I am still getting back into the groove of everyday life after traveling to Portugal last week. I am not going to lie coming back from vacation is sad, even though I love what I do back home, I miss the idea of exploring new cities every day. Anyways, before I completing stop sharing about my Portugal trip, I wanted to write a bit about my time in Madeira.
Madeira is a Portuguese archipelago located in the Atlantic Ocean, southwest of Portugal and northwest of the Canary Islands. Madeira Island, the largest island in the archipelago, is often referred to as the “Hawaii of Europe.” Its rugged coastline, lush greenery, and mountainous terrain gave us the outdoorsy and natural vibes we were craving.
I still cannot get over how large the mountains were in Madeira. Not only that but the greenery was so lush that my eyes were on sensory overload. I truly did not know what to expect coming here besides the fact that I read it is comparable to Hawaii. I definitely understand the Hawaiian sense here but to me, it had such a unique vibe. When driving around the island there are tunnels after tunnels that connect roads so you can explore everywhere.
We decided to book a few nights at Hotel Baia Azul which was absolutely amazing. Such a beautiful hotel with an amazing pool and a view of the ocean. We were shocked at how fancy it was haha and to be honest, we were definitely the youngest couple there. The only downfall with staying here was that parking was a bit hard to find at times. So if you have a rental car, maybe plan accordingly!
The hotel had some amazing restaurants, the Italian one being our favorite! We ended up eating at the hotel a few of the days we were here.
But most of our time here was spent traveling the island and cramming in all the amazing views we possibly could – and it was worth it. Here are some of my favorite stops we made along the island and in my opinion these are a must-see:
Besides the beautiful scenery, if you know me, you know I love my coffee shops! We ended up finding this cafe up the street from our hotel and it was SO good. One of our favorite Pastel de Nata’s and an amazing cappuccino. Definitely worth it.
Madeira was one of those places where every street you turned down was covered in banana trees, and all the hills had no spot not covered in greenery. I remember even looking up and being amazed at the beauty of the succulents just growing out of the cliffs. Honestly, none of the pictures give this beautiful place justice. I truly felt mental peace on this island. There was something special about seeing farmers and farm animals scattered throughout the island. If you want to see more of our trip, check out my vlog here: