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The cable car swings into another world.
The hovering flight down to the lonely depths of the south coast to Fajã dos Padres takes three minutes, once cultivated by Jesuits, blessed by a microclimate.
A Garden of Eden made from papaya, avocado, fennel and beetroot.
The path leads through banana plantations to the stone beach, where the waves clatter.
Hibiscus and tree aloe compete for the most intense red. Strelitzia glow orange, the Atlantic shimmers deep blue.
The sea whets your appetite.
Fish of the day in the sparsely occupied restaurant above the beach is sea bream.
The sound of civilization is reduced to a motorboat.
In Fajã dos Padres there are no roads, no cars.
Stress and hectic pace fall away, the latest horror news from the corona herds of the world fall silent amid the peaceful atmosphere.
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The free welcome culture at Cristiano Ronaldo Airport, which bears the name of Madeira's most famous son and football god, looks like this: a sun-ripened Madeira banana, a water bottle, a PCR test for all guests who arrive “without”.
The test result is available after twelve hours at the latest, i.e. overnight for evening guests - and the vacation can begin by pressing the off button and charging the batteries at daytime highs of up to twenty degrees.
Source: WORLD infographic
Since the island has recently been classified as a risk area by the Robert Koch Institute, the Foreign Office has been warning against traveling there since January 9;
however, there is no travel ban.
Returning travelers therefore have to go into quarantine in Germany for ten days, which can be shortened after five days with a negative corona test.
No cruises due to Corona
A visit to the market hall of the capital Funchal shows that traders like Roberto José Andrade Câmara have more time than usual for their customers.
The number of visitors to the 39-year-old's market stall in Corona times is, to put it mildly, manageable.
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Not only that the cruise guests stay away.
In a world of fear and insecurity, the constantly changing regulations and the fear of contact from person to person, there are not too many who dare to venture into the distance.
Individual bookings, even at short notice, would be no problem.
But even the organizers' business ideas such as “home office with a sea view” with high discounts for longer minimum stays are hardly sparking at the moment.
Dining with a view of the sea: sea bream in a beach restaurant
Source: Andreas Drouve
Back to Andrade Câmara and his herb stall, where it smells of oregano, rosemary, bay leaves, lavender and eucalyptus.
Câmara collects herbs, flowers and leaves herself - every Sunday when the market is idle.
He conscientiously labels the sachets, he is the keeper of secrets of ancient knowledge.
His grandmother Maria already knew the power, effects and ingredients of the medicinal plants that she dried and made into teas.
Câmara has advice on everything: “Lemon verbena calms you down.
Horsetail is good for the kidneys and bones. ”The chilli peppers that he sells in sticks are fiery boosters of the immune system.
In the past, when his father ran the stall and he romped around here as a little boy, “the tourists were my best friends”.
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But this clientele is now largely absent, just like within sight of the market in the bobbin lace shop Bordal.
New in the range are bobbin lace masks - either made of cotton or linen and all with filters, as saleswoman Lina Pereira emphasizes, who wears a model herself: "They go well." To add: mainly thanks to local demand.
The restaurants in Funchal are busy
The stroll through Funchal leads through volcanic stone and tuff architecture, alleys and times.
Columbus made a stop during the early sugar trade, and modern circumnavigators painted their names and small works of art on the quay wall.
Even without crowds of guests from abroad and spared from the gastronomic lockdown, the restaurants are busy.
Chef Julio Pareira, who comes from the Lisbon area, loves “this splendid mixture of mountains and sea, and the peace and quiet.” In the city he runs two gastro temples, the “Kampo” and the “Akua” where the best seats are also the most uncomfortable: on stools at the counter.
If you want to experience a cooking show without a show and follow the actions of the hardworking staff, make a reservation here.
It smells of garlic, fish, chocolate.
It hisses from pots and pans.
And it hisses when the crew refines banana slices with the flambé burner.
