Madeira was called “God’s Waiting Room” because of its older tourists… now a younger crowd is discovering the glory of the “Hawaii of Europe”

Madeira has long attracted a certain type of British tourist. Its pleasant climate, tropical gardens, sweet wine and old-world charm make it popular with an older crowd with package deals.

The Portuguese island was even called “God’s Waiting Room” for a while.

But Madeira is shaking off its sleepy status. Love them or loathe them, social media influencers are making videos with titles like “The Hawaii of Europe,” showcasing the island’s dramatic scenery and black sand beaches — and young, trendy couples are now arriving in droves.

I am here with my husband Dan for a long weekend. We spend the night in the capital Funchal with its red roof in an apartment in the middle of the old town. It is part of a range of chic self-catering accommodation called Funchal Cottages that overlook the shimmering, deep blue sea.

Our Pool Cottage actually has a swimming pool surrounded by swaying banana palms. Inside, there are walls in creamy lemon yellow, wicker, rattan and linen. And at less than £150 a night, it’s an absolute bargain.

Harriet notes that social media influencers are making videos describing Madeira as “the Hawaii of Europe”. Above you can see the beautiful coast of the island

This small volcanic spot in the Atlantic Ocean, about 900 kilometers west of Morocco, was occupied by the Portuguese in 1420 and has lived in peace for more than 600 years. Thanks to its small size (about 50 by 14 kilometers), you can drive to any point within an hour. These drives are stunningly beautiful, taking us under roaring waterfalls, cloud-capped mountains 6,000 feet high, and whizzing past vast canyons that drop into the plunging ocean.

We drive from the airport to Camara de Lobos, a village where old men play cards, tanned children jump fearlessly from the harbor walls and fishermen unload their catch.

It’s a joy to be in the sea just an hour after our plane’s wheels have landed, swimming among the colorful floating boats and using the ladders built into the rocks to climb out before taking a few seconds later returning to dive.

Harriet lives in Funchal, the capital of Madeira, in a self-catering apartment called Pool Cottage (pictured)

Harriet (not pictured) says Pool Cottage (above) is an ‘absolute bargain’ at under £150 a night

It’s easy to stick to your five-day policy. We taste the spiciest tomatoes, the creamiest fries and the freshest mango, the juice of which runs down our wrists and down our chins.

The best way to experience local produce is at the Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmers’ Market) in central Funchal, where bright fruits of all colors are displayed in wicker baskets and flowers overflow from buckets. Be careful with the prices as six bananas cost us £6.50. But honestly, I would have paid twice as much: my dull, round banana was incredibly sweet and probably the best piece of fruit I’ve ever eaten.

We follow our noses to a fish market and watch huge chunks of tuna being sliced, limpets bagged and scabbardfish – an almost terrifyingly ugly creature caught at a depth of around 4,000 feet – scrubbed. According to legend, no one has ever seen this deep-sea delicacy alive because when they are brought to the surface they die of decompression, their scales turn black and their eyes are ripped from their sockets.

The best local produce, says Harriet, is in the Mercado dos Lavradores up in the center of Funchal.

Harriet eats at Kampo Restaurant, where she watches “young chefs prepare oxtail ravioli and black rice with octopus”. Above you can see one of the restaurant’s dishes

Undeterred, Dan orders fried banana peel—a local delicacy—later that day at Quinta do Furao, a restaurant and hotel nestled among cliff-top vineyards.

“We’re seeing a much younger, more adventurous crowd,” says the sales manager as we stroll among the hotel’s vineyards. “Madeira is becoming more and more popular on social media and this is reflected in discussions. We get a lot of requests for rooms with a pool view instead of the sea, so people can take pictures for their Instagram accounts.”

To meet this demand, trendy new bars and hotels have sprung up on the island. At the Kampo restaurant, we sit at the marble bar and watch the young chefs prepare oxtail ravioli and black rice with octopus while soft electro-funk music plays.

The next evening we sip a cocktail at the Avista Restaurant and watch through the floor-to-ceiling windows as the sun sinks into the sea as the sky glows orange and pink. Numbness and shortness of breath? Not even a little bit. I feel like I could be in Santorini or Ibiza.

But there are also many tried and tested attractions to admire on the island, especially the beautiful gardens. Don’t miss the Madeira Botanical Garden with its orchids and exotic trees, or the tropical vegetation of Monte Palace and the roses and camellias of the Palheiro Gardens.

“Don’t miss the Madeira Botanical Garden (above) with its orchids and exotic trees,” writes Harriet

I spend my last morning swimming at Toco Beach. On the way I pass colorful houses with ornate balconies and gardens full of sunflowers, sparkling birds of paradise and deliciously fragrant mimosas.

I am the only one here, apart from two farmers who live in wooden huts with tin roofs on the cliff.

An hour later, my hair still wet and salty from swimming, we are at the airport. ‘3 days?’ asked the police officer at passport control. “You have to come back longer.”

“Oh, we will,” Dan replied, looking dreamily at houses for sale in Madeira on his phone.