Portugal - Day 16

September 22, 2025: We made it to Madeira! This island is often called the “Pearl of the Atlantic,” a lush Portuguese island that feels like a paradise dropped in the middle of the ocean. Known for its dramatic cliffs, volcanic peaks, and vibrant gardens, it is supposed to have a perfect mix of adventure and relaxation. They have levadas, centuries old irrigation channels that wind through forests, waterfalls, and mountain valleys. We looked up the latitude today and Florida sits between Madeira and Hawaii. One unique fact about Madeira is that flying into Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport in Funchal is considered one of the most challenging landings in commercial aviation. Pilots receive special training before being allowed to operate here. The airport is surrounded by steep mountains on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other, which means there’s no straightforward, straight-in approach. Instead, pilots often perform a dramatic curved approach, descending close to the cliffs and then aligning with the runway at the very last moment. Luckily, we are visiting during a very calm time of the year and the winds are very low right now.

We flew TAP Portugal to Madeira and were lucky to win a bid on upgrading to business class, so we had very nice seats and service on our flight here. We met up with our Airbnb host at the apartment and he gave us the keys and a tour. We are on the 6th floor and have an amazing view of the Atlantic! The apartment is really beautiful and we are excited to stay here for the next 6 days. After we got unpacked, we headed out to get some groceries just down the road and then it was off to get the lay of the land and find out what is around us. We found a couple spots we want to go back to, a bar called A Hole in One that reminded us of Ireland and a couple of restaurants. We grabbed a pizza close to our place for dinner before heading back to relax for the evening. We can’t wait to wake up and sit out on the veranda while we drink our morning coffee.