Madeira

The Frederico de Freitas Museum in Funchal houses a vast array of decorative pieces. Turkish, Moorish and North African tiles, as well as about 2,000 mugs, trophies and vases are on display, along with Madeiran artefacts, porcelain works, religious sculptures, ancient sacred paintings and Chinese and North African metal and woodwork. When Frederico de Freitas died, he left his collection to the Autonomous Region, during which time the building was expropriated by the Regional Government. It then started rebuilding and restoration works on the house for the purpose of opening it to the public as a museum.

Address : Calçada de Santa Clara 7, 9000-036 Funchal, Portugal

In the heart of the historic section of Funchal stands the Sé do Funchal, the most impressive of Madeira's religious edifices. From outside, the simple rough white stucco and brownish basalt of the catherdral is not all that impressive, but after entering through the Gothic portal there is plenty to admire. The ceiling, for instance, is Moorish carved cedar inlaid with ivory, and behind the Baroque altar are paintings by Flemish and Portuguese artists. The late fifteenth-century cathedral is one of the few structures that survived intact since Madeira's early period of colonisation. As the centre piece of the structure, the cathedral contains a silver processional cross, donated by King Manuel I of Portugal, considered one of the masterpieces of precious metalwork of Portugal's Manueline style.

Website : www.sefunchal.com

A favourite attraction in Madeira's capital, Funchal, is to ride the cable car from the Parque Almirante Reis in the old part of the town up to the scenic village of Monte in the mountains above the city. The journey takes about 15 minutes and ends at the cableway station near the Monte Palace Tropical Garden. The panoramic view spreads to the delightful city of Funchal and to an overwhelming landscape, where nature's green melts with ocean's blue. The bottom station for the cable car is situated at the Inn Quinta do Bom Sucesso on Madeira Island, seven minutes from the centre of Funchal city.

Address : Caminho das Babosas

Website : www.telefericojardimbotanico.com

Madeira's sister island, Porto Santo, lies 42 miles (68km) northeast of its larger sibling and was actually discovered before Madeira itself. Porto Santo is rather bleak and barren. However, its southern coast is bordered by a lovely 5 mile (8km) stretch of beach fringed with soft golden sand, making for a popular holiday resort. The main town on the island is Vila Baleira, which was visited by Christopher Columbus. There is a scenic park in the town, some cafés and pretty cobblestone streets lined with stucco houses. Visitors can catch one of several regular daily flights to and from Madeira, or ferry from Funchal harbour to Porto Santo.

Formed 890,000 years ago, the São Vicente Caves are among the first caves of volcanic origin to be opened to the public in Portugal. The caves were formed by a volcanic eruption which occurred in Paul da Serra. The outer part of the lava that was exposed to lower temperatures solidified rapidly while the inside remained liquid with lots of gases, forming a series of lava tubes. The caves were first reported in 1885 by locals and opened to the public on October 1st, 1996. At the end of the tour, visitors may access the Volcano Centre, a pavilion offering a range of educational and entertaining audio-visual displays. They recreate the geological evolution of the caves and the eruption of a volcano. They also simulate the birth of the Madeira Islands.

Website : www.grutasecentrodovulcanismo.com