What is the Best Adventure Island in Europe?
If you want an adventure in Europe which consists of more than just hiking and are looking for something a little more, we can help you.
It is hard to find a destination in Europe that offers a smorgasbord of outdoor activities from scuba diving to rock climbing to canyoning. The answer... Madeira Island!
The Spot
Madeira is a Portuguese island off the coast of north Africa, specifically, Morocco.
The subtropical volcanic island is lush with greenery and rugged mountainous ocean cliff sides.
As we are somewhat ignorant Americans, we had never hear of Madeira Island before our trip to the Canary Islands. While researching places to go after the Canary Islands, Madeira Island came into our awareness via Google Maps.
Why neither of us had ever heard of Madeira Island, we do not know, considering this island is EPIC in every sense of the word.
What Madeira Island can offer that other European destinations can't offer:
Whale and dolphin watching
Swimming with the dolphins
Scuba diving inside underwater ships
Canyoning down waterfalls
Cliff jumping
Rock climbing
Spearfishing and sportfishing
Hiking trails and lavada walks
Mountain biking
Kiteboarding and surfing (weather permitting)
Friendly people and culture
Delicious and affordable food
Unique drink options (like poncha!)
Affordable hotels and Airbnbs
Easy and affordable rental car options
Safe
Fast and reliable internet compatible for digital nomads
Mild climate with excellent warm weather year round
What Madeira Island cannot offer you:
Sandy beaches
Any activities that require cold weather or snow (eg. skiing / ice climbing)
*If you "must have" sandy beaches, then take the short ferry over to Fuerteventura (part of the Canary Islands) which is well known for sandy beaches.
You can even get kiteboarding grove on Madeira! Although, conditions were not in our favor when we were there, so it is a hit or miss.
However, if you really want to kite, then head back over to Fuerteventura with your sandy beach you sand lover ;)
Getting There:
Travelling to Madeira is very easy.
You can find many relatively short flights from most major Western European airports given the unique type of environment you will find yourself in.
It is less than a 2 hour flight from Lisbon and tickets are really cheap!
One way tickets for $24 USD! (as of this writing 2 months out in March)
From reading others' blogs prior to planning our trip, everyone said that a week is barely enough time to explore this island.
Honestly we didn't believe them as we don't like to sit still while traveling and usually cover all the attractions in half the time or less than other peoples' recommendations.
We do not need 10 days to look at 3 museums or do some simple things in one city (usually).
Being that we were trying to "travel slower", we decided to stay on Madeira Island for 10-12 days.
Honestly, this was the perfect amount of time to explore it while maintaining a much longer several month itinerary.
From doing numerous outdoor adventure excursions (see list above), as well as getting in some relaxation, we thoroughly enjoyed our time in Madeira!
When we go back, we would likely stay for a few months to really enjoy all the things and let it truly soak in.
Unexpected Finds
There are more than one Cristo Rei / Christ the Redeemer statue, and one of them is found on Madeira Island
Think of the giant Jesus statue in Rio de Janeiro, that’s the one
Catch em all and visit Lisbon, Portugal to see another one
There are miles and miles of lavadas to hike as they criss cross all over the island
Cristiano Ronaldo is from here and has a museum dedicated to himself
Your money goes farther on Madeira Island compared to the Canary Islands or mainland Spain in general
If you want to go to one place that "has it all", then Madeira Island is honestly hands down one of the best and diverse adventures you can find in Europe.
Although we loved the Canary Islands, Madeira Island is the "go to spot" if you want it all in one place.
Kirk + Martina have been adventure travelling essentially their whole lives. Martina has been to over 60 countries, speaks 3 languages, and is a badass. Kirk enjoys pushing limits to their extreme, hence the love for action sports and anything dangerous / adrenaline filled fun.
We realized the adventures we go on and the knowledge we learn could be useful for others.
Check out our services to learn more: pre-planned Trip Packages and create your own Bespoke Adventures.
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