The Madeira calendar: Carnival, the Flower Festival in spring, the Wine Festival, and New Year's Eve fireworks over the bay.
On New Year's Eve the whole amphitheatre of Funchal is lit, cruise ships fill the bay, and at midnight fireworks go off from dozens of points across the hillside at once. People book a year ahead for it.
The Flower Festival fills the streets of Funchal with flower carpets and a parade of floats in spring. Carnival brings samba-style parades, and the Wine Festival marks the grape harvest with treading of the grapes in Câmara de Lobos.
Through the summer every parish holds its arraial, the feast of its patron saint, with lights, music, espetada and poncha in the churchyard.
A tipThe big festivals are our busiest weeks. Message us before you travel and we will find you a time.
- CarnivalFebruary or March
- Flower Festivalspring, after Easter
- Wine Festivallate August and September
- New Year's Eve31 December
At the end of the route, in Funchal, four artists draw whatever you bring back from the island: a place, a flower, a word, a set of coordinates.
The outline of the island
Madeira in a single line.