The flora is impressive even in winter
The city park gives a foretaste of Madeira as the often apostrophized “island of flowers in the Atlantic”.
The jacaranda trees towards the harbor don't bloom until spring, says tour guide Graça Lopes - you can't have everything in winter.
The Monte Palace Tropical Garden, high above Funchal, has enough color explosions.
A plus point: the emptiness on the widely ramified network of paths that descends down to the historic palace.
"On average, there are eighty visitors a day at the moment," says the friendly cashier, a fraction compared to normal times.
In the park, sculptures from Africa and Asia may look just as artificial as the koi carp in the pond, but the splendor of the plants is fantastic: camellias, fuchsias, azaleas, rhododendrons, orchids, trumpet flowers and huge fern trees.
Hiking along the levadas in Madeira
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The lushness is a good impetus to really approach Madeira's wild nature: on a “Levada Walk”.
“Levadas”, explains mountain guide Fábio Castro, “are artificial channels to channel the mountain water into the deeper agricultural zones.
The sugar cane fields on Madeira used to need a lot of water. "
Hikes along the levadas also lead through laurel forests
Source: Getty Images / Iñigo Fdz de Pinedo
Today the levadas are also important for the supply of drinking water and, on a smaller scale, even for generating energy.
Maintenance trails run parallel, ideal for hiking.
A good tip for the western part of the island is the 7.2 kilometer “Levada dos Cedros” trail, which leads from the Curral Falso car park to the Paul da Serra plateau.
The canal, barely two handspans wide, is made of basalt and is characteristic of Madeira's 17th century micro-architecture.
The scenery all around is drowning in green.
The Cedros-Levada is flat and winding through dense mixed forest with laurel stands, cinnamon, blueberries and tree heather.
The climate and volcanic soils allow many plants on Madeira to play in a league of their own in terms of vigor.
Shrubs that otherwise reach to the waist reach tree height.
In contrast, the wildlife is puny.
"We don't have any big or dangerous animals," says Castro, "not even snakes, only in the government."
The water is better than bottled
The water splashes and rushes soothingly.
On the way, the levada absorbs crystal-clear streams, small cascades plunge into them.
Plant windows open into the mountains, then you see yourself swallowed up again by the magical forest.
Branches twirl in the air, trunks are wrapped in moss.
The sun sifts light into the forest, leaves bear glitter pearls from the last downpour.
Fallen trees call for a brief crouch on the way.
Protective ropes are stretched towards the slopes.
Refreshing: a waterfall inland
Source: Getty Images
Companion Castro, who actually studied management, takes a sip from the levada.
“No problem,” he affirmed, “this water is better than bottled.” At home in Santa Cruz, he gets the public levada water for half an hour a week: Saturdays in the morning from seven o'clock;
that's enough for his bananas and mangoes and costs eight euros a year.
With the fixed inflow times, he knows people who are given extra time off work for this: "They actually sit in the office in ties and collars, but then they have to go home in between when the water comes for the planting."
Tastings on a "Food & Wine Tour"
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The "migrated" calories can be quickly consumed in Madeira.
For example in the “Reid's Palace Hotel” in Funchal, which cultivates the afternoon tea with appetizers as a reminiscence of the influence of the English.
The
automated body temperature control at the entrance does
n't quite
fit in with the
old fashioned style
.
Once you have passed it, the way to the terrace is clear: the Atlantic Ocean is in view with sailors and the distant Desertas archipelago.
Layered works of buttery mini sandwiches and cakes are available for tea of your choice.
A full-day “Food & Wine Tour” is more lavish, which has the advantage for participants of not having to drive themselves.
Here, too, the liver grows with its tasks: You can enjoy tasty liqueur wines and samples of red and white island drops, which, however, do not go into the barrel for aging.
Occasionally, oak chips migrate to the stainless steel tanks as an aroma enhancer, a controversial practice.
Winegrower Duarte Caldeira serves table wines with a view of the lake in his family business on the north coast in Seixal.
