Porto Moniz, Madeira Island I

Madeira island is one of Europe's oldest travel locations and many thousands of tourists return year after year. Why?

Madeira offers not only a pleasant year round climate and wonderful fauna and flora - Madeira is also virtually crime free and one of the safest holiday destinations in the world!" [*]

Name that flower I

Answers:
Small City Scenes: Protea
Marcos Santos: caranguejeira cor de rosa
George Townboy: King Protea
Rick: George
Anagarras: Protea
chrome3d: dirty hairy balls flower

Web bridge

Moon watch today

At the kennel I

Madeira Island Sky Watch

Madeira Island 09 Sep

Farmer's Market-Funchal

Downtown-Funchal

Pico do Areeiro

Back to the Hotel

Madeira Island 07 Sep

Trip to Porto Moniz and way back to the Hotel

Porto Moniz

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Porto Moniz

Statistics
Region: Madeira Islands
District: Madeira Island
Population: 2,927 (2001)
Area: 80.4 km²
Density 36.41/km²
Altitude: Lowest: Atlantic Ocean
Centre: 336 m (1,105 ft)
Highest: 1,329 m
Number of parishes: 4

Porto Moniz is a town located in the northwestern part of the Madeira Islands. It is located W of Santana, W of Machico, and WNW of Funchal. It is linked with a road linking to Santana and to Funchal via Calheta.

The main source of industry are agriculture and fishing while a small number of businesses are in the downtown area.

Porto Moniz has a few schools, a few lyceums, a gymnasium, banks, a post office, a small port, beaches and squares or plazas (praças). It also has a large open-air swimming pool (piscina), which has been mostly formed out of natural rock pools.


Porto Moniz seen from the montainsThe parish has a population of 1,700 in 2001, its density is 81/km² and the area is 21 km². The parish includes the small settlement named Santa Maria Madalena west on the main road. The parish is southesat of Ponta do Tristão which is the northernmost point on the island. The elevation near the point is 332 m. A few hilltops are located southeast. The highest point is around 900 to 1,000 m. Ribeira da Janela which is one of the longest streams in all of Madeira is almost 2 km ESE. The mountain slopes are southward and forests are in the southern part. A small stream is located to the southwest. Farmlands are around Porto Moniz and Santa Maria Madalena.

Madeira Island 06 Sep

Funchal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Statistics
Region: Madeira Islands
District: Madeira Island
Population: 100,847
Area: 75.7 km²
Density 1,332/km²
Altitude: Lowest and Centre: Atlantic Ocean
Highest: Pico do Arieiro South Face 1,818 m (northwest)
Number of parishes: 10
Address of the city
administration: Câmara Municipal de Funchal
Paços do Concelho
Funchal 9000
Mayor: Miguel Filipe Machado de Albuquerque
Website: www.cm-funchal.pt

Funchal, population 100,526[1], is the capital of the Madeira Islands of Portugal. Funchal is also the largest city on the islands and with its neighbouring boroughs has over 150,000 inhabitants.

Funchal is located in a unique area; the natural geological features form an "amphitheatre" surrounding the city, which begins at the harbour and rises almost 1200 metres high on gentle slopes. This provides a natural shelter and was what attracted the first settlers.

Madeira's capital for more than five centuries, Funchal is said to have been named as such because of the abundance of fennel (funcho - in Portuguese) that was growing there.

Part of Funchal Municipality are the Savage Islands one nature reserve 160 km (100 mi) South of Funchal.

Funchal is bypassed by a superhighway to the north east and southwest which accesses to Santa Cruz, the Madeira airport and Ribeira Brava.

It was founded by João Gonçalves Zarco in 1421 and was elevated to city status by King Manuel I of Portugal in 1508.

In the early 1400s, Álvaro Fernandes was the commander of Funchal.

In the 16th century Funchal was important as a stopping place between the Indies and the New World, and was known as a wealthy place. It was also the port for Madeiran sugar and wine.