São Vicente Gastronomy

São Vicente is known for having one of the richest cuisines of Madeira, preserving the traditional regional dishes.
It is held every year in Boaventura Soups of the Fair Field, where you can see and taste the good field soups made ​​from local products.
Also in Boaventura, held every year in December, the show Delicacies Christmas. This event invites you to enjoy the traditions of Christmas and marks the beginning of the Christmas festivities in Boaventure.

Some of the Gastronomic Specialties of the County:
– Regional kebab (a laurel)
– Meat of the night
– Meat wine and garlic
– Molhitos goat
– Sausage
– Cooked
– Semilhas wilted salt
– Pumpkin soup and beans
– Corn Chowder
– Wheat Soup
– Cabbage soup
– Broth pilgrimage
– Couscous
– Swordfish with salsa
– Roasted Tuna
– Mackerel with sauce villain
– Honey cakes
– Yam white
– Rice limpet
– Snails
– Grilled limpets
– Velvet Pudding
– Bread sponge cake
– Homemade Bread
– Wedding Cakes
– Poncha
– Wine Region

Font: http://www.cm-saovicente.pt

Ponta do Pargo

Ponta do Pargo is a civil parish in the municipality of Calheta in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. In 2001 the permanent population within its borders was 1145, in an area of 46 km² that extended into the interior of this diamond-shape parish on the extreme western tip of Madeira (there were about 52 residents per square kilometre of land). It is located west of the municipal seat of Calheta, and southwest of the municipality of Porto Moniz: the main regional road meanders through the parish in the interior of this coastal enclave, linking it to Porto Moniz and Santana and Funchal to the east.

The iconic Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse located at the Ponta do Pargo escarpment

The patron saint of the parish is Saint Peter, on which an annual festival is celebrated on 29 June. Meanwhile other religious celebrations are important throughout the parish, including the romeiras or processions that travel from church to church throughout the island, in addition to annual celebrations at the churches of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (Cabo) in July and Nossa Senhora da Boa Viagem (Amparo) in August.
Non secular highlights include primarily the Festival of the Pêro, an agricultural festival dedicated to the apple, held annually in September in the locality of Salão. Culturally, the parish is supported by a dynamic collectivity, the Associação Desportiva e Cultural da Ponta do Pargo, established on 16 July 1999, which promotes and develops sports activities with the parish. Similarly, the Grupo de Cantigas Norte a Sul da Ponta do Pargo also establishes a collective support for the arts and music.

Ponta do Pargo

Ponta do Pargo

Font: Wikipedia

Levada Walking

A levada  is an irrigation channel or aqueduct specific to the island of Madeira and parts of the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe in the area known as ‘Nyanga’ which borders Mozambique, an ex Portuguese Colony.

Levada Walking

The levadas originated out of the necessity of bringing large amounts of water from the west and northwest of the island to the drier southeast, which is more conducive to habitation and agriculture (such as sugar cane production). In the sixteenth century the Portuguese started building levadas to carry water to the agricultural regions. The most recent were made in the 1940s. Madeira is very mountainous, and building the levadas was often difficult. Many are cut into the sides of mountains, and it was also necessary to dig 25 miles (40 km) of tunnels.

Levada Walking

Today the levadas not only supply water to the southern parts of the island but provide hydro-electric power. There are over 1,350 miles (2,170 km) of levadas and they provide a remarkable network of walking paths. Some provide easy and relaxing walks through beautiful countryside, but others are narrow, crumbling ledges where a slip could result in serious injury or death.
A popular levada to hike is the Levada do Caldeirão Verde which continues as the Levada Caldeirão do Inferno. Together it is about 23 miles (37 km) long. Along both parts there are long sections which may cause hikers to suffer vertigo; and several tunnels for which flashlights and helmets are essential. The Levada do Caniçal is a much easier walk. This levada runs 7.1 miles (11.4 km) from Maroços to the Caniçal Tunnel. It is known as the mimosa levada because acacias (commonly misnamed mimosas) are found all along the route.

Font: Wikipedia

Santana

Santana includes six parishes, within a rugged mountainous environment, most occupying river-valleys: Arco de São Jorge, Faial, Ilha, Santana – the parish (and town) has a population of 3439 (in 2001), in an area of 17.80 km² (a density of 193.2/km²), São Jorge, São Roque do Faial

Santana

Santana parish has the largest number residents, while Arco de São Jorge is both the smallest, physically, and has the least number of residents, while Faial is the largest parish.
Santana is known for the traditional homes constructed with sloping triangular rooftops, and protected with straw. These were mainly rural homes, used by local farmers, during the settlement of the island, with white-paintd walls, red doors and windows with blue trim. Most of the surviving buildings are tourist attractions, and maintained (for example, the straw roofs are replace every four to five years).

