Awarded Europe’s Best Island for 7th time by prestigious World Travel Awards
Discover Madeira is delighted to announce that the archipelago has just been awarded Europe’s Leading Island Destination 2020 at the World Travel Awards announced on Sunday 1st November. It is the seventh time the destination has received this outstanding accolade.
Madeira was referred to as the most enviable island on earth by author H.N. Coleridge in the 19th Century – ‘it ensures every European comfort with almost every tropical luxury’ – and as the award shows, this view continues to the present day.
The destination has been in the news for its excellent handling of the current Covid-19 pandemic, making it one of the most appealing and safe holiday options. However, safety is just one of the many strings to Madeira’s bow. It has the winning combination of breath-taking natural beauty, friendly people, great food and wine, value for money, excellent accommodation and outdoor activities, fun cultural festivities, year-round warmth and is within easy reach from the UK (3.5 hour flight).
On the same latitude as Casablanca, this Portuguese outpost is home to some of the most striking and lush landscapes in Europe. The scenery is rugged, varied, more tropical than anywhere else in the continent and the warm sea is always close by. The rich volcanic soil, mountainous terrain and expansive Laurissilva forest – a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 20% of the main island – mean that if nature is your thing, you will feel extremely happy here.
Spend days relaxing in charming hotels overlooking the endless Atlantic, exploring the 3000km of levadas (ancient irrigation channels) which make for perfect walking tracks, sampling exotic delicacies, swimming in natural lava pools, off-roading on near vertical tracks or spotting dolphins and whales, which swim close to the shore. For the more adventurous, there is surfing, mountain biking, canyoning and trail running. And for sun worshippers, there is 9km of unspoilt sandy beach on the nearby island of Porto Santo, referred to as ‘Little Paradise’.
Response to Covid-19:
Madeira Islands have been widely praised for handling the Covid-19 crisis exceptionally well and fully re-opened to international travellers on 1st July. To ensure security for both tourists and residents, all people travelling to the islands have to either present a negative test done within 72 hours prior to departure or be tested upon arrival, without any costs – Covid-19 tests on arrival will be paid for by the Madeira Government.
Madeira Islands are focused on positioning as a Covid-safe destination and are working with SGS, the world leader in certification, to ensure good practice across the destination to minimise risk in the wake of Covid-19. The certification process is available to all companies in the tourism sector.
Furthermore, Madeira was a pioneer in the whole of Portugal in developing a good practices document to deal with Covid-19. These measures will provide comfort to those who travel and it is ultimately for the wellbeing of all.
At present Madeira has very few registered cases of Covid-19.
Check it out at @visitmadeira and @madeiraallyear!
About the Madeira Archipelago
Considered The Best Island Destination in the World (World Travel Awards), Madeira is a small Portuguese paradise located amid the immensity of the Atlantic Ocean. Of volcanic origin, its privileged location provides a mild climate and sea with pleasant temperatures all year round, in addition to impressive sceneries of mountains, valleys and cliffs, all covered by the exuberant Laurissilva vegetation, named Natural Heritage of Humanity by Unesco. The archipelago is formed by a set of islands, the main and only inhabited being Madeira and Porto Santo. There are excellent options for spas, historic monuments and great hotels and restaurants, where you can sample delicious cuisine and award-winning Madeiran wines.
For more information, visit www.madeiraallyear.com.