In the finish of the red, the pride of the 78-year-old, spices, berries and coffee resonate.
The Skywalk provides an adrenaline rush
No vacation in Madeira would be complete without the fishing port of Câmara de Lobos, the rum factory of Porto da Cruz, the rocky fingers of the coast of Ribeira da Janela, the headland of São Lourenço.
The glass platform at Cabo Girão offers a great view of the island - if the weather permits
Source: pa / Bildagentur-online / Schoening
The open-air pool complex on the lava coast of Porto Moniz requires a certain degree of toughening in winter, the glass platform on Cabo Girão always requires courage.
Step by step it goes to the railing and to the ground sign, which says that under the feet of the glass rectangles 580 meters nothing gapes.
A free thrill.
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The call of the mountains ends at Pico do Arieiro, after all Madeira's third highest mountain: a trip into the cloud floodplain at 1,817 meters, today a case of "As you can see, you see nothing." The winter in Madeira is fantastic - but there is no guarantee that everything works out without exception.
Those who visit Pico do Arieiro, Madeira's third highest mountain, should also have a head for heights
Source: Getty Images / Eduardo Ramos Castaneda
Tips and information
Getting there:
TUIfly offers direct flights from Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Stuttgart, Hanover and Hamburg (tui.com).
On Saturdays there are non-stop flights with Lufthansa (lufthansa.com) from Frankfurt am Main to Funchal.
Condor also drives to the island capital of Frankfurt without a stopover (condor.com).
TAP Air Portugal (flytap.com) maintains various connections with stopovers in Lisbon or Porto, including from Berlin-Brandenburg, Munich and Düsseldorf.
Accommodation:
“Caju - Le Petit Hotel” at Rua da Carreira 112 in the heart of Funchal is chic and not overpriced;
Overnight stay in a double room with breakfast from 88 euros.
Guests with a car can use the garage of the nearby partner hotel "The Vine" for 10 euros per day (hotelcaju.com).
The "Quinta da Casa Branca" in Rua da Casa Branca 5-7 is an urban oasis with a garden rich in vegetation, two outdoor pools and private parking in the western part of Funchal;
Double room with breakfast from 180 euros (quintacasabranca.com).
The “Galomar Hotel” is built into the steep coast in the southeastern part of Madeira in the town of Caniço, the house advertises with a sustainability concept;
Overnight stay in a double room from 100 euros, the recommended breakfast in the "Atlantis" restaurant is included in the price (galoresort.com).
Corona info:
Until January 9, Madeira was Portugal's only region that the Federal Foreign Office did not classify as a risk area;
but now there is a warning against traveling there (Auswaertiges-amt.de).
However, that does not mean a travel ban.
There are two options for entry: either by submitting a negative PCR test that was not performed more than 72 hours before departure, or a free PCR test on arrival at the airport.
Since the test result is transmitted after twelve hours at the latest and self-isolation in the hotel is mandatory until then, we recommend arriving in the evening for this variant.
It is also compulsory to submit a health declaration: Travelers can do this online (madeirasafe.com), or they hand in a paper form on arrival, which the airline issues.
A mask is required everywhere in public spaces where the safety distance cannot be maintained.
Package tours:
With tour operators like Olimar, short-term bookings of hotels and modules such as guided day hikes are possible;
seven nights including flight, transfer to accommodation and breakfast can be booked from a good 300 euros per person (olimar.de).
ASI Reisen offers hiking trips from February, for example “Hike Madeira's Highlights”, eight days, minimum four people, from 1110 euros per person including flight and accommodation in a double room (asi-reisen.de).
Since many restaurants and tourist businesses are open in winter, a rental car can be worthwhile to explore the island.
Brokers offer favorable terms.
Information:
madeiraallyear.com/de;
visitmadeira.pt
Participation in the trip was supported by the Madeira Promotion Bureau and TAP Air Portugal. You can find our standards of transparency and journalistic independence at axelspringer.de/unabhaengigkeit.