I wanted to share a video of a Monk Seal in the bay of Camara de Lobos yesterday morning This was the first time I have seen one in the bay This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Don't worry, I also hate spam. The Madeira Island, known as the birthplace of Cristiano RONALDO, had already recognized its most famous footballer by naming its airport after him—Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport. Now, the island extends this tradition of honoring its sports icons by naming a new sports venue after Marcos FREITAS, one of the greatest Portuguese table tennis players. This parallel between Cristiano RONALDO and Marcos FREITAS highlights how Madeira continues to celebrate its most accomplished athletes, acknowledging their impact on the international stage and inspiring future generations. This initiative reinforces Madeira’s reputation as a land of champions, recognizing those who have brought pride to the region through their outstanding achievements. The new Gimnodesportivo Sports Hall in Estreito de Câmara de Lobos has been named after Marcos FREITAS, the Portuguese star who was born there and started his career representing the local club. The inauguration ceremony took place this Saturday and was attended by prominent figures from the sports and political scene, including the President of the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation, Fernando MALHEIRO, the President of the Regional Government of Madeira, Miguel ALBUQUERQUE, the Interim President of Câmara de Lobos Municipality, Sónia PEREIRA, and the President of GD Estreito, Sónia SILVA. Marcos FREITAS expressed his gratitude for this tribute, saying: “This is a great honor. This truly is the recognition of a long career and the great achievements I have accomplished.” GD Estreito President Sónia SILVA emphasized the significance of opening this facility in a parish “where athletes are king,” expressing confidence that the sports hall will contribute to the development of new talents. Likewise, Sónia PEREIRA, interim president of Câmara de Lobos Municipality, described the tribute as “well-deserved recognition for Marcos FREITAS, an ambassador of our region who has carried the name of Câmara de Lobos beyond borders.” During the ceremony, Marcos FREITAS gifted Miguel ALBUQUERQUE a signed jersey and a table tennis racket, while he himself received a token of appreciation from the Portuguese Table Tennis Federation, presented by Fernando MALHEIRO. Throughout his career, Marcos has collected multiple medals in the European Games, European Championships, and Europe Top-16 tournaments, solidifying his place among the sport’s elite. In the European Games, Marcos FREITAS won a gold medal in the team event in Baku in 2015. He later secured a silver medal in the singles event in Kraków-Małopolska in 2023 and a bronze medal in the team competition in Minsk in 2019. In the European Championships, he became a gold medalist in doubles in Gdansk-Sopot in 2011 and later added another gold in the team event in Lisbon in 2014. He earned silver medals in the singles event in Ekaterinburg in 2015 and in the team event in Luxembourg in 2017 and Nantes in 2019. His career also includes multiple bronze medals: in doubles in Saint Petersburg in 2008, in the team event in Gdansk-Sopot in 2011, in singles in Warsaw in 2020, and in the team event in Malmö in 2023. FREITAS was also junior and cadet champion at the European Youth Championships in singles and reached the seventh position at the World Rankings in 2015. In the prestigious Europe Top-16 tournament, he claimed the gold medal in singles in Lausanne in 2014. He also won silver medals in singles in Baku in 2015 and Thessaloniki in 2021, as well as a bronze medal in Montreux in 2024. The European Table Tennis Union (ETTU) is the governing body of the sport of table tennis in Europe, and is the only authority recognized for this purpose by the International Table Tennis Federation. The ETTU deals with all matters relating to table tennis at a European level, including the development and promotion of the sport in the territories controlled by its 58 member associations, and the organization of continental table tennis competitions, including the European Championships. Reporting by Patrícia Vicente Rua; Editing by Ros Russell Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab , opens new tab Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. , opens new tabScreen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. © 2025 Reuters. All rights reserved Read today's Portuguese stories delivered to your email The fire in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos has now been contained, however it is still not yet under control after a “very intense and difficult night” recorded several active fires through the night with the fire burning near homes and public facilities namely in the centre of the parish of Curral das Freiras but the authorities cannot “reduce their resources” warning that fighting and extinguishing the fire will always depend on the weather conditions which have not been favourable in recent days the Mayor indicated that “no house in the municipality has been affected” Leonel Silva said that there are storage rooms haystacks and agricultural land that have been affected by the fire around 50 residents who were forced to leave their homes are staying in two municipal community centres Madeira is being hit by a fire that broke out on Wednesday morning in Serra de Água and then spread to the neighbouring municipality of Câmara de Lobos At least 160 people were evacuated from their homes due to the fire in both municipalities a source from the Regional Secretariat for Health and Civil Protection of Madeira told Lusa today According to the latest report released by the Regional Civil Protection Service in the areas of Curral das Freiras and Fajã das Galinhas The fires are being fought by 120 firefighters from all the region's fire departments supported by 43 vehicles and the air force that has already begun operations the region has the support of 76 members of the joint force of the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority The Regional Civil Protection Emergency Plan of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (PREPCRAM) was activated to respond to “the gravity of the situation” All regions of Madeira are the only ones in the country to be under an orange warning from the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) for hot weather which is yellow for the island of Porto Santo We appreciate that not everyone can afford to pay for our services but if you are able to we ask you to support The Portugal News by making a contribution – no matter how small You can change how much you give or cancel your contributions at any time Send us your comments or opinion on this article Reaching over 400,000 people a week with news about Portugal Last Thursday night there was a blackout in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos that affected several areas The Madeira Electricity Company confirmed to DIÁRIO that 2,255 customers were without electricity for more than an hour The reason was a faulty cable between PT CL-ECL-002/ Pico do Rato and PT CL-ECL-027/ Centro Cívico” From Diário Notícias Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email The felling of an adult jacaranda tree  reported yesterday by GENUS – Madeira Heritage Defense Association was not properly licensed and the work was suspended as soon as the Câmara de Lobos Municipal Council was informed In response to questions posed on Wednesday by JM the Câmara de Lobos Municipal Council revealed that it “had no prior knowledge of any intervention relating to the felling of the jacaranda tree” the local authority stated that “an initial visit to the site was made in the morning” by the environmental engineer working for the Council a verbal warning was issued requiring the immediate suspension of any work related to the alleged felling of the aforementioned tree.” municipal inspection services returned to the site to verify compliance with this recommendation It was possible to confirm that the ‘felling’ work had been suspended” contrary to what had been stated by the GENUS association “having only been subjected to significant pruning” The response from the Câmara de Lobos Municipal Council to the newspaper states that the owner of the land was questioned “about the possible obtaining of authorization or opinion from the Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN)” and that he “claimed to be unaware of the legal formalities applicable to this type of intervention” the municipality adds that the Forest Police were also called and were on site to register the incident and follow up on the process From Jornal Madeira They would be coming into flower soon but this tree looks dead So the tree wasn’t felled and the Council state it was “having only been subjected to significant pruning” Perhaps you could tell us of the laws covering the pruning/felling of such trees on private land I do know that in the UK it is generally felt that unless a Tree Preservation Order is in force on a particular tree the land owner can do as he wishes Indeed we have only recently had a headline case of a 500 year old oak being felled by a hotel chain Trees can sometimes be obstructive to construction Trees are essential to our well being and are not easily replaced The new artistic mural entitled “Planet A” was inaugurated yesterday in Câmara de Lobos Bay. The work was created by the cultural collective Teatro Metaphora and reinforces the message of sustainability and protection of the planet, in one of the most emblematic areas of Madeira. This mural joins other artistic initiatives of the association, known for using recycled materials and promoting environmental awareness through urban art. A post shared by Teatro Metaphora (@teatrometaphora) The parish of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos has yet another attraction Entitled ‘Architects of Equilibrium’ the mural created by Berlin-based artist Denis Dendy is a call to action for a more sustainable future which according to information released by the Câmara de Lobos city council symbolizes resilience and the interconnectedness of life is composed of a sculpture of a woman holding a sphere is an invitation to create more harmonious spaces that inspire a better future This mural is part of an urban art project that has long prevailed in the city of Câmara de Lobos with the support of the Regional Secretariat for Economy curated by ZIDART – Street Art Festival and organized by Teatro Metaphora Do you know if there is an ‘art trail’ in Camara de Lobos Well will be another tourist attraction for supposed pretender hikers go and leave the levadas and the mountains alone 😁😂 The Estreito de Câmara de Lobos hosts another Harvest Festival today an annual celebration that has stood out as one of the most attractive regional events for tourism in the Region and has attracted a large number of visitors to the charming village of Câmara de Lobos The ‘Festa das Vindimas’ is an event that celebrates the rich heritage of winemaking in the Region highlighting the reputation and prestige of the parish and the wines produced there as well as honouring all those who dedicate their time and effort to producing these treasures This event is a passionate celebration that attracts visitors from all over to enjoy the culture the exceptional wines of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos which had its historic debut in September 1963 visitors have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of entertainment including live music performed by musical groups gastronomic and ethnographic activities are held at 10 am with the show ‘Vintage Live’ with the presence of the President of the Regional Government and also the President of the Municipality the ethnographic procession will take place which will go through the main streets of the town and will culminate with the treading and repressing of the grapes the morning will end with the wine competition ‘Who is the fastest?’ the party starts again at 6 pm with the XVII Harvest Grand Prix with the entertainment continuing until 3 am with musical performances by Emanuel Gonçalves From Diário Notícias The man who carried out an armed robbery at the Caixa Geral de Depósitos branch in Câmara de Lobos on 12 January and fled with around 215 thousand euros admitted this afternoon at the start of his trial in the Funchal court (Building 2000) although he denied some details of the accusation he didn’t have a real pistol” and that he threw it away after the robbery the defendant cried in court and expressed regret He even said that after committing the crime To the panel of judges presided over by Joana Dias who is in pre-trial detention and appeared in court visibly nervous denied having asked the bank manager to turn off the alarm and that such action was the employee’s initiative He also denied having tied up some of the six people who were in the bank during the robbery with cable ties He also denied having pointed a knife at anyone He only admitted that he used a knife to cut the cable ties with which one of the employees was tied “I have never pointed a knife at anyone You can see on the cameras that I did not carry a knife” He also said that “he did not plan anything” The defendant is a native and resident of the city centre of Câmara de Lobos The family had emigrated to England but returned to their homeland about a year ago and the man found work as a drinks distributor As reported by DIÁRIO in its September 29 edition the man was familiar with the routines of the bank branch staff gloves on his hands and sunglasses and a Covid mask covering his face he approached him with a pistol or replica (the object was not recovered) The fact that the safe had a delayed opening time and that a second employee’s key was needed prolonged the robbery The amount of money inside the safe surprised the thief who was expecting to steal up to 50 thousand euros there was more than 215 thousand euros in the safe It was so heavy that the defendant had to carry it on his shoulders The PJ recovered around 208 thousand euros from his home The missing money was spent mainly on purchasing construction materials as the defendant intended to carry out renovation work on one floor of his home From Diário Notícias “Desperate times call for desperate measures,” and