Funchal Quinta do Palheiro Ferreiro - Located just 5km northeast of Funchal is this mansion in private hands. Though you can't enter the house, the gardens are open and are superb. A colourful cornacopia of flora that are at their best from December till April. Eira do Serrado - The island is full of natural attractions and this 1,175 deep crater is part of an ancient volcano. as the ground is very fertile, there are farms in the crater. This is called the islands belly button. This might ring true and have had a hand in the islands birth. Situated about 16km northwest of Funchal.

Lisbon The capital of Portugal has experienced a renaissance in recent years and has reclaimed its rightful place as the 'golden city' of southern Europe. After slumbering for decades, the city's modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan identity is today much similar to that which it enjoyed in the 15th and 16th centuries during the age of the great discoverers, when Lisbon was the centre of trade with the East and the starting point for maritime exploration of the globe.