DUBBED the ‘Hawaii of Europe', the beautiful island of Madeira has never been easier to get to.
With black sand beaches, time-capsule villages and unique swimming spots, should be the holiday destination on everyone's lips – and there are even more flight routes from the UK this .
Madeira is the main island of the Madeira archipelago which includes and the Desertas.
Madeira has been called the ‘Hawaii of ‘ because of its volcanic landscapes, natural beauty, and subtropical climate – which all draw parallels to the Hawaiian Islands.
With a flight time of just under four hours, Madeira is one of the best places for Brits to enjoy a summer break.
The even better is that since last year, there has been a 12 per cent increase in flights from the UK.
The newly released flight schedule shows that weekly flights for the summer period will rise from 349 in 2024 to 390 in 2025.
has introduced a weekly flight from commencing in May.
The flight will leave every Thursday and will be a 3-hour 40-minute connection between Bournemouth and Funchal.
From , will operate twice-weekly flights on Wednesdays and Sundays.
At , both and Jet2 are expanding their services to Madeira. Jet2 already offer a weekly Monday flight to Madeira which will continue throughout the year.
easyJet will launch two additional services from June, with departures on Mondays and Fridays. The flight time from Luton to Funchal is also four hours.
The capital of Madeira, , is on the south coast of the island and has plenty to offer.
There's so much to see on the island, including a village in Santana that looks like it's been frozen in time.
The Santana Houses, locally known as “Casas de Colmo” are small and triangular with distinctive thatched roofs and are often painted in vibrant red, white and blue.
These were built by early Portuguese settlers in the 16th century. Found on the northern coast, the houses have been preserved as an open-air museum.
The island is the perfect place for any keen hikers with over 20 official trails.
There are plenty of natural beauty spots to see too like the Piscinas Naturais do Aquário.
It's a natural volcanic rock pools for swimming, with loungers, a bar and changing rooms which is open year-round.
There's also The Risco Waterfall that is found in Rabaçal, Paul da Serra, it's considered one of the tallest and most impressive waterfalls in Madeira.
For anyone looking for the best views, head to Cabo Girão where there's a clifftop viewpoint and glass-floored skywalk.
When it comes to beaches, you're spoiled for choice in Madeira.
Seixal Beach and Ribeira Brava beach are particularly renowned for their unique black volcanic sand and calm waters.
As for the , the best time to visit Madeira is between June and October as temperatures reach highs of 20C.
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