MADE IN MADEIRA

Madeira, Portugal
June 2019

By Ross Belfer

Winding turns, bends and curves, we careened the roads of Madeira searching for blissful nature and moments of euphoria. And we found it. Madeira is an island with many guises, a micro-world into itself, with various environments, atmospheres, landscapes and ways of life. The common denominator is proximity to the Atlantic Ocean; the island is surrounded by it. With just three days in the throes of a Madeiran love affair, there was not a moment to waste.

From the cloud-filled forest of Fanal, which evokes a Alice in Wonderland-type feel with barely any humans in sight, to the cliffside beaches of Fajã dos Padres, accessible only by boat or descending down a 800-meter cable car, Madeira yields more than a booze-soaked nightlife experience. It is truly an enchanted and mesmerizing island with a local society that will open its doors and treat you like their own……or not.

The beachside bar-cafe-streetside music venue Barreirinha, owned by brothers XX and XX, is a haunt where you can experience the authentic Madeiran boogie, with locals fluttered about and copiously-spiked cocktails, wine, beer and snacks. Restaurants like Xarambinha and Armazem do Sal delve out local classic dishes (lapas, fruit-dressed fish, and the freshest seared tuna steaks) that will leave your pallet tingled while still leaving a bit of cheddar in one’s pocket. Easy.

What’s left to be mentioned can be felt in the photo selection below.