun.

Madeira theme park
Learn about the traditions of Madeira through the multimedia pavilions, a replice of the old monte train, a typical Santana House, a windmill and a lake where you can float in rowing boats.due to reopen in June 2016.

Lava Swimming pools
These are swimming pools with lava formations all around it.
 

GOLF IN MADEIRA

Like an eternal spring, Madeira is a golf destination par excellence all year round. Two different islands boast three magnificent golf courses and accommodation, leisure and well-being offerings which delight any golfer.

The climate is mild throughout the year, the untouched nature offers clean air and unforgettable walks, and the cuisine is rich in tradition-steeped flavours. Here, you will not be short of choices for a memorable holiday. And it is just a few hours by plane from Europe.

The tradition of golf on this Island dates back to 1937, when the Englishmen Miles, Leacock and Blandy built the first nine-hole golf course. You can practise on one of two courses, Palheiro Golf and Santo da Serra Golf Club, with 18 and 27 holes respectively, both notable for the beauty of their surrounding landscape.

Porto Santo Golf, located on the Island of the same name, 40km from Madeira, is a 27-hole course, designed by the famous golfer Severiano Ballesteros. With 9km of beach and limpid waters, the island of Porto Santo invites you for a dive after a round.

Palheiro Golf Course
Par: 72 - 18 holes
The magnificent Palheiro Golf Course, only 10 min. drive from the town of Funchal, in Madeira, is set at nearly 500 m. above sea level, offering beautiful views over Funchal Bay. Due to the steepness of the land on Madeira Island, there is very little space available in which to construct golf courses. Palheiro golf course has achieved the impossible and has been carved between thick exotic vegetation and a pine forest. This combination has resulted in one of Portugal's most beautiful courses.

Santos da Serra Golf Club
A combination of three 9-holes.
Santo da Serra Golf is an original golf course in Madeira Island, Portugal, built in 1937. It was redesigned in 1991 by the famous golf architect Robert Trent Jones who created a completely new and spectacular 27-hole golf course in one of the most beautiful landscapes that nature may offer.

A round of golf costs from €80 to €100.00.

Volcanic Caves,

The Sao Vicente’s Caves and Volcanism Centre will give a completely different experience you can take an excursion to

This fascinating place.  This visit is very interesting because the monotony of this scenery which hardly changes has been overcome by the creation of a route that is mysterious, suitably lighted, having a well-chosen musical background and special magically architected lighting. All this combines with the telluric imagination regarding the Centre of the Earth.