Madeira – The Floating Garden of the Atlantic

Madeira is often referred to as the "Floating Garden of the Atlantic", with the breadth and uniqueness of its flora renowned around the world. Blessed with rich volcanic soil and a warm, subtropical climate, in spring the island enjoys an abundance of vibrant blooms across its heaths, coast and inland forests.

A popular destination for professionally-organised flower tours, keen amateur botanists who travel to Madeira will encounter not only a proliferation of native wildflowers, but also the extensive cultivations of introduced flora in the parks and gardens.

The Floral Fusion of Madeira

The largest of the islands of the archipelago, Madeira's dramatic volcanic landscape is criss-crossed by the network of man-made watercourses known as 'levadas', which make it easy to explore even the more isolated areas of its interior. The reason for the island's popularity for dedicated flower tours becomes apparent when you learn that an incredible 1,163 plant species thrive in this rich habitat, including 113 endemic species.

Funchal's Parks and the Botanical Gardens: Many of the species were introduced in the eighteenth century, when traders used the island to acclimatise the tropical plants they were transporting to England for use in aristocrats' orangeries and gardens. Today, throughout Funchal, the streets are alive with the vibrant colours of the bougainvillea that's found alongside the river and in the manicured town squares and parks.

The stunning Botanical Gardens contain an extensive collection of international tropical and subtropical floral blooms imported from Australia, Mexico Brazil, China, Japan and South Africa, including: hibiscus, jasmine, jacaranda, protea, agapanthus, orchids, poinsettia, calla lilies, camellias, birds of paradise and many more.

Around the Island: Away from Funchal, the diverse landscape supports a massive array of wildflowers and subtropical plants, ferns and moss growing alongside the levadas, on the side of roads, spilling down to the coastline and running wild through the heaths, hills and mountains. Among the many species that can be seen is the well-known Pride of Madeira, which is native to the archipelago. The flower has become an iconic symbol, growing up to 2.5m tall and yielding magnificent blue spiked blooms with red stamens.

Porto Santo: The itineraries of the best flower tours also take participants the 40kms across the sea to the second largest island in the archipelago, Porto Santo, which has a very different landscape. Due to its flatter, less rugged topography, it's interesting to compare the different species that thrive here. Despite being quite arid, the central plains and coastline support a wide variety of stunning wildflowers and exotic species, albeit in sparser proportions. The journey to Porto Santo is, in itself, a delight for nature lovers, with the opportunity to see a host of birdlife and dolphins.

Experience the Magic of Madeira on Flower Tours

Those who venture to this lovely archipelago on dedicated flower tours will be greeted by not just the explosion of colour during peak flowering times, but also the proliferation of birdlife and butterflies that goes along with the breeding season. For nature lovers, this stunning and abundant part of the world holds a special fascination, with surprisingly little known about many of the botanical species found here. While Madeira is not exactly an undiscovered secret, it's about as close as one can get while still being appealingly accessible.

Author Plate

Marissa Ellis-Snow is a freelance nature writer with a special interest in wildflowers. As a passionate lover of botany, Marissa chooses the expert-led flower tours organised by Naturetrek, which have brought her unforgettable encounter with a wide range of plant species in some of the most spectacular regions on Earth.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.