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More than just the birthplace of the contemporary football superstar, Madeira also boasts captivating beauty and serves as a vibrant, colorful retreat destination.
More than just the birthplace of the contemporary football superstar, Madeira also boasts captivating beauty and serves as a vibrant, colorful retreat destination.
Madeira is a destination that almost every fan of the 'king of sports' will hear about at least once in their lifetime. It's the homeland of the contemporary football legend Cristiano Ronaldo. You can come across this place name in articles about Cristiano Ronaldo and even on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram... that this legend owns.
Madeira, the Portuguese archipelago, is situated about 400km north of the Canary Islands and 563km from Morocco. The weather on the island is consistently mild, with average temperatures ranging from 16 degrees Celsius (winter) to 22 degrees Celsius (summer). Thanks to its enchanting beauty, Madeira is also known as the Atlantic Ocean's Garden of Eden, attracting travelers from all corners of the globe.
One of the unmissable places to visit in Madeira is the historic Funchal. Funchal is the largest and most beautiful historic city on the island. The serene scenery, ancient buildings, and colorful markets filled with delicious fresh produce mesmerize visitors. Particularly, every spring, high-rise buildings, bustling streets, and small shops are adorned with intricate floral sculptures, statues, or flower carpets. Every May, the city hosts the Flower Festival (from May 9 to 15). The main event of the flower festival is a parade featuring dozens of trucks carrying giant floral artworks, along with thousands of dancers wearing colorful costumes made of flowers.
For nature enthusiasts, the Douro Valley is an ideal destination. Its crystal-clear waters winding amidst majestic hills make it one of the most popular attractions in Madeira. Visitors can hike along winding paths through the mountains or cruise along the river to admire the picturesque scenery. The Douro Valley is also renowned for its vineyards, where you can see grapevines lining the hillside slopes on the mountains.
Additionally, the gardens at Reid's Palace, Madeira, commissioned by the Earl of William Reid in 1891, are another famous spot on the island. These gardens feature numerous small hills with stone pathways and wooden benches to admire a variety of blooming flowers such as orchids, mimosa, jacarandas, imported from Brazil, China, Australia, and Japan.
Moreover, Madeira offers many natural advantages such as natural rock pools, stunning sea-facing cliffs with magnificent views. To relax and enjoy swimming in the natural volcanic pools, paragliding, or surfing, visitors can visit Porto Santo – a charming island located off the coast of Morocco, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, belonging to Madeira.
For Cristiano Ronaldo fans, this place is indeed a paradise. Everywhere in Madeira bears the mark of this football legend. Firstly, the airport – formerly known as Madeira Airport or Funchal Airport (the capital of Madeira). However, since March 2017, the city authorities decided to rename the airport to “Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport”. Moreover, tourists can see his image on posters hanging on walls or airport signs, especially the famous bust statue placed right at the airport entrance. Despite being criticized for its unlikeness, almost every tourist takes time to snap a selfie with the statue when visiting Madeira.
Especially, visitors should not miss tasting the famous specialties, especially Madeira wine. This strong white wine is divided into 3 types, named after the grape variety used to produce the wine such as Sercial, a light white wine with a subtle aroma of apricot, sharp taste, and warm character; Verdelho, a golden wine with a smoky taste, sweet and mellow style, short aging time, just a few months in the bottle is ready to drink; Bual, a dark-colored wine, sweet, slightly sweet, rich flavor, considered by many to be one of the best grape wines in the world.
Stunning landscapes, friendly people, exquisite cuisine – Madeira offers visitors much more than just the label of being the “homeland of Cristiano Ronaldo”.
Posted by: Thuỷ Tạ
Keywords: Exploring Madeira – Cristiano Ronaldo's Homeland
