Machico
Gateway to Madeira in the days of the intrepid explorers, Machico is alive with the history of the many seafarers who passed through. Set among verdant hills on the shore of the Atlantic Ocean, a meandering river cuts its way through town to its resting place in the sea. A gorgeous beach, ideal for swimmingmore and sunbathing is one of the town’s major attractions, as is the island’s oldest church and the fortresses, which bear witness to pirate attacks from a bygone era.