DESTINATIONS MADEIRA | SPAIN & PORTUGAL NEED TO KNOW
E Following the outbreak of a new strain of Covid-19 in the UK, British visitors may not enter Portugal for non-essential travel. Check the latest Foreign Office guidance before travelling or go to
visitmadeira.pt.
E Current regulations require anyone arriving in Madeira to provide evidence of a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours of departure and then isolate until a second PCR test can be taken five to seven days after the first test. Visitors must also complete a form 12 to 48 hours before departure at
madeirasafe.com. Madeira remains on the UK’s travel corridor list, so no quarantine is needed upon return.
E Flights to Madeira are operated by British Airways, easyJet,
Jet2.com, Tui Airways and Wizz Air. Operators selling the destination include Tui, Sunvil, Jet2holidays, Saga, Kuoni, HF Holidays, Exodus, Mercury Holidays, Prestige Holidays and Classic Collection.
the Atlantic. Catering to surfers and bikers, staff serve caipirinhas while the chef uses a blowtorch to scorch snapper fish set on a salt stone. Farm stays are still popular too. We visited Quinta das Vinhas in Estreita da Calheta, an atmospheric guesthouse with an organic vineyard and 17th-century house, plus 14 cottages and two pools. Thanks to modern roads and tunnels, the once-remote farmstead is now just 45 minutes from the airport. It has no TVs but boosted its Wi-Fi to cater for teleworkers, and aims to offer health retreats, yoga and meditation, responding to the rising trend of long-stay, remote-work trips.
PANDEMIC PROTOCOLS Back in Funchal, I survey some of the three million Christmas lights that are a prelude to the highlight of the year – the New Year’s Eve fireworks display, said to be one of the biggest in the world. Usually about 10 cruise ships moor in the harbour for
the fireworks, but none have stopped at the island since the start of the pandemic. Brits account for a fifth of tourist arrivals – which
totalled 1.4 million in 2019 – but the pandemic meant just 325,000 visitors came between January and August 2020, with only 53,000 from the UK. Madeira has been widely praised for its reaction to the Covid crisis and spent €12 million between July and December on its testing scheme at the airport. ‘Use Mascara’ is seen on posters everywhere: it’s not
travelweekly.co.uk
urging you to put on make-up – it means ‘wear a mask’. And most people seemed happy to follow the new rules, wearing a mask most of the time, even outdoors, except for meals. Hand sanitisers, QR code menus, the
requirement to show a negative test result on arrival, and other Covid-19 measures mean there is a sense of security, enabling Madeirans and visitors to relax, share food, mingle and do all those activities we desperately miss.
TRIED & TESTED
Recalling my break when back in frosty England, the highlight was the warmth of the Madeirans – and the weather. After so long stuck at home, simple
pleasures like sightseeing in sandals during December or eating out in restaurants each night felt like something to be savoured. But it was the sheer joy of meeting new people and talking to passionate ambassadors of the island that I most relished.
TW THe vine hotel Funchal
Described as urban and chic, this city-centre hotel could be in any European capital. But decor by internationally renowned designer Nini Andrade, born in Funchal, gives it an idiosyncratic flair, with curvaceous couches and wine-inspired hues. My harbour-view room had a designer ‘cascade’ washbasin and bathtub with
an integrated massage bed. For spectacular vistas, head to the rooftop pool and restaurant to survey the
compact capital’s characterful panorama. Covid rules meant the breakfast buffet required plastic gloves, but it was
a small price to pay for a five-star experience with attentive staff and stylish surroundings. Book it: Rates start at €105 per night, including breakfast.
hotelthevine.com
7 JANUARY 2021
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