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0871 423-5053
Only £25 deposit per booking
Machico is another of Madeira's popular bases, both for its fascinating Portuguese history and as a good resort base with ample amenities. Machico is Madeira's second largest town after Funchal and sits close to Madeira Airport just to east.
If you're not staying here in Machico you'll certainly want to visit. This pretty Madeira town is crammed with delightful cafes, bars, restaurants and shops. The town has a chic contemporary feel which combines well with Machico's choice of well preserved historic Madeira sights. The first Portuguese discoverers to land on Madeira arrived not in Funchal, but here in Machico.
First Portugese arrivals Goncalves Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeira and their entourage landed here in Machico Madeira in 1419. However, the story goes that English nobleman Robert Machim and lover Ana d'arfet (Anne of Hertford) had sheltered here in Machico a century earlier - they had unfortunately ended up there when their ship was wrecked. Zarco did find their graves - they died here - so all fits. Zarco had a chapel buuilt over the site where the graves were found, and consequently named the town Machico after Machin.
What's clear is that unlike the Canary Islands, both Madeira and Porto Santo were uninhabited when the Portuguese first landed here, pretty much by accident! Some indigenous Guanches of the Canary Islands though were sold off to the Portugese to work in the Sugar Plantations on Madeira - records show that Guanche slaves worked alongside freemen in these plantations.
There's an ode to Teixeira in the form of a big statue in Machico main square of Largo do Municipio. Other historic sights in Machico include the Nossa Senhora da Conceicao church dating from the 15th century - note the splendid Manueline features on this church including windows and door portals!
Towards the coastal promenade at Machico sits Forte do Nossa Senhora do Amparo which appropriate has good views out to sea. The fort dates from 1706.
As well as its rich history, Machico makes an attractive resort base with its beach, glorious promenade and beach cafes. You can hook into both sailing and fishing trips from Machico. Campo de Golfe, Madeira's championship golf course is also located conveniently near Machico just inland. See Campo de Golfe's weblink right for details.
Coastal walking is also good here, and a popular walk is up from Largo dos Milagros to the Pico do Facho cliffs. Levada Nova is also nearby near the Canical tunnel, and you can follow this into the hills of the Ribeira Seca valley.
Machico Tourism Centre, Nossa Senhora do Amparo Fort (on the seafront), Machico, Madeira. Tel. (351) 291 962 289.
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