11/05/2014 – Written by LuAnn Lisell

Magnificent Madeira. I love the island of Madeira, Portugal. The ship, RCCL Adventure of the Seas, was docked in Funchal. A bus tour of the island had us going up and down multiple mountains. 

I was so impressed with the all the beautiful foliage. So many flowers and various colors of green. There was something growing on the sides and angles of each hill. Everywhere we looked, we saw vineyards, banana trees and other fruit and vegetable gardens. Sometimes the homes were literally covered with plant growth. Most of the roofs were red tile, which is typically Portugal. 

One of our stops was at the top of the largest sea cliff in Europe. There was a glass platform that we were able to walk out on. 580 meters above the sea. Fantastic views! 

At the top of another hill, we had a wine tasting with local homemade bread and cheese. Sitting outside we admired the views toward the sea and of the restaurant itself. 

At the end of the tour, we walked around Funchal before returning to the ship. This is a place I definitely plan to visit again.