Due to heavy rain the flower festival parade which was supposed to happen today (Sunday) afternoon, was postponed for tomorrow (Monday) at 2pm. Saturday's program went well with school children fulfilling the "Wall of Hope" each one with a different flower. On Funchal downtown the fower perfume stands in the air as there are flower carpets covering some sidewalks, there is a flower exhibition and some other flower decorations on the main squares of the city.

In 29 years this is the second time the flower festival had to be postponed due to bad weather conditons with the first time being in 1983. Weather forecasts are predicting rain until Wednesday but we hope tomorrow afternoon rain will give us a break....

On new years eve Funchal downtown gets crowded! This year Funchal bay will host 12 cruise ships with about 13 thousand persons who will enjoy the fantastic fireworks show from the sea. At land the hotel beds capacity is around 95% which means that New Years celebrations are the highest tourist season in Madeira.

For 8 minutes Funchal amphitheater will roar under the sound of 67 thousand shots of colorful fireworks spread through 37 stations and will amaze about 150 thousand persons between tourists and locals.

According to the UK third most popular online travel agency, TravelRepublic.co.uk, after the wettest summer in this country and just after the clocks changed last weekend bookings for Christmas holidays to the sun is recording unprecedented levels.

The traditional Christmas and New Years destination, Madeira Island, has already increased its bookings with TravelRepublic.co.uk 160% more than last year. With Christmas still nine weeks away, it is expectable to see a huge influx of UK visitors during the festive season.

Source: TravelRepublic.co.uk press release

Since last Saturday, the 27th of October 2007, the first day of the IATA (International Air Transport Association) Winter 2007/08, new scheduled air connections are run by 4 airline companies new to Madeira. Madeira is now linked directly to 5 european cities: Dublin, Bristol, London Stansted, Copenhagen and Edinburgh.

On Saturday the Irish company AerLingus has started its air connection between Dublin and Madeira flying an Airbus A320 with 174 places every Saturdays and Tuesdays.

Today, EasyJet have started its new routes linking London Stansted to Madeira on a daily basis and flying from Bristol every Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays to Funchal. Another airline restarted, after some years, its connections to Madeira. Sterling departs from Copenhagen, Denmark, every Monday on a Boeing 738.

Last but not the least, starting on the 5th of November 2007 the Scottish airline Flyglobespan will connect Edinburgh to Madeira every Monday as well.

Another new route to Madeira will be on a charter basis through the ITAKA tour operator which will fly every Fridays from Warsaw in Poland to Madeira Island.

Now you do not have any excuses to come and visit Madeira Island! Have a look at these airlines websites and book now your Madeira holidays for next year!

Madeira is finally on the route of low cost companies being Easy Jet the second airline company operating flights from England to Madeira Island. After Aer Lingus confirmed its new route Doublin - Madeira, Easy Jet is already selling two new air connections: London Stansted - Madeira and Bristol - Madeira.

Easy Jet will assure a daily flight 7 days a week from London Stansted to Madeira and twice a week from Bristol to Funchal airport.

Now is time to come and visit Madeira with its beautiful nature and friendly people!