A cluster of islands with green mountains rising from the sea, Hawaii is one of the most beautiful destinations on the planet and a bucket-list country for many travellers. But for us in the UK, they’re rather difficult to get to.
Lying in the middle of the Indian Ocean, this US island state cannot be reached directly from the UK. It would probably take you nearly 24 hours to get there with a stop in the USA. Then there’s the hefty air fare to think about too.
Yet there’s an island you can reach directly from Manchester Airport which has been dubbed the ‘Hawaii of Europe’ by travellers, and it only takes four hours to get there. You won’t get jetlag either as it’s in the same timezone as the UK. Madeira is a Portuguese island (well actually an archipelago) in the North Atlantic Ocean, lying west of the coast of Morocco and north of the Canary Islands.
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One Tik Tok user @sophiaxverde called it the “The Hawaii of Europe”. In her video, which has amassed 166.8k likes, she said that they “walked off the plane into paradise” and that the island is “like another planet”.
With a rugged mountainous landscape, green forests and beaches nestled between dramatic headlands, it’s easy to see the similarities with Hawaii. But they don’t end there, like Hawaii Madeira is a volcanic island, which is why it has such a diverse landscape.
Madeira has a vast range of flora and fauna, while it also boasts some of the most incredible hiking routes in the world. One of its most magical locations is the Laurissilva forest, which dates back 20 million years.
One of its most famous hikes is the peak of Pico Ruivo – which towers at 1,862m high. As well as hiking, the island is also popular for mountain biking, canoeing and coasteering.
For those who are a little less adventurous, the island’s capital Funchal has several stunning gardens which celebrate Madeira’s plants. It has a gorgeous cliffside botanical garden with amazing views out to sea, as well as the Monte Palace Gardens which can be reached via cable car.
There are flights available from Manchester Airport to Madeira in September which start from around £80 one way according to Skyscanner, which is significantly cheaper than a trip halfway around the world to Hawaii. Return tickets are available for a similar price, although you may have to pay extra for seat allocation and baggage.
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