Beautiful Madeira Is Shaking It All About For Carnival.

Solange Berchemin joins the fun during Carnival week on Madeira.

Considered as the outermost region of the EU, once branded the destination for ‘the newly-weds and nearly dead’, the island of Madeira recently revamped its logo with colourful stylised lettering that reads ‘Madeira. Belongs to all’.

Where most visitors were content with exploring Madeira on foot, along the 1,000 km of levadas, a network of man-made irrigation channels, the new visitors have taken to mountain biking, abseiling, rock climbing, and other weird and wonderful adrenaline-fuelled activities. And, when the sun goes down, everyone joins in the Madeiran party spirit. We are not talking 24/7 raving Ibiza style, but still, over 1,000 parties take place in Madeira every year.

Yes, you’ve got this right, that’s three festivals per day, every day throughout the year. Traditionally, towns and villages honour their respective patron saint during the Arraiais season, religious celebrations involving a parade and a glass of poncha, or two. Poncha seems compulsory at every turn, I’m surprised visitors aren’t offered ‘um copo’ when they disembark the plane. It’s a cocktail made from fermented sugar-cane juice, lemon, and orange; other variations are available.

Besides the local parties, there are also major celebrations. The New Year’s festivities are an explosion of euphoria with spectacular fireworks. Next in the calendar is the mother of all festivals, the Carnival. It begins on the Wednesday before Shrove Tuesday and lasts for over a week.

The Allegoric Carnival Parade

The Funchal carnival is very different from that of Venice. It’s closer to the Rio’s celebrations. Dozens of samba schools throughout the island decorate their floats for weeks before the main event, which takes place on Saturday night. This year, 1,500 revellers took part in the Allegoric Carnival Parade, dancing their way down Funchal Avenida do Mare e das Communidades to the tune of sambas. Revellers wore costumes made of as little material as possible, adorned with lots of colourful feathers, rhinestones, all sorts of sparkles, and… more feathers for good luck. It’s beautiful, it’s vibrant, it’s very good-natured, and above all, it is inclusive.

I enjoy sparkles, fantasy worlds, creativity, and the energy of carnivals, but above all, I’m interested in people interaction and there is no better place than a party to witness how people relate. Madeira’s Carnival is much more than the sparkles of the Allegoric Carnival Parade, its communities and family celebrations. Carnival is designed for people of all ages, physical abilities, backgrounds, and sexual orientations. The sense of belonging and camaraderie that permeates the festivities is truly special.

The Slapstick Parade And Santana

On Shrove Tuesday, The Trapalhão Parade (slapstick parade) is open to all, foreigners included. It’s spontaneous, it doesn’t know boundaries, disguises may be less flamboyant than for the Allegoric parade, although there is still a lot of feathers though; Children attend the parade en masse, along with acrobats, cross-dressers and others.

Scenettes poke fun at political characters and virtually assassinations of hated figures are de rigueur. No prize for guessing who the star of the show was this year, let’s just say that he was bouncing around a globe branded ‘For Sale’. Funchal Trapalhão Parade marks the end of the celebrations started days before in the small town of Santana, where puppets of politician are judged and burned. The fires signals the start of a spring, away with the baddies, hello springlike goodness.

Santana is worth a visit for its historical importance and its traditional houses. Most of the thatched triangular houses are a government initiative but walk a little off the main track and you’ll be greeted by residents on the porch the real thing. The farmers market is worth a visit too. Madeira’s volcanic soil allows for a wide variety of exotic fruits and vegetables. In season, you’ll easily spot delicioso, a pale, knobbly fruit which looks like a cucumber, and taste like a cross between a banana, a pineapple, and a custard apple.

A Fascinating Scenery

No visit to Madeira is complete without a tour of the island. Personally, I would not have risked to take a rented car up the tortuous roads to the Fanal forest on the Paul da Serra Plateau. That’s where Green Devil Safari stepped in. I could swear that Lino, with his 20 years experience as a tour-guide had a GPS built in. We travelled on roads hardly large enough for donkeys, let alone a 4×4 jeep to the largest surviving area of laurel forest. The mystical atmosphere, misty conditions and, centuries-old trees are part of a well-worth experienced which is not to be missed.

A Vibrant Party Calendar All Year-Round

Flower Festival – May 1st to May 25th. A highlight of the spring season and arguably the archipelago’s most colourful event, the Flower Festival is a celebration of Madeira’s vibrant flora and natural beauty. If you can’t attend make sure to visit Monte Palace Tropical Garden instead, a green oasis with over 100,000 plants. The garden is accessible by cable car offering a panoramic view of Funchal.

Atlantic Festival – June 6 to June 29 Featuring world-class fireworks, music and cultural performances. The highlight is the extraordinary pyro-musical shows every Saturday.

Wine and Columbus Festivals a month of celebration from the end of August to the end of September both festivals celebrate the island’s rich history and international contributions. But there are many more festivals, including an onion festival.