Portugal is the third most peaceful country in the world
Madeira Archipelago
ISAL is located in a highly touristic area, in Madeira.
Madeira Archipelago is situated in the Atlantic Ocean, 500km distant from Africa, 1000km from the European Continent, and only 1h30m air flight from Lisbon.
Madeira Archipelago also connects itself to the world by an air bridge which gathers hundreds of flights. The Madeira International Airport and the Porto Santo Airport are a point of arrival and departure of several international air companies.
Madeira Island is equally famous for its nice and kind people, for the beauty of its landscapes and for the natural patrimony, namely the Laurissilva Forest, classified by UNESCO as a World Natural Heritage.
The cultural patrimony deserves a special attention not only in what concerns its traditional products, but also its monuments, museums, churches and other relevant buildings.
Besides Madeira, the Archipelago is constituted by another inhabited Island, Porto Santo, and also by the non-inhabited Islands of Desertas and Selvagens.
Climate
There are no great variations in temperature throughout the year. The climate remains mild, with average maximum temperatures of 25°C and minimums of 16°C. The sea temperature is constant due to the Gulf stream - 22°C in summer and cooling gradually over the winter, reaching 17°C by winter´s end.
Language
The official language is Portuguese, though most people are fluent in at least one foreign language - principally English.
Living in Madeira
Madeira has a large community of foreign nationals from a vast range of countries. They mostly chose the island for the following reasons:
- Safe environment, unrivalled in Europe, with a low crime rate and social and political stability;
- Exceptionally mild climate, which allows visitors to enjoy water-based activities or walks in the subtropical forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, throughout the entire year;
- Modern, sophisticated infrastructures, in addition to boasting an excellent road network and an international airport with regular connections to the major european capitals;
- Top-quality education system, including a local university that offers Master's degrees in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University USA, and boasts international schools, private colleges and one of the best institutes in the EU in the field of Man-Machine Interaction, Information and Entertainment Technology;
- Access to goods and services of high international quality;
- Friendly and cosmopolitan population;
- Housing and lodging of excellent quality, matching the highest European standards and with currently good opportunities available in the real estate sector.
Cost of living
The cost of living in Madeira is considerably lower than the rest of Europe. The majority of goods are much cheaper than in the other European Union countries, including the price of renting, food, drinks and entertainment.
Gastronomy
Madeira has a wide variety of regional dishes, made of black scabbard fish fillets and tuna steak, octopus, seafood, beef, lots of vegetables and fruits.
- Espetada de carne de vaca em espeto de pau de louro
- Bolo do caco
- Bife de atum
- Peixe-espada
- Bolo de mel
- Vinho da Madeira
- Poncha, etc.
Events and Attractions
Madeira is filled with tradition and great festivities through out the year:
- Madeira Carnival Festivities
- Festival of Wine
- Madeira New Year’s Eve
- Madeira Flower Festival
- Festival of the Popular Saints
Culture
Madeira is an island full of culture and art through the many museums, churches, monuments and cultural festivals.
Sports
Madeira, a large number of sports are practiced, both outdoors, like water sports and indoors in the various facilities available throughout the island.
Beaches
Madeira has many beaches of all colours and shapes.
| Clube Naval do Funchal |
Clube Balnear da Barreirinha |
Praia da Calheta |
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Transport
Madeira islands and Funchal has an extensive public transportation system and as well as taxis.
The islands have two airports, one in Santa Cruz (known as Funchal Airport (FNC)) on the Island of Madeira and the other in the city of Vila Baleira on Porto Santo Island. Flights to the islands are mostly made from Lisbon and Porto, but there are also direct flights from other major European cities and other countries, like Brazil, Venezuela and South Africa.