Madeira – here everyone on the plane claps their hands

It is said that only Poles clap on the plane. Well, no. Many other nations clap, and they do it for different reasons. One of them is clapping after landing in difficult conditions and at a difficult airport, such as the Madeira airport.

We’ll give you a hint right away: if you’re afraid of flying by plane, and yet you’d like to spend your vacation in Madeira, you’d better not get a sneak peek at what the airport (or more precisely, the runway) in Funchal looks like, because you might get discouraged, and it would be a pity, because the island is wonderful!

But before about the trip and the aerial exploits of ordinary pilots, a little about the island itself. What is Madeira like? Summer? Don’t. Winter? Neither ;) Madeira is called the island of eternal spring, which doesn’t mean you won’t go sledding or see a sandy beach here.

Temperatures in Madeira are very pleasant, ranging from 16 degrees in winter to 24 degrees in summer (average temperatures). Unfortunately, it can be quite windy at times, so perceptible temperatures can be lower. Rains may occasionally occur in summer and more often in winter, so they are unlikely to spoil holiday trips. During our trip, we had a few days when it was really hot and it was safe to jump into short shorts, and a few that we even put on sweatshirts. A lot also depends on the part of the island and the altitude, but you’ll see about that in the other posts with an account of the trip.

Madeira, which is a Portuguese island, is still overshadowed by the Spanish Canaries. This is not a destination for tourists looking for all-inclusive hotels with direct access to the beach. What is not, because such hotels and also beaches here as scarce. Madeira, on the other hand, is a real paradise for people who like to spend their free time actively instead of lying on the beach. There are many hiking trails here, including along the famous levadas, so be sure to bring comfortable shoes and a backpack.

We also recommend our eBook “Madeira” »! All in one place with 106 pages full of inspiration, descriptions and practical advices.

We were just fascinated by the many trekking routes, but also the rocky coastline and challenging winding roads. What else attracted us to Madeira? Airport! One of the more difficult airports in the world.

Madeira airport

On this mountainous island, it’s hard to find a piece of flat land that could serve as an airport site, so it was built directly on the coast. In order to land, a plane flying from Europe has to turn around right next to the strip and fly parallel to the shoreline, then aim at the airport strip, which starts almost over the water and additionally at a considerable altitude.

Simple? We thought so until we found ourselves in such a plane :) Approaching the landing you can feel the gusts of wind strongly, which plays with the plane like a toy – but this is standard in this area. We couldn’t resist driving up to the vicinity of the airport the other day to watch planes approaching landings with other spotters.

Let me write right away: the airport is safe! Or at least it is now. It was unsafe until 1977, when the biggest air disaster in Portuguese history took place there (for that time, because 12 years later there was a crash in the Azores, where 144 people died).

The causes of the crash were poor weather conditions and a runway that was too short (just 1.6 km) – the plane skidded on its third landing attempt and plummeted off the runway straight into the water. The aftermath of this disaster resulted in the extension of the lane – a section on pillars of almost 1.2 kilometers was added.

Flying along the coastline, one can admire the entire runway, supported by 180 pillars, which begins and ends directly over the ocean. From a passenger’s point of view, you can eat your fears when a landing plane has to make a sharp turn, fly directly to the island, only to turn again and aim for the runway.

Passengers flying to Funchal for relaxation can enjoy the sharp slopes of Madeira on one side and the ocean on the other. The first “uff” occurs when the plane’s wheels touch the runway, but the second, the more important “uff,” only when it brakes and turns on the runway. It’s been a long time since we heard such thunderous applause on the plane, and only after the plane stopped (I should add that we were not flying directly from Poland, and most of the passengers were Portuguese).

In fact, we had ideal weather conditions (except for the wind, which, as we mentioned, is standard) and a very large supply of fodder, so it was porridge with milk for the pilots.

Things were different, however, when one day we went by car to watch planes landing in Madeira. Of the three scheduled, only 1 has landed. The rest, due to strong winds, were diverted to other airports (not in Madeira, of course).

Being at this vantage point, we saw how these huge machines behave like leaves in the wind and have to succumb to the forces of nature, thus leaving for more laps and even changing airports. However, let’s remember that the lives and safety of passengers come first. We read somewhere that flights to Madeira are flown by only the best pilots, but maybe it was just a promotion of the island? ;)

So, it is safe to land here, but it may happen that the plane will be diverted somewhere else, so you may have to wait for an extra night in the Canaries, for example :)

Below you will find a video of our landing (from the passenger’s perspective) and in the second part two attempts to land another plane. Will they succeed? :)

You can find the video on You Tube: Madeira Airport and Landing.

 

Beautiful Madeira and a hotel on Cabo Girão

After these chilling experiences, a nice time awaited us in Madeira. We spent more than a week here, but if we had stayed for another 7 days there would certainly have been something to do.

As on previous trips, we immediately rented a car for the entire stay and this was also a highlight – rides on sharp, winding roads are not recommended for people with motion sickness, so pack some medication in your suitcase ;-)

Our first challenge came as soon as we picked up the car, on the way to the hotel. We had an overnight stay on the famous Cabo Girão cliff, at an altitude of about 500 meters above sea level, so we faced a steep climb up a mountain dotted with numerous serpentines along the way.

For that, the views were amazing, and we had 50 meters to the nearby viewpoint, which was not long ago renovated and is famous for its glass floor.

Unfortunately, there are also downsides to such a location: for one thing, without a car you can’t move. OK, the hotel offers a commute, but there is a fee and you have to adjust to specific hours. Second – it was damn cold. During the day it was great, it was warm, the sun was warming – you could sit on the terrace with pleasure, but this is not why you fly to Madeira to sit in the hotel. However, we also spent some time in the hotel, and unfortunately, especially in the evenings it was quite cold, and we had to sit on the aforementioned terrace in fleece. In the lower parts of the island there was no such problem. As it is in life: something for something.

Summary

Beginnings in Madeira can be difficult, they can be scary. This is an island that is one of a kind, and in the next few posts we will try to bring you a list of must-see places in Madeira :)

We write, among other things. even more about Cabo Girão, the levadas, Christiano Ronaldo, Madeira wine or Espada fish. You are welcome :)

See also our post about the TOP 10 attractions of Madeira and Madeira with a baby – we answer your questions!