The main sources of industry are agriculture and tourism, while small commercial businesses are located centrally in the parish of Santana. A tourist-themed park was constructed to exhibit examples of the island’s early history and culture; the Madeira Theme Park is an ample area, on 7 acres (28,000 m2) of land, where visitors re-discover the cultures of Madeira and Porto Santo. This includes exhibits on the island’s history, artefacts used in daily life and cultural presentations, in a scenic environment.

Font: Wikipedia

The Lime Route – Rota da Cal

“The Lime Route has several interests, considering natural and cultural heritage values. Placed at Sítio dos Lameiros, Municipality of São Vicente, this centre encloses an area close to 12 000 m2 where, besides its local landscape beauty, we find two limestone quarries, a lime kiln and other constructions used to support farming and cattle-raising, such as haylofts, cultivation fields and levadas (water channels), very typical of Madeira’s landscape.

History
Near the Barrinho stream, at 475 meters of altitude, there are two quarries semicircular in section, placed at a sea limestone outbreak with fossils from the Miocene (over 5 millions years old) unique to this region of Madeira Island.”

The Lime Route – Rota da Cal

The Lime Route – Rota da Cal

 

Font: http://www.rotadacalmadeira.com

Chapel of São Vicente

The Chapel of São Vicente, located at the mouth of the Ribeira de São Vicente, Madeira Island, was built on a lone block of basalt in the third quarter of the seventeenth century (more or less 1694). As a major ex-libris of the village, the chapel was built thanks to donations from devotees. According to the story goes, the shrine was erected in the place where it appeared that the martyr São Vicente is also the patron of the parish church.
The temple was restored in 1885.

Chapel of São Vicente

Chapel of São Vicente

Madeira’s surfspots

Paul do Mar: this surfspot according to surf experts  has the best barreling waves (also known as tubular or tunnel waves) on the island. Both stand-up surfing and bodyboarding are practised at this spot. The ISA World Surf championships have been hosted on the islands which are better known to be held in areas such as Hawaii. Paul do Mar region of the island is respected throughout the surf community as it offers eight metre high waves and fantastic tubular tunnels. The World Big Wave Championships 2001 was held at Paul do Mar.

Ponta Pequena: another perfect right-hander. Punta Pequena is situated between Jardim do Mar and Paul do Mar

Lugar de Baixo: really hollow and fast.

Sao Vicente: on the north coast is a calmer spot suitable for beginners and intermediate surfers. Here a surf school is based.

Jardim do Mar: the right-hander. Surfing at Jardim is only for the experienced as the waves break large. They start at around two metres and reeling right-handers can reach five metres sweeping along the rocky point.

Jardim do Mar was documented in Jacob Holcomb’s film “Lost Jewel of the Atlantic”.

The beaches off Funchal, Madeira’s capital, sometimes have fun left-handers.

Surfing Madeira Island

Font: Wikipedia
Imagem: madeirasurfpoint.blogspot.pt

Porto Moniz

Porto Moniz  is a municipality in the northwest corner of the island of Madeira. It is located west of Santana and Machico, and northwest of Funchal, linked to Santana and Funchal by a main roadway from Calheta.

Four parishes of Porto Moniz include:

• Achadas da Cruz – the smallest parish in population and area, sharing the highest parish definition with Ribeira da Janela;
• Porto Moniz – the largest parish by population (1700 inhabitants) and density (81/km²), it includes the settlement of Santa Maria Madalena and main settlement of Porto Moniz, which is located southeast of Ponta do Tristão, which is the northernmost point on the island (at 332 m above sea level)
• Ribeira da Janela – the smallest parish in density, but one of the two highest parishs in the municipality;
• Seixal – the largest parish by area.

Porto Moniz has a few schools, a few lyceums, a gymnasium, banks, a post office, a small port, beaches and squares or plazas (praças). It also has a large open-air swimming pool, which has been mostly formed out of natural rock pools.

Porto Moniz

Natural Swimming Pool

Font: Wikipedia

Zargo – Madeira Island Traditional and Cultural Merchadise

Zargo – Madeira Island Traditional and Cultural Merchadise.

Ponta Delgada

Ponta Delgada is a parish in the district of São Vicente in the Madeira Islands. The population in 2001 is 1,325, its density is 150.6/km² and the area is 8.8 km². It is the smallest parish in population and density and the second in area. It is located east of São Vicente. The main industry are agriculture with some businesses. It is connected with a road linking São Vicente and the western part of the island and Santana. The Atlantic Ocean is to the north. The mountains are to the south. The parish of Santana lies to the east.

Ponta Delgada – Madeira Island