We enjoyed four days in Funchal, Madeira. Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal, located approximately 500 miles southwest of the mainland. Here are some highlights. Photos from the Monte Palace Tropical Garden are in a separate post.
During our stay in Funchal, Madeira, we visited the Monte Palace Tropical Garden. We were inspired to take dozens of photos, so we decided to create a post specifically for this destination. Of course, it’s not only the destination, it’s
During our recent trip to Portugal, we spent five days on São Miguel, the largest of the nine islands that comprise the Azores. We stayed in Ponta Delgada, the largest city on both the island and the Azores (pop. approx.
For the third stop on our month-long Portugal adventure, we stayed in Carvoeiro, a beach resort town on the Algarve coast. Carvoeiro differs from most other Portuguese towns in that it doesn’t have several centuries of history. While it started
During our day in Portimão, we visited the 3D Fun Art Museum. Calling it a museum is a bit of a stretch, but we had fun taking goofy pictures against backdrops. Dave was a bit more into it than Jeff,
Sand City, near Lagoa, Portugal, claims to be the largest park of sand sculptures in the world, with at least 120 sculptures spread over 12 acres. We believe it! We spent an hour and a half wandering around, admiring the
The highlight of our Portugal trip so far is a 90-minute boat tour along the Algarve coast from Praia de Carvoeiro (Carvoeiro Beach) to Praia da Marinha. During the trip, we saw (and often entered) 15-20 caves, plus spectacular cliffs,
After Cascais, we visited Tavira, a relatively small city at the eastern end of the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost region. Tavira is charming and quaint. It still retains the feel of an old Portuguese town. It’s very walkable; there was little
Cascais (pronounced “kesh-kysh” because in many cases the Portuguese pronounce “s” like “sh”) is a popular seaside vacation destination about 30 km west of Lisbon; a one-hour train ride. It’s the westernmost point in continental Europe. We stayed in a
