Although it’s likely that early sailors from both the Mediterranean and Scandinavia visited Madeira, when Portuguese explorers encountered the island in the early 1400s it was uninhabited. Portugal quickly changed that, marking the start of the exploration and colonization of the Age of Discovery.
Since that time, Madeira, and it’s main city of Funchal, has been an important landfall for sailors. Boats plying the new trade route to the Americas stopped on the way for provisions and water, and those headed back from India called for mail. And the transport ships for Madeira’s wine and sugar trade made steady round trips between the island and mainland Europe.
These days, most boats that make landfall in Madeira do so for tourism. But walking around Funchal, with a glimpse of the harbor around every corner, it’s impossible to not feel the sailing history.
