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Travel Insurance Madeira

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Madeira Country Guide

  1. Country Facts
  2. Health
  3. Media
  1. Intro
  2. Geography
  3. People
  4. Travel
  5. Embassies & Visas
  6. Finance

Quick Facts

Official Name: Madeira
Capital: Funchal
Official Languages: Portuguese
Spoken Languages: Portuguese
Population: 267,785 (2011 est.)
Currency: Euro (EUR)
Time Zone: WET (UTC+0)

Madeira is a group of islands situated within the Atlantic Ocean. The islands are located west of Portugal and are attached to Portuguese culture/government. Madeira is highly popular with tourists due to the resorts that the islands can offer, around 1 million tourists visit the islands every year.

Madeira Travel Insurance

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Madeira is linked to the Azores which form the Autonomous regions of Portugal. The islands are north of Tenerife and the Canary Islands. The capital of Madeira, Funchal, is located on the south coast and is the most inhabited zone, residing most of the population. Madeira has a mediterranean climate but usually has mild weather throughout the year. Rainfall only usually occurs in the winter period. Temperatures can be as high as 25°C (77°F) or as low as 14°C (57°F).

Geographic data: 32°39 4 N 16°54 35 W

Natural hazards: Flooding, landslides and extreme rainfall are risks for all of the islands.

Birth rate: 7 births/1000 people (2015 est.)

Death rate: 1065 deaths/100,000 people (2010 est.)

Life expectancy: 74.4 years (2011 est.)

You are able to drive on Madeira with hire cars being available. You will need a valid driving license to drive. Most of the roads around the capital are well kept and you shouldn't encounter many problems while driving, most of the drivers are kind and respectful of tourist drivers. Off road ventures are available and you will need to take care on these trips, sticking to a slow speed. Public transport is also an option if you do not wish to drive.

Crime is very low within Madeira with the only crime being pickpocketing which is usually rare. General care is required with your belongings and important documents, make copies to cover yourself should anything happen.

The entry requirements for Madeira are the same as Portugal. You are allowed to stay at Madeira for 3 months without having a visa, you can stay for longer but you will need to apply with the Madeira authorities. Your passport needs to be valid for your entire trip, you will not need any extended period of validation on your passport.

Currency: Euro (EUR)

There are currently no health requirements associated with travelling to Madeira.

It is advised that you check the FCDO website to see if Madeira has been added before you travel: www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Direct Travel Insurance cannot offer cover for any areas or countries to which the FCDO advise against travel.

With slight influences from the west, Madeira sticks to its original culture boasting music, cuisine and beverages as one of the country’s main aspects. Music is hugely popular within the islands with traditional folkloric dancing to try and attract tourists to the island. The ukulele was famously created on the Madeira Islands before being shown to Hawaii. The islands are popular with fish cuisines and a wide selection of unique beverages that are available to anyone visiting the island.