I know that many of you enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle of cities to explore picturesque villages and I’ve shared many of my favourite villages in Portugal with you over the years. In anticipation of a public vote on the best villages in Portugal, I’ve decided to roundRead More →
Narrowing down the selection of idyllic locations for romantic getaways in Portugal has been a tough job. There’s just so much choice! To keep it simple, I’ve highlighted at least one place for every region in Portugal where you and your sweetheart can feel the love and not just on Valentine’sRead More →
I get a kick out of compiling (and reviewing) my annual wish list of places I’d like to visit in Portugal over the coming year. It’s becoming something of a ritual and helps me to get organised; my agenda is fast filling up. Some of these destinations and activities are definites, others areRead More →
Madeira island’s dramatic landscape was created by volcanic eruptions around 890,000 years ago. As you explore its peaks, valleys and craters, you’ll see plenty of evidence of this in the form of striated cliffs, undulating folds formed by lava flows, hardened bubbles in the rocks and black sand beaches. You can even goRead More →
With its dramatic volcanic mountains and craters, Madeira island really is a paradise for walkers. You won’t catch me scaling the peaks of Pico do Areiro or Pico Ruivo any time soon but I managed three fairly easy walks in Madeira. By that I mean doable for someone who’s not especially fit and doesn’tRead More →
Last January, I published a rather ambitious list of places in Portugal that I wanted to visit in 2014. Looking back at the list a year later, did I make it to all of them? Almost! Plus a few extra trips that weren’t even on the list. I’m busy working out myRead More →
You’ll find there are plenty of things to see and do in Funchal. Some of the city’s most worthwhile attractions are way above sea level and best reached by cable car but the journey is part of the fun. Thankfully, the city centre is relatively flat and easy to explore on foot. Just tryRead More →
Our trip to Madeira was a self-catering holiday so we didn’t go to many restaurants. Even so, we still managed to sample a lot of tasty food and drink in Madeira. Here are some of my favourites for you to try. Madeiran cakes Go into any souvenir shop on the island and you’ll see theRead More →
I finally made it to Madeira for the first time in August. As usual, my list of places to visit was ambitious, especially since Mike and I had decided not to hire a car. We thought we’d leave the hairpin bends to the experts like Filipe Freitas from Madeira Sidecar Tours who offeredRead More →
I’m still writing up some of my trips around Portugal from 2013 but the new year means it’s time to start planning where to go in 2014. Update, January 2015: I’ve just revisited this list and written a new post about how far I got in 2014. With so many placesRead More →