he must have felt desperate Clearly he isn’t a mastermind of crime here as of course he would get caught and now needs to face his due punishment But if he thought his wife and three little ones were hurting for money before I imagine things will be even harder the years he spends in jail The man in his 40s who was found dead on Monday morning in Câmara de Lobos was apparently murdered and mutilated This is the version circulated among the victim’s family and acquaintances Some find it strange that the authorities are silent about a case that they consider macabre and highly violent A relative of the man found dead earlier this week revealed details of great violence to JM From Jornal Madeira I miss the simplicity of life in the 80s and 90s I have been coming to Madeira for 20 years and have been living here for 4 years Far too many tourists of the wrong quality It is not Madeira and this together with the increase of other crimes which never existed in Madeira is just the start probably if things do not get under control You speak so poorly of the island yet you frequent and post on this blog There is serious crime happening every day in Madeira and the authorities keep it quiet because they don’t want to scare the tourists away An earthquake measuring 2.1 on the Richter scale was recorded on Monday night south of Câmara de Lobos According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) the earthquake occurred at 9:48 pm yesterday The tremor will not have been felt by the population From Diário Notícias The 42-year-old man accused of robbing a Caixa Geral de Depósitos bank branch on January 12th last year in Câmara de Lobos was today sentenced to six years in prison the Madeira District Court acquitted the defendant of the three kidnapping crimes he had been accused of but sentenced him to six years in prison for aggravated robbery in addition to paying compensation to the victims It should be recalled that the defendant had already confessed to the facts and accusations brought against him by the Public Prosecutor’s Office almost in their entirety in statements made before the court in the first session of the trial From Jornal Madeira Another great Festival in Câmara de Lobos starting this Thursday evening The PSP Madeira Regional Command arrested 4 citizens the PSP reports that “the investigation into this crime began at the end of 2023 after a road inspection was carried out on Rua Padre Pita Ferreira in which some narcotic substances were seized” It goes on to say that “through the evidence collected the police carried out several steps to collect material and testimonial evidence during 2024 which pointed to the existence of a focus of drug trafficking in the Ribeiro Real area in Câmara de Lobos” and that “the grounds for issuing home search warrants were preceded by surveillance based on reports from consumers February 27th that “the PSP carried out two house searches and arrested 4 suspects in flagrante delicto These actions allowed the seizure of 109 individual doses of Heroin 1054 doses of Bloom and 1286 doses of Gorbymix 20 thousand euros in cash were also seized after preliminary analysis of the substance seized at the Scientific Police Laboratory they were presented for the first judicial interrogation” this Monday The note concludes by stating that “two detainees were given the coercive measure of Identity and Residence Terms and the female suspect was given the coercive measure of biweekly presentations at the Police Station in the area of ​​residence The alleged person responsible for this small network was placed in preventive detention” From Diário Notícias The Judicial Police (PJ) is investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a 5-year-old boy According to information gathered by DIÁRIO the authorities consider that there are some suspicions The PJ is now on the ground investigating the situation to determine the circumstances of the death and confirm whether there is indeed evidence of a crime or whether it was all just an accident The authorities are still awaiting the results of the autopsy to clarify the cause of death everything happened at around 9pm yesterday When the Câmara de Lobos Volunteer Firefighters arrived at the scene the child was found to be lying lifeless on the ground The firefighters immediately began resuscitation manoeuvres which continued until a team from the Rapid Intervention Medical Team (EMIR) arrived EMIR professionals took over the resuscitation attempts the team doctor ordered the maneuvers to be suspended and the child was taken to the hospital DIÁRIO also knows that a family member of the child is currently being treated at the Câmara de Lobos Health Centre after feeling unwell following the tragic event From Diário Notícias The Câmara de Lobos City Council said goodbye to Preto He was the most beloved dog in the city centre the Câmara de Lobos Volunteer Firefighters realizing that he was in a state of distress He will remain in everyone’s memory forever Thank you to all those who cherished him throughout his long life and thank you to Preto for being part of the life of our city” can be read on the local authority’s social media If only the population old and young could learn It should be a criminal offense to chain up dogs the way some locals do Indeed in chains and many times also used by the owners was a way of intimidation for people not walk in the pavement in the street many of this does are lose but the owners never take them out to socialize and become more friendly towards people Carnival processions will take place in several parishes in Madeira some of which will take place in the municipal headquarters The itinerary begins with a parade that will go down Avenida Barão da Nora It will start at Rua Dom Tolentino Mendonça passing through Rua dos Milagres until the bridge that leads to Rua da Árvore going down Rua do Ribeirinho and ending at Largo da Praça The other procession at 3:00 pm will take place at Campanário starting next to Restaurante La Parreira – Centro Cívico At 3:30 pm the troupes will parade on the Porto Moniz seafront there are two carnivals: a ‘clumsy’ procession in the Estreito de Câmara de Lobos and a parade on Avenida 1.