Condé Nast Traveller Reader's SPA Awards 2006 asked its readers to choose “the best that the SPA world has to offer, from urban day spas to spa retreats, hotel spas around the world and medical/thermal spas”. People were asked to rate their choices considering the ambience/decor, body treatments, cuisine and service/staff. This way Choupana Hills Resort & Spa has got the 9th place where no other Portuguese hotel has place. Congratulations to Choupana Hills!

The Madeira Classic Car Club this year and for the 19th time is organising the Tour of Madeira in Classic Cars, which will take place between 28th June and 1st July.

The Tour around Madeira by Classic Cars is an event limited to Classic and Vintage Cars, enrolled in the “FIA Historic Regularity Rallies" and included in the FIVA (International Federation of Vintage Vehicles) calendar, Category A, in which participation is limited to the standards of these federations and cars must be in its original working order.

This event is during four days and covers around 400 km through beautiful and often winding Madeira roads, competing in a way that allows competitors to experience the breathtaking landscapes of this beautiful island.

Source: Madeira Tourism Board – Newsletter May

The Garajau Maritime Natural Reserve, which is considered to be one of the world’s main amateur diving destinations, in 2005 issued over 3,000 diving licenses, 75 percent of which were requested by tourists.

This Natural Reserve has some characteristics that make it competitively advantageous. The low depth at which some of the most sought-after species can be found, such as the grouper and the fact that divers can access diving sites from land are some of the factors that make a difference. The passivity of the fish which, since 1985, became used to the divers is also an attraction which makes it possible to swim between the fish and provides the best opportunities for underwater photography.

An increasing number of tourists have been using Madeira as a diving destination in several areas, the most popular of which are Garajau Maritime Natural Reserve, Machico coastal area, Lido and Porto Santo Island which has an artificial reef created in 2000 by sinking the ship “Madeirense”.
Taking into account this new reality, the Madeira Regional Government is preparing a legal framework to attract and encourage diving as leisure, scientific and tourism activity, thus creating another competitiveness factor for Madeira Islands.

Source: Madeira Tourism Board – Newsletter May

The IATA (International Air Transport Association) Summer brings some novelties in terms of air transport links to Madeira Islands.
Europe Airpost, a French company, will run three weekly charter flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Madeira during the entire summer using Boeing 737s with 147 seats. According to the company’s plans, two flights will be on Saturdays (one direct flight and another via Nantes) while the Sundays flight will take several routes until 25th June, such as from Clermont-Ferrand, Lyon and Toulouse, and will become a direct flight after that date.

The Swiss charter company Hello, has already begun operating flights to Madeira with a weekly flight until the end of June using a 153-seat MD-90. Flights will depart from Basel, Switzerland and from several French cities including Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier and Toulouse.

Other air carriers will also boost their weekly flights to Madeira. Hapag Lloyd will begin a flight from Stuttgart, while Condor will provide a link with Leipzig and add another to Stuttgart. Air Berlin, via its Austrian associate Niki, will begin to run a flight from Vienna while Luxair is launching a second flight from Luxembourg.

Another big news for this summer is that many of the airlines operating charter flights to Madeira will now be accepting on-line reservations.

Source: Madeira Tourism Board – Newsletter May

The Atlantic Festival, organised by the Regional Tourism and Culture Office, is a culture and entertainment event and includes three different components: the Madeira Music Festival, the International Pyrotechnics Competition and several street entertainment shows.

The Music Festival makes it possible to make best use of some of the top architectural spaces on the island, providing tourists and residents with a unique occasion to appreciate quality erudite music. This year the integrated activities of this event also include Machico and Calheta with shows at Machico Church and Forum and the “Casa das Mudas” Arts Centre.

On the other hand the pyrotechnic part of the Festival every Saturday night in June will provide a unique spectacle in which the splendour of the fireworks mixes harmoniously with the music. June will thus make the Madeira capital into the setting for entertainment and attractions offering unforgettable shows, not only because of their artistic and musical quality, but also because of the magical atmosphere they will provide.

Source: Madeira Tourism Board – Newsletter May