Madeira Island Local Customs

This is traditional art of Madeira.
It's a centuries old art done by Madeiran women.

I am not really a fan of embroideries, but if you like it Madeira is a good place to buy them.
Pay attention to the official seal that proves it's a real Madeiran embroidery, otherwise you might be buying a piece of "Madeiran" cloth made in China.

May-June, when the heat comes but people don't flock to beach... yet, is festivity time. All pretext are good to gather people eating, drinking, dancing, and having fun. The popular saints, in June, are celebrated all over the country, each village concentrated in one of the saints, to free the other to the neighborhood.

Being so touristy, Madeira couldn't be an exception, and, by the end of June the party was still on. We had great fun in Ribeira Brava!

In Portugal we use to say that "one image speaks more than 1000 words". Having that in mind, and more than 1000 pictures to post, I decided to change my behaviour, posting the pictures as soon as they are ready, and adding the comments later.
Don't get mad on me - I'm glad to share my pictures with you, and the comments will be added soon.

I guess we all agree on this on; there is nothing more exciting than going travelling - exploring another country, experiencing a different culture, travelling around in new ways, sampling the local cuisine and chatting to the local people for a different perspective on life.

However during our travels we learned that there is one certain thing that you should be aware of and prepared for to make sure that the trip is as easy and enjoyable as possible. We always try to see everything once we're there, but this is not always an act of responsible travelling. We always talk to the locals and we know that they have the information about just the right spots to visit and how to undertake them. It will not only enhance your experiences but also avoid any unnecessary hassles.

For us the travel tips we have written in this section made the most of our travel experience and we came home in the same happy, healthy state that we left.

4 more images

Banana Trees are grown in Madeira and I must confess that those orchards are interesting to see for a European mainlander like me :)

If I'm not mistaken, the Madeira Island is the only place of the Portuguese territory where Bananas are grown.

The Bananas from Madeira are smaller in size but more flavour than the ones one usually find at the mainland supermarkets.

This simple dish is one of my best Madeira tradition discoveries. English translation is fried corn. But it has no connection with corn-cob, seeds or popcorn.

Milho Frito is the collection of small cubes prepared from corn-flour and ingredients and fried in deep oil or olive. Crispy outside and soft inside this is a good companion for meat or fishes. I like it very very much with tuna steak.

Writing about great products of Madeira soil (like: wine, liquers, banana or mango) I promised the recipe for home-made Poncha da Madeira.

You need:
- one measure of alcohol called "aguardente" which is white wodka made from sugar cane
- a little of sugar cane honey (specific kind of honey, different than 'normal')
- fresh lemon juice nad orange juice (roughly 2-3 lemon to 1 orange measure)
Stir it and stir and stir again....
And you have you own Poncha. Particular proportions are secret of every producer. So you can try and find you own golden mean.

The taste is excellent. You can drink the chilled in the hot-time or 'normal temperature' during the awful autumn.
Salud!!

Honk...honk...speed...honk.....then repeat.

Locals will drive much faster than car rentals (and they also love riding up on your a@@), just stay out of their way and drive at your own pace. Don't worry if you feel as if the entire island is honking at you. Just pretend it's their way of giving you a warm welcome to their island :)