º de Maio there is a Carnival procession in Santa Cruz From Diário Notícias A sea lion was sighted this week in Câmara de Lobos bay Its behavior caught the attention of locals especially after the animal approached a stand up paddle boarder and swam under his board who was impressed by the sea lion’s approach See video here. it’s wonderful to see these gorgeous animals in the coastal waters of the Madeira mainland The translation into English reads Sea Lion A sea lion would be very lost if it found its way to Madeira The Ribeira Brava fire begins to spread to the municipality of Câmara de Lobos indicating that the fire was close to the Corrida site the smell of smoke is intense and the population said that there were flames near the Forest Police house regional operational commander of Civil Protection confirmed that the fire had already spread to the higher areas of Câmara de Lobos From Jornal Madeira Time to ask for the help from the mainland it’s clearly too much for local firefighters Two men were arrested “in flagrante delicto” by the Public Security Police (PSP) two cars and five motorcycles were also seized “awaited presentation for the first judicial interrogation to determine the coercive measures The arrests were made “during a Special Crime Prevention Operation authorized by the Public Prosecutor’s Office” and carried out by the Câmara de Lobos Police Division in the parish of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos the PSP regional command announced in a statement The Criminal Investigation Squads and the Territorial Squad as well as the Canine Team of the Madeira Detached Force of the Special Police Unit (UEP) the PSP announces that “several search and seizure warrants were served following investigations that had been ongoing for several months and which included several surveillance actions and other investigative steps that allowed the collection of evidence that will be used in subsequent phases of the process” The Police also revealed that in this major operation material and values ​​were seized: 1,638 grams of Bloom – “Alpha PHP”; 10 individual doses of “Cocaine”; 20 individual doses of Heroin”; 6 individual doses of “Hashish”; Various material used in the division packaging and distribution of the narcotic product 117,337 Euros were also seized; 2 high-powered cars; 5 high-powered motorcycles and 50 12-gauge rounds of ammunition From Jornal Madeira Surely ‘in flagrante delicto’ can only mean ‘being caught at it in wild sexual abandon’ If this was what the police found the two men in I hope they’ve got it on video as it should make a most exciting part of the whole thing The walkway that connects Praia Formosa to Câmara de Lobos was closed at the beginning of last week The reason is related to works being carried out on site some locals have still been caught off guard and have gone to this area no knowing It was just closed for several months last year Es ist mein täglicher Spaziergang zwischen Praia Formosa und Camara de Lobos im November Is the promonade from Lido to Praia Formosa open Is there a diversion that leads to Camara de Lobos A fire broke out late Sunday afternoon near the Continente supermarket in Calvário The column of smoke caused by the flames is visible from a long distance away but there is still no information about the origin of the fire DIÁRIO sought to obtain information from the Câmara de Lobos Fire Department which declined to provide it for “data protection” reasons From Diário Notícias The fire that broke out seven days ago in Madeira continues to rage in Curral das Freiras (Câmara de Lobos) Serra de Água (Ribeira Brava) and in the municipality of Ponta do Sol the president of the regional civil protection said today António Nunes indicated that at 1:00 pm there were “two theatres of operation” one of which was in the parish of Curral das Freiras in principle we will not have any problems with homes because the wind will drive the fire in the opposite direction to where the houses are located” in that location “if the fire reaches the top of the mountain it will be possible to intervene with air resources in that area” if the helicopter is available at the time and the weather conditions allow for this “It is impossible to do anything in that area with foot or even mechanical resources” Pointing out this situation as the “most worrying of all” because it is an inaccessible area the president of the regional civil protection insisted that in Fajã dos Cardos there is little chance of doing anything other than waiting “Not even air resources can enter the valley because this enclosed valley has such strong winds that we cannot operate there and we also cannot go there to drop water” In the “Serra de Água theatre of operations” there were “three fronts” in the early afternoon since “Encumeada [in the same municipality] is limited” and is not currently a cause for “concern” said the president of the regional civil protection had said that the Encumeada front had been extinguished and it is expected to be controlled “within a few hours” the official explained that “they are really very close together” but considered that “calling it a front is an exaggeration” because it is the only place where we are able to do something with land resources” The rural fire in Madeira broke out on Wednesday in the mountains of Ribeira Brava spreading the following day to the municipality of Câmara de Lobos the authorities advised nearly 200 people to leave their homes as a precaution and provided public shelter facilities The fight against the flames has been hampered by the wind but there are no reports of destruction of houses or essential infrastructure A firefighter received hospital treatment for exhaustion Projections from the European Forest Fire Information System indicate that seven thousand hectares have been burned The Judicial Police are investigating the causes but the president of the Madeiran executive Madeira Water and Waste (ARM) today denied having any responsibility in the case of rubbish abandoned on the verge of Rua António Prócoro Macedo Júnior has led to complaints from residents in the neighborhood Residents living next to this pile of rubbish in the photos “Regarding the pile of ‘rubbish’ on the verge of Rua António Prócoro Macedo Júnior Águas e Resíduos da Madeira (ARM) clarifies that this situation constitutes a problem of waste being abandoned on public roads and that its removal is not the responsibility of this company” can be read in the brief statement sent to the editorial offices this afternoon ARM also says it regrets “this type of behavior” and appeals to the population “to properly deposit their waste in the public containers located in the vicinity of the site” referring to the location marked on the following map explain who is responsible for removing the waste in question From Diário Notícias The Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation (IFCN) closed given the weather conditions favourable to the occurrence of fires two more classified trails in the Region due to the fire that is active in the Ribeira Brava and Câmara de Lobos mountains in the latter case on the slope facing Curral das Freiras These trails “are closed due to the occurrence/progress of a forest fire in the mountain area (ridge)” reinforced the entity responsible for the forest area of ​​the Region Although it has been closed since the early hours of the morning there are still several tourists inside the trail Two members of the Forest Police are currently at Pico do Areeiro trying to prevent more hikers from entering the closed trails that start from that location In addition to the aforementioned walking trails the forest path between Eira do Serrado and Pico do Areeiro is also closed From Diário Notícias After days and hours of anguish on several fronts and in several places the situation has calmed down in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos The most dramatic case is essentially related to Fajã das Galinhas a place where the approximately 60 residents still do not have permission to return “Nobody has returned to Fajã das Galinhas yet I have already told people that nobody will be coming in today because we are going to carry out an assessment” president of the Câmara-Lobense local authority “We will send a team – a member of the council a member of the PSP and a member of the fire department – to scout the area We will go to Fajã das Galinhas and see how things are” “The only critical point at the moment is Fajã das Galinhas We are going there to also give food to the dogs and to carry out a survey to see if everything is okay” DIÁRIO is aware of reports of true terror in Fajã das Galinhas At a time when the site was under threat of fire practically surrounding the remote location there were several rock falls and even several burning eucalyptus trees fell down the hillside Some agricultural crops were also destroyed While some residents initially resisted leaving their homes Some residents were supported by the Madeira Social Security Institute From Diário Notícias This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page The Civil Protection multi-purpose helicopter is already on its way to fight the fire which as can be seen in the case of Câmara de Lobos is in a forested area but within sight of houses then rose to the high areas of Ribeira Brava crossing vast areas of forest up to the central massif threatening to spread to areas of Laurissilva forest as these areas are inaccessible to land vehicles Civil Protection hopes to be able to establish a perimeter and stop the spread of the flames “The fire that has been burning in the municipality of Ribeira Brava since Wednesday is still active having spread to the parish of Jardim da Serra in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos” “The fire remains active in the municipality of Ribeira Brava (Trompica and Lugar da Serra) and is progressing at a low intensity Six fire-fighting vehicles are strategically positioned in the theatre of operations with 18 firefighters assigned to the Mixed Firefighters of Ribeira Brava and Ponta do Sol and the Madeiran Volunteer Firefighters” “In the Jardim da Serra theater of operations still with a large distance from residences (see photo) and another facing north with progression towards Vereda da Encumeada 3 fire-fighting vehicles are positioned with 10 operatives from the Câmara de Lobos Volunteer Firefighters” “the Relief Operations Commander in charge of this operation requested the activation of air resources to possibly combat the flames prioritizing the municipality of Câmara de Lobos which may represent the greatest danger at the moment with the Heliborne Brigade having been activated with the assignment of this mission which may be conditioned by the adverse weather conditions felt in that location namely the occurrence of strong winds” And it ends by reporting that “the fight against this fire has been particularly difficult due to the fact that it is breaking out and progressing to areas that are very difficult for pedestrian operational resources to access which despite the adversities have tried to contain the flames” and that “there are also elements of the IFCN and the PSP on the ground” the exceptional work of all the teams that are fighting this fire alerting the entire population to avoid traveling to the areas where the fire broke out in order to keep open fighting channels for the operators who are fighting it and avoid risks considered unnecessary to those who travel to those places” From Diário Notícias which had been considered under control at the end of yesterday afternoon and which was reignited today said the head of civil protection in statements to RTP-Madeira As can be seen from the images captured on site by photojournalist Hélder Santos but is in a location that is difficult to access but reinforcements have been requested for prevention purposes The rural fire that broke out in Madeira on Wednesday spreading the following day to the neighboring municipality had two fronts at 7 pm today: Encumeada (Ribeira Brava) and Paul da Serra (Ponta do Sol) From Diário Notícias we booked a drive and fly vacation to Madeira starting 28 august and ending 5 september we have 5 bookings of hotels around Madeira Curral des Freiras what can we aspect because of the fire more like an Englishman in Câmara de Lobos this week And from the chunky statue of Winston Churchill in the centre of this small fishing village on the south of Madeira I am not the first Englishman to have enjoyed the views here If you ever thought that Dubrovnik is an island apart from it being the birthplace of Cristiano Ronaldo and that it was often called the Hawaii of Europe “Last year we received around 2 million tourists on the island,” said the Mayor of Câmara de Lobos which is clearly a city that lives off the tourist dollar Other people in the group thought “Wow that’s a lot,” whilst I was thinking “Only 2 million.” you soon realise that the weather on Madeira is delightful for most of the year It has one of those climates that support the growth of everything green Bananas grow like weeds from every spare centimetre of earth I literally walked into a petrol station and was asked if I wanted a bunch of bananas and fish served with passion fruit sauce and a whole banana was as local as you can get It sounds weird (and wasn’t that popular with Mrs Thomas) but it kind of grew on me and by the end I decided I would order it again that is not humid and oppressive but fresh and warm all the fruit and veg that you’ll need and it would seem a relaxed way of life To indicate just how balanced the temperatures we didn’t visit a house that had heating or air-conditioning They live in the middle of the comfort zone although literally being in the middle of nowhere.  We hiked, almost every day, as the island is famous for its hiking routes and if you thought that hiking wasn’t popular We had to get to the start of some routes before the sun rose just to get a parking space and yes even though it’s an ocean it was just as warm as our Adriatic When I asked a few locals it was like speaking to someone from Gruž or Lapad Lack of affordable housing for local people Airbnb taking over the rental market and rising food prices All the normal stuff that you would expect from a popular tourist destination “I wonder what the parking is like?” asked a colleague from Dubrovnik The answer seems to be that they don’t really have one parking in the centre costs around one euro an hour and they have built so many underground garages that they have spaces everywhere So what about the roads being packed with taxis it is telling me that the nearest Uber taxi will arrive in an 'infinite amount of time,” I said to a Portuguese colleague as we waited outside a restaurant “You will wait forever,” she smiled at least for the time being,” she added I kind of got the impression that they have their own way of doing things and they are happy with it you are from King’s Landing,” commented a German couple (Germans are the most numerous tourists) adding that they didn’t want to come to the south of Croatia because of the “cruise ship crush.” Tourist destinations get branded with impressions These are impressions that we have to live with My first impression of Madeira was similar to my last South America and Europe were thrown into a blender At least that’s what I promised my wife.  