Madeira, Portugal: readers' tips, recommendations and travel advice More advice Sledging dare Madeira for us means some of the best fireworks we've ever seen - and garlic bread to die for. If you dare not take the famous toboggan ride, walk down the course, stepping out the way as each one flies by. Halfway down, there's a little café where no English is spoken, but there's a fantastic local basic menu. The olive oil, boiled egg, bread and rosemary soup is something a little different and has to be tried. Karen Smith, Lincolnshire Slow lane Don't leave Madeira without a visit to Machico, accessible by bus from neighbouring Funchal. Machico is a small resort, with a sandy beach used by locals as well as holidaymakers plus a large stony section with boards to lay on and jetties to swim from. Eat in one of the many restaurants keen to serve local specialities and offer advice; explore the narrow cobbled streets; take a boat trip along the coast from the small harbour. End with an ice cream sitting on the wall watching the waves - a perfect relaxing day. Paula Hills, address withheld Get on your knees Madeira has so much on offer. Start in pebble-paved Funchal (below), see the Sé Cathedral then glide effortlessly over roof tops in a cable car. Monte village is your ultimate goal. Go native and climb the 74 steep church steps on your knees. Walk beside a levada, meandering and hugging the island, often seemingly defying gravity. Learn the difference between a cowshed and a palheiros and, indeed, an espada (fish) and espetada (beef). And decide whether you prefer Madeiran wine or licor de castanha from the secret Valley of the Nuns. Visit the Botanical Gardens built on a slope and the Municipal Market, where an astonishing and explosive palette of colours awaits. Is afternoon tea and crustless cucumber sandwiches at Reid's (reidspalace.com) worth it? Probably not. Dave Harcombe, Yorkshire Foodie find Some of the more upmarket restaurants in Funchal Old Town have introduced what they are calling a "new concept." For €35/£28 you can select any starter, main course and dessert from the à la carte menu (including daily specials). You also get a glass of sparking wine with an amuse bouche, palate-cleansing sorbet, unlimited wine, and coffee. In October 2012, restaurants offering this deal were Armazém do Sal (Rua da Alfandega 135; armazemdosal.com), Do Forte (Rua Porteo Sao Tiago; restaurantedoforte.com.pