August, 2015

During the month of August, is the perfect destination for a family holiday, with festivals taking over the island. The good weather brings on a desire for outdoor activities, a stroll on a "levada”, a swim in the sea or a boat tour for dolphin and whale watching. Come and explore the green freshness of the Laurissilva forest on Madeira island and walk along the magnificent golden sandy beach of !

Art Camacha From August 6th to 11th

Organised by the Casa do Povo da Camacha, the Art Festival of Camacha is dedicated to the cultural traditions of this rural parish in the municipality of Santa Cruz. During an entire week, Camacha becomes a hub for entertainment, wickerwork and embroidery exhibitions and musical performances from various folk groups from the parish. To find out more about this event and the traditional Madeiran culture, also adapted to modern times, visit the Casa do Povo da Camacha official website: http://www.casapovocamacha.pt/index.php.

Day of the Seven Ladies August 15th

The 15th of August became known in the past as the "Day of the Seven Ladies", which refers to the seven places in Madeira where the Marian Feasts are celebrated, marking the Solemnity of the Assumption of Our Lady. In all these festivities, the religious celebration is accompanied by a typical Madeiran festival, in some cases becoming the largest festival in the area because it coincides with the patron saint of the parish or place. Find the locations of the festivity: http://www.visitmadeira.pt/en- gb/madeira/regional-traditions .

Madeira Wine Festival 30th of August to 6th of September

The Madeira Wine Festival takes place during the grape harvest and reflects the social-economic importance of Madeira Wine, seeking to re- enact the old customs of Madeira's population from the island’s early settlement. During the Wine Festival, you will be able to see the harvest and the treading of the grapes, the parades of the grape-gatherers and the festivities, characteristic of a typical Madeiran festival. These moments are shared and lived with enthusiasm by all who participate and attend the festivities. For those wishing to follow the event more closely, the traditional live grape harvest takes place in the parish of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, with philharmonic bands and folklore groups, local food, living traditions and great entertainment. In , there will be scenic exhibitions depicting the grape harvest and several allegorical light, sound and folklore shows. In the traditional wineries, visitors have the opportunity to taste the Madeira Wine. Join us and take part in one of the oldest Madeiran traditional festivals!

Madeira Island Ultra Swim (MIUS) September 2nd to 7th

Madeira will host another edition of the Madeira Ultra Swim, the most extensive of the world swimming crossings comprising a total of 22.7 nautical miles (42 km). Starting at , more specifically in Calheta Beach, next to da Cal Islet, and finishing in Praínha, at Ponta de São Lourenço (Madeira island), this race will gather the participation of a maximum of 25 swimmers, in a route connecting the marine protected reserves of the two islands. MIUS consists of a competition with a strong sports, ecological and environmental component, which aims at promoting the natural heritage of the region and intending to integrate Madeira Islands in the international circuit of long open water crossings. Come and witness a breath taking challenge!

Madeira surf spots published in leaflet

Several fantastic surfing spots can be found on Madeira island. As a result of this, with support from Madeira Tourism, the ASM - Madeira Surfing Association - has released a pocket guide containing information about the island’s 11 surfing spots as part of the Madeira Big Wave Festival project. This publication serves a dual purpose: as a guide for anyone visiting Madeira to practice this sport, and to promote Madeira as a surfing destination par excellence. The guide also contains rules and technical details for waves in the districts of Calheta, São Vicente and , taking into account the region’s unique features in terms of water temperature and wave quality.

Madeira wins world title in big game fishing

In the beginning of July north American Anthony Johnson and the “Pesca Grossa” vessel crew, captained by Nuno Gonçalves and Frothy da Silva won the Blue Marlin World Cup prize for catching a swordfish with 296 kilos. Captured two miles off the coast of Fajã da Ovelha, the team took half an hour to bring the fish inside the boat; theirs was just one of the 150 vessels from various parts of the world fighting for the first place. Madeira did not win such a title for over 18 years, in a very prestigious yearly competition in this market segment, though it should be noted that Madeira won the title four times in 30 editions of the World Championship. Madeira is a real incubator of a varied range of underwater life. Find out more about the seas of Madeira in http://www.visitmadeira.pt/en-gb/what-to- do/activities/search/madeira/activities/sea

Lisbon-Machico crossing sets Guinness World Record

Madeira hosted yet another unprecedented sports initiative, led by the Portuguese athlete Francisco Lufinha, who surpassed his own record of “Longest Journey Kitesurfing without stops”. The "Mini Kitesurf Odyssey" almost connected Terreiro do Paço, in Lisbon, to the city of Machico, in Madeira island, covering a distance of 800 km in the , lasting more than 45 hours. He was the first athlete to achieve this challenge in Kitesurfing. For more details, go to: http://francisco.lufinha.pt/.

2

Photography of Madeira wins peninsular edition of 'Wiki Loves Earth' 2015

The first edition of the Iberian Peninsula photo contest 'Wiki Loves Earth' featured a nature photograph of Madeira island. With a total participation of 526 photographers (397 Spanish and 129 Portuguese), the jury chose the winning photographs that will move on to the international stage. From a total of 6,887 images, Madeiran contestant Jorge Nelson Alves captured the winning photo in the area of Fanal, set in the Madeira Natural Park and living testimony of the Laurissilva Forest, World Heritage of Humanity since 1999. The second place went to a Spanish male photographer and the third to a Portuguese female photographer.

Awards and certifications

The quality of services offered by Madeira’s tourism sector is often recognised, either by International Tour Operators or by other organisations. Find out which awards were granted in the last three months:

Green Key Awards 2015 - Royal Savoy - Savoy Gardens

QualiRam - Hotel Madeira

LusoCristal Consulting 'Foresee Gold Certificate of Excellent Food Hygiene Standards' Certificate - Meliá Madeira Mare Resort

Condé Nast Traveler The world’s most fascinating islands - Madeira Best Resorts in Europe - Belmond Reid’s Palace Hotel

Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence - Museu Universo de Memórias - Colégio dos Jesuitas Traveler’s Choice Awards - Hotel Madeira

Did you know…

… that the celebration of the independence of the United States, on 4th July 1776, was celebrated with a toast of Madeira wine? Many were the personalities, statesmen and mythical characters who were dazzled by this wine, of whom are emblematic examples George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Winston Churchill, without forgetting the references to Madeira Wine in literary works, such as those of Shakespeare, as well as Napoleon’s stop on his way to exile to take a barrel of Madeira Wine to the island of Saint Helena. To find out more about this nectar of the gods, there is nothing better than to participate in the Madeira Wine Festival and witness a century- old tradition that is part of the history of the world!

3