Category: News

The largest travel website in the world, TripAdvisor, has singled out Funchal as one of the best cities in Europe, ranking it in 6th place in the top 10 “Top destinations on the rise – Europe” in the Travellers’ Choice™ 2015 category.
This digital platform is considered by many as a reference for choosing and recommending the top best tourist destinations.

This award is the result of evaluations and personal opinions shared by travellers in this platform, which among other features emphasised, the cosmopolitan nature of Funchal, along with the quality of its infrastructure and services provided, as well as the island’s natural beauty.

This award will certainly contribute to promote Madeira islands abroad as this nomination is only attributed by TripAdvisor’s to the “Truly the best of the best” tourist destinations.

For more details about the reviews and opinions of travellers about Funchal on TripAdvisor, go to: http://www.tripadvisor.com.br/TravelersChoice-DestinationsontheRise-cTop10-g4#6

source: http://www.visitmadeira.pt/en-gb/madeira/acknowledgments/funchal-in-tripadvisor%E2%80%99s-top-10

The municipality of Santana, located on the northern side of the island of Madeira, was honoured by UNESCO in June 2011 with the distinction of “Biosphere Reserve”, recognizing the richness of an ecosystem where the conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable use are brought together.

This reserve includes a land component, corresponding to the entire surface of the municipality above sea level and still a marine component, which presents a wide variety of natural and unique human, landscape, environmental and cultural values of local, regional, national and international interest.

In Portugal there are six Biosphere Reserves of the utmost importance, namely:
• Paul do Boquilobo
• Peneda-Geres National Park
• Berlengas Archipelago
• Biosphere Reserve of Flores Island
• Biosphere Reserve of Corvo Island
• Biosphere Reserve of Graciosa Island

Within the international context, and according to data from UNESCO – United Nations, Educational, Science and Cultural Organisation, there are about 621 Biosphere Reserves spread across 117 countries.

Among some of the nominated biosphere reserves highlight goes to:
– Mont Saint Hilaire (Canada)
– Mont-Viso (France) Mount Olympus (Greece)

Guinness World Records™, an organization that certifies the records achieved worldwide, attributed to the 8-minute fireworks show that marked the passing of the year in Madeira, from 2006 to 2007, the title of “Greatest Fireworks Show in the World”. Madeira held this title until 2012.

A 6-km long and 2.7-km wide ellipse of fireworks around the city of Funchal was the record reached. The fire erupted from 37 stations (31 onshore and 6 offshore platforms) strategically placed in the beautiful and unique amphitheater of the city bay. The show involved 17 tons of fireworks and 660 300 shots at a rate of more than 8 thousand shots per minute.

Source: http://www.visitmadeira.pt/en-gb/madeira/acknowledgments/guinness-world-records

Madeira was elected “Europe’s Leading Island Destination” 2013 and 2014 by the World Travel Awards, having competed in this category alongside major tourist destinations such as the Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Sardinia, Malta and Cyprus.

The World Travel Awards also known as the “Tourism Oscars” are held once a year and are intended to ”recognize, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry” on a global scale. Created in 1993, the World Travel Awards recognize the best examples of good practices in the Tourism sector globally.

In 2013, the organization of the World Travel Awards (WTA), in addition to electing the best European hotels, also nominated the best hotels in each country, and the hotels Choupana Hills Resort & Spa, Quinta da Bela Vista, The Vine, Reid’s Palace and Pestana Porto Santo Beach Resort & Spa shared nominations in various categories. In 2014 the following hotels were recongnised: Pestana Porto Santo, Choupana Hills hotel & resort and The Vine Hotel.
In the 2013 edition Madeiran hotel The Vine won the award for the Category World’s Leading Design Hotel, at a gala held in Qatar, in Doha.
Hotels in Turkey, Dubai, Indonesia, Thailand, Scotland, South Africa and Florida also competed in this category.

It is not the first time that hotels in Madeira are distinguished with a WTA award. Between 2005 and 2008 Europe’s Leading Boutique Hotel award was attributed to Quinta da Bela Vista and, in 2004, Choupana Hills Resort & Spa won Portugal’s Leading Spa Resort.

Source: http://www.visitmadeira.pt/en-gb/madeira/acknowledgments/madeira-voted-the-best-island-destination-in-europe