Hotels in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
The Madeira group lies 545 km north west of the African coast, and is formed of two bigger islands, Madeira (with a surface area of 741 km2) and Porto Santo, which are inhabited, and other desert islets. Funchal is the main city, and is situated along the southern coast, other towns are Porto Santo, Machico, Câmara de Lobos, Santa Cruz and Santana.
The Laurisilva Forest is a World Heritage site: a subtropical laurel forest once covered all the Macaronesian islands in the North Atlantic is a precious relic of the Pliocene period. The climate of the island is mild, thanks to the Gulf Stream and the mountainous territory, with the remarkable height of Pico Rulvo (1862 mt).