Read more Englishman in Dubrovnik…well ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- May 05, 2025 208 Times Travel May 05, 2025 511 Dubrovnik May 04, 2025 938 Croatia May 04, 2025 638 Opinion May 04, 2025 834 Croatia May 03, 2025 913 Dubrovnik May 03, 2025 1079 Croatia May 03, 2025 748 Dubrovnik May 03, 2025 736 Dubrovnik but make it tropical” is the USP that makes Madeira an all-rounder for a late-winter break The island’s incredible volcanic geography seems purpose-built for fresh mountain hikes above the clouds life-affirming plunges in the sea and restorative lounging on black-sand beaches outside charming villages … all in a day The resourceful interventions of the early European settlers have aged rather brilliantly the miles of aqueducts they carved out of the hills to capture rainwater are a boon for today’s outdoorsy types who can meander easily alongside the bubbling channels — levadas Lush fields planted with sugar cane and negra mole grapevines fuel long evenings on the (mosaic) tiles with white-stucco villas tumbling downhill to sunny waterfront squares walkable streets are paved in Portuguese tiles and lined with flowering trees the exciting thrum of city life shifts from the busy markets and boutiques to restaurant terraces which fill the alleyways with tables and laughter • 16 of the best hotels in Madeira for 2025 Your pied-à-terre is ten minutes (by taxi or free shuttle) from the action in a whisper of a town called Camara de Lobos Expanded from a historic hilltop wine manor Hotel Quinta do Estreito has 48 modern rooms each with south-facing verandas looking out to the city and sea along with a vast outdoor pool and meandering paths through formal gardens of olive A cellar keeps stock of madeira wine from well-known lodges in town banana plantations cascade southward to the sea Hotel Quinta do Estreito has 48 modern roomsDeparting on March 1 including a buffet breakfast on the terrace or in the winter garden conservatory The price includes under-seat luggage only (checked baggage from £7) And it doesn’t include transfers from Funchal airport but if you choose to hire a car — and you should to explore the beaches and levada walks around the island — the quinta offers free parking This time of year the temperature hovers in the mid-to-high teens with zero humidity which means you can wander around Camara de Lobos — to Vinhos Barbeito for a tour and tasting (£12.50; vinhosbarbeito.com) or one of the nearby restaurant-grills for the local garlic-rubbed espetada beef Less than 15 minutes by car or taxi will land you at the seaside cliffs above Cape Girao close your eyes for the funicularride down to the beach This article contains affiliate links that can earn us revenue departing on March 1• Seven nights’ B&B at the Quinta do Estreito Vintage House VidaMar might be the best-placed resort on Funchal’s southeastern coastWith a dive club to one side and the Michelin-starred Il Gallo d’Oro restaurant to the other (11-course tasting menu £230; portobay.com) VidaMar might be the best-placed resort on Funchal’s southeastern coast dining terraces and pools are cleverly designed so windows frame the sea and gardens and nothing else private balconies and plenty of space to manoeuvre The breakfast buffet is comically bountiful but the most delightful perk is Casa de Espetadas the evening bar and grill where guests sit outdoors at picnic tables with jugs of sangria and mounds of aromatic barbecue (a set-menu dinner is included with the room) Details Seven nights’ half-board from £868pp Casa Velha do Palheiro is just 15 minutes by car to FunchalTake England’s homeliest country house hotel plonk it on a fertile hilltop overlooking the Atlantic and you’ve got Casa Velha do Palheiro Rooms in the main house and “golf wing” have dark wood antiques and deep armchairs upholstered with plush jaunty fabrics; French doors dressed with chintz curtains lead through to the garden The buzz of Funchal is 15 minutes by car downhill between swimming in the pools (indoor and out) Details Seven nights’ B&B from £1,285pp Become a subscriber and along with unlimited digital access to The Times and The Sunday Times you can enjoy a collection of travel offers and competitions curated by our trusted travel partners Sign up for the travel newsletter and follow us on Instagram and X Please check your email and enter your one time pin below:   Open in Gmail which started on Wednesday in a remote rural area of Ribeira Brava has spread to the neighbouring municipality of Camara de Lobos backed by 38 vehicles are tackling the fire but high temperatures low humidity and strong winds are complicating efforts to combat the flames A helicopter also battled the blaze but had to stop operating as the night set in I have no doubt it was caused by arson in an inaccessible area where air support could not operate,” the President of the Regional Government of Madeira No injuries or fatalities have been reported but 160 people have been evacuated for precaution The entire coastline of Madeira – an autonomous region of Portugal home to around 250,000 people – has been placed on orange alert the temperature in Madeira reached 30 degrees Celsius (86°F) in the last few days Strong winds that were fanning the flames led to dozens of cancelled flights Portugal sent a force of 76 firefighters from the mainland to Madeira on Saturday and the neighbouring Azores archipelago was to send 15 firefighters on Sunday evening (Reporting by Patrícia Vicente Rua; Editing by Ros Russell) ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " The body of the man who died this morning following a car accident at the exit of the expressway just before access to Estrada João Gonçalves Zarco According to the DIÁRIO he is a man from Mozambique who was supposedly on his way to work with four other colleagues the other injured were assisted by the Volunteer Firefighters of Câmara de Lobos Madeiran Volunteer Firefighters and Funchal Sapador Firefighters The highway exit remains closed to traffic for cleaning work From Diário Notícias dozens of people kicked off the main day of the Harvest Festival this morning with the emblematic moment of grape picking which precedes the ethnographic procession many Madeirans and tourists were waiting for the opening of this farm painted in the purple and green colors of the harvest the sounds of the folkloric group from Boa Nova were already being heard which ensured the animation at the door (and later inside) of this farm gathering a crowd that followed the moment with applause and smiles wicker basket and pruner in hand and under the shade of the harvest children and adults are committed to picking this fruit which is the main protagonist of this festivity This is followed by the ethnographic procession scouts and cultural and musical animation groups participate where about 50% of the grape that gives rise to Madeira Wine is produced As part of the cultural program of the Festa do Vinho which has been celebrated all over the island this festivity is organized by the Parish Council of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos and the Associação Cultural e Recreativa do Estreito of Câmara de Lobos and the Regional Government Brings back old memories of my childhood in Madeira when we picked grapes from my Avo (grand dad) farm after collecting the grapes to the nearest place to be squashed down we children would be first in line to get our feet on the grapes to bring good luck for a new wine for the farmers to celebrate a good harvest I have done the grape crushing myself at a friend’s The same it is like going in memory land when I was a child piking up the grapes in the farm of my grand mother in Santa Cruz land that was gone to the expansion of the airport The death of the man recently found floating in the sea of ​​Câmara de Lobos The 65-year-old individual was allegedly the victim of a sudden illness followed by a cardiorespiratory arrest while swimming The man was in the water for more than 40 minutes He was removed from the sea by swimmers from the National Maritime Authority and is headed on a boat to Funchal where he will be analyzed by the Health Delegate and the Maritime Police before going to the Forensic Medicine Service at Dr From Jornal Madeira with faithful and onlookers for the staging of the Steps of the Passion of Christ The Via Sacra de Jesus Cristo live promises to attract attention and arouse the emotions of the public especially during the proceedings of the Walk to Calvary in a recreation that will be in charge of 94 participants the vast majority of young people of groups from the Parish of Santa Cecília Father Paulo Silva clarifies that it is a celebration that takes a lot of organization and logistics “We have managers who are very competent As for the reason that moves the faithful to this event the parish priest has no doubts that it is faith and not the staging itself At a time when much ink is still running on the sexual scandal that rocked the Catholic Church Father Paulo Silva explained that he does not believe that this could have any impact on public turnout From Diário Notícias A landslide of some size left people injured with the Volunteer Firefighters of Câmara de Lobos having moved three ambulances and a light support vehicle to the scene in addition to eight members of the corporation but it was not possible to confirm if they are buried and the state of the victims From Diário Notícias while beach towns from Spain to the Greek islands are dominated by pricey short-term rentals But they're now contributing to housing affordability issues across the Atlantic fast-tracking visas for well-heeled foreigners including those who transferred at least one million euros to a Portuguese bank account purchased at least 500,000 euros in real estate or donated at least 250,000 euros to certain cultural or artistic initiatives The visa holders can travel freely in more than two dozen EU countries and are eligible for family reunification The visas have had a huge impact on Portuguese real estate and housing costs a researcher at the School of Economics and Finance at Queen Mary University of London The vast majority of visa holders have used a real estate purchase as their way in And we know part of this housing is immediately put in the long-term and in the short-term rental markets," Pereira dos Santos said Portuguese home prices rose 19% just between 2021 and 2022 The whole market — from cheaper rentals to luxury houses — has been affected "The problem was so salient that it even appreciated houses that were deals between Portuguese buyers and sellers," he said some of the most in-demand places in southern Europe will likely see slower housing price growth going forward But because these economies are still doing so well overall real estate prices will generally continue to tick up the chief economist at Berenberg Bank in London "These economies are better places to invest and create jobs for domestic and for foreign investors into the economies as a whole," Schmieding said "With better employment prospects people feel confident to buy a house or build a house The real estate market is largely a reflection of the economy being on a more solid footing." The economies of southern Europe are doing much better than the traditional powerhouses of northern Europe. Portugal and Spain grew more than three times as fast as Germany did in the first quarter of this year But northern Europe is struggling with a housing crunch of its own That combination has helped dampen demand for homes and construction "The German market for house prices is close to bottoming out and the same probably holds for building permits and residential construction," Schmieding said France similarly saw housing costs steadily climb in recent years has seen its prices come down amid high interest rates Schmieding also expects home prices and rents to tick back up later this year in France as long as interest rates come down Despite very different economic conditions all kinds of European countries are facing the same dilemma that's plaguing the US: a shortage of affordable homes but explore away from the capital for lush vistas whale-watching and cocktails to blow your socks off One young man with a leather satchel thrown over his shoulder giddily takes his turn I’m watching from the roof of the Pestana CR7 hotel in Funchal This CR7 is less like a hotel and more like a safari into the mind of a narcissist Signed shirts from his appearances for Manchester United on the door of the main suite and above every bed The hotel has quirks: there are dummy CCTV cameras in the bathrooms pointing at the shower purely for novelty factor I’m not just here for the CR7 experience; I’m visiting my uncle in Machico after you’ve worshipped the Portuguese megastar braved the glass viewing platform on Cabo Girão’s skywalk Children pose in front of the Cristiano Ronaldo statue outside the CR7 hotel in Funchal Photograph: Horacio Villalobos/Corbis/Getty ImagesI’m lucky (not my real uncle but a former care worker who cared for me in a children’s home) has retired here and is looking after a villa for one of his friends and Madeira has a subtropical climate and boasts year-round sunshine which huffs and puffs up the island’s steep highways I see a bottlenose dolphin jump out of the water and suddenly we’re surrounded by dozens of themMadeira is on a dormant volcano and the fertile soils have produced a lush landscape We drive past elegantly landscaped rows of trees African tulip with their bright red flappy flowers and tall eucalyptus interspersed with clusters of purple shrubs and palm trees “You see how the mountain looks like it has steps?” Pete says gesturing at the terraces staggered on the mountains “They’re farms.” The landscape has forced local people to farm vertically; they mostly grow bananas for the Portuguese mainland and grapes for madeira wine View over terraces staggered on a mountain on Madeira Photograph: Cristian Mircea Balate/AlamyOff road are an abundance of trails to hike Pints on parts of the island cost a couple of euros and almost every bar serves drinks with a hearty portion of pickled lupins beans monkey nuts and occasionally chicken wings and salted fish; you could probably eat a day’s fill here for the cost of a pint in the West End of London Pete and I join a whale-watching trip on the Atlantic waves crashing on board the boat and drenching me as we’ve been at this an hour and still haven’t seen a hint of a fin I see a bottlenose dolphin jump out of the water and suddenly we’re surrounded by dozens of them Our skipper drops anchor and invites us to go for a dip with a few sliding over starboard to get a closer look I can’t swim and I can see the cute rascals fine from my little perch onboard After the pod has had enough of us gawkers Dolphins jumping from the sea off Madeira Photograph: Getty ImagesBack on land and it’s time to explore Machico Pete is on first-name terms with most of bar owners in town “Every pub here prides itself on its poncha,” he says Poncha is a fruity cocktail usually made with honey lemon and orange juice and the spirit aguardiente “Wait are you having one?” I ask as my throat burns featured trips and local tips for your next break as well as the latest deals from Guardian Holidays the alcohol volume of these drinks ranges from 17-70% the exuberant owner of a sports bar in Machico spends nearly an hour pleading with me not to try his poncha I thought this was a peculiar sales strategy but he says it is because he can’t guarantee where I’d wake up the next day he races behind his bar and wildly rings the bell for last orders The mountainous landscape drips tranquility the cost of living is lower than in the UK and the pace of life kitsch and sundry holiday paraphernalia is all you’re after The homeless population in Madeira increased after the pandemic there were around 94 homeless people in the city of Funchal and “a few” in Câmara de Lobos the only two municipalities where homeless were flagged 112 individuals are confirmed in Funchal and 25 in Câmara de Lobos according to data released today by the regional secretary for Social Inclusion and Citizenship during the inauguration of a new day center for the homeless at Casa do Voluntário Rita Andrade also explained that after the pandemic there was a change in the profile of the homeless of young people with links to drug addiction the president of Funchal City Council harshly criticized the behavior of the PS in the Assembly of the Republic in terms of legislation on new psychoactive substances considering that the problem of homelessness has worsened on the islands precisely due to the lack of adequate legislation and said that Funchal City Council will continue to fight to keep young people off the streets From Jornal Madeira Life sentences to drug dealers: end of story The Municipality of Câmara de Lobos “has everything prepared” for the Festivities of São Pedro that start today June 28 advances the municipality in a note issued in addition to an eclectic musical program with national and regional artists is committed to the recovery of traditions associated with São Pedro accompanied by the Municipal Band of Câmara de Lobos Can you please let me know if there’s any other festivities from the 3rd to the 10th of July The Madeira Islands, which are part of Portugal are an archipelago of small islands located in the Atlantic Ocean about 350 miles from Morocco The two main inhabited islands are Madeira and Porto Santo With incredible natural pools carved out of lava rocks it's no wonder that the Madeira Islands are repeatedly considered the world's top island destination Source: CNN Source: Visit Madeira Source: Madeira Web Source: Visit Madeira Source: Visit Madeira Source: Visit Madeira Source: Visit Portugal Source: Visit Madeira Source: Carreiros do Monte Source: Madeira Web Source: Monte Palace Source: Visit Madeira Jill Comoletti contributed to an earlier version of this post the person is a foreign citizen who dived into the sea off Câmara de Lobos Despite the efforts of the ISN divers during the rescue of the body from the sea An alleged dive into the sea at Câmara de Lobos ended in tragedy A tourist lost his life today after being found floating in the sea in Câmara de Lobos who appeared with a lifeguard from the National Maritime Authority it was impossible to disembark the victim on the pier in Câmara de Lobos where the firefighters and the EMIR medical team were From Jornal Madeira I was there when the lifeboat was trying to transfer the diver to the ambulance We were in the bay and noticed something floating in the water not far from the shore which turned out to be a rucksack which someone recovered and handed over to the police Our lovely friend Jenny has opened Pesquita in Câmara de Lobos in the decorated street leading to the Church Jenny is the Sister of our good friend Luis who has the Bolo do Caco hut in the Christmas area in Funchal Follow them on Instagram this is not a ‘brewery’… Last night all roads led to Câmara de Lobos The last night of the Festas de São Pedro had a mass “like there is no memory” reveals the Câmara de Lobos City Council through a press release the municipality reveals that the device of the municipal civil protection service did not register any significant occurrence The big attraction of the night were the duo of brothers Calema I was afraid this was going to be about catastrophic flooding in Càmara de Lobos Very glad it isn’t but that translation is even worse than usual please read your translation before posting it Last week it was “THERE WILL BE NO WATER IN CÂMARA DE LOBOS NEXT WEEK” https://www.madeiraislandnews.com/2022/06/there-will-be-no-water-in-camara-de-lobos-next-week.html The Police are investigating a robbery at gunpoint committed by a masked individual at a bank branch in the city center of Câmara de Lobos burst into the Caixa Geral de Depósitos branch on Rua Padre Eduardo Clemente Nunes Pereira wielding a firearm with which he threatened the employees forcing them to hand over a large amount in European Central Bank notes the robber tied up the employees and customers who were at the bank branch at the time and stole something like 240 thousand euros in cash Searches are currently underway to locate the suspect who is being identified by the Police based on images from the internal video surveillance circuit From Diário Notícias Most banks have machines ..not cash desks …now days My bank can’t even give cash have to deposit by machine Something smells and it’s not the scabbard fish A single robber tied up several bank employees & got access to that much cash?? My biggest concern is that this could be the beginning of a false flag spree that fearfully entices the population into voting for or accepting digital currency here on the island I’d put money on it that the gun wasn’t real In this age of ATM’s and electronic transfers This is one of the biggest carnival parties with a great atmosphere in the center of Câmara de Lobos The carnival entertainment is about to last and this time it is in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos that the procession will take place the population will be able to see some troupes that as well as other projects from various institutions in the Region 10 groups and 1,500 participants participate Associação Cultural Império da Ilha and Grupo CMCL + CACI Câmara de Lobos Batucada Association and Caneca Furada Samba School The procession route will begin on Avenida Nova Cidade (next to the public garden) The revelry continues with the batucada animation and drum queens of the troupes the Praça da Autonomia car park will be open 24 hours and can be used before the start of the parade until 7:15 pm and vehicles can only be removed after the last group has passed From Diário Notícias