During a trip to Funchal yesterday, it struck me again. Many foreigners – i.e. tourists – on the island are unaware of the Portuguese traffic rules regarding how to “take” a roundabout. This often leads to accidents, because they behave in a way that is not in line with how we pass a roundabout here.…
Author: Peter Groen
Peter was born in Amsterdam in 1949. He has a history in PR and copywriting. Now, part time resident of the Island of Madeira of over 10 years, he writes about Madeira, its culture, its overwhelming nature, its food and drink, and about everything concerning travel to and on this beautiful island.
Alma Artista: a breath of fresh air
A stay on the island of Madeira is often a life altering experience. The island’s natural beauty is unequalled, and people often marvel to see such diversity in landscapes on such a small island. The vegetation is lush, and in every season there are always flowers to be found, many of them very exotic. Most…
Madeira Flower Festival
One of Madeira´s yearly attractions is the Festa da Flor da Madeira, the Madeira Flower Festival, held in the month of May. This year, it is from the 1st till the 25th of May. Click here for the information given by the official Web Site Visit Madeira, and you can find some more information here.…
Overtourism in Madeira?
Lately, there has been a lot of talk in the media about overtourism in Madeira. If you believe what people say, there are way too many tourists, way too many houses bought by foreigners, and prices are being driven up to such a level that the Madeirans really can´t afford to live on their own…
an awful lot of coffee…
For many, Italy is considered the best country to enjoy a good cup of coffee. It comes in many varieties, and the Italian coffee has a long and interesting history. What many don’t know is that Portugal is another country where you can enjoy an excellent cup of coffee. Much, much better than in Spain…
A winter hike to Pico Ruivo
Many people used to be fed the line that Madeira was an island for the elderly. The publicity probably told you it is a ‘flower-island’, wrong footing most, as the general image of Madeira was – and still is – that of beautiful and civilized gardens, inviting to leisurely walks and glasses of Madeira wine…
Green Veil: Madeira bushfire aftermath
It was just after mid-October when we received a WhatsApp call from Maria, who looks after our house in our absence. What she told us was frightening: our village, Fajã da Ovelha, was on fire. When I speak about Fajã da Ovelha as a village, I have to add that a village in Madeira is,…
Calheta on fire: arson proven
Like every summer, from a distance, we follow the Madeiran news about bush fires. There are many eucalyptus trees on the island, and the leaves they drop are easy fuel for any spark dropped, accidentally or on purpose. We have had our share of bush fires in Fajã da Ovelha, and though some of them…
Scary animals in Madeira?
I do realise this is a bit of a scary header. But, rest assured, you have seldom read a more reassuring article on scary animals. Even though Madeira is a subtropical island, where all kinds of nasty critters would thrive because of the climate, there are no poisonous or otherwise dangerous animals in Madeira. For…
Fanal Forest, enchanting place in the mists of Madeira
One of Madeiras most stunning areas is the Fanal forest high up on the North side of the island. The Latin name of the gnarled trees in the Fanal forest is Ocotea Foetens. It is one of the many Laurel species and some of them are 600 years old. Unesco World Heritage The Fanal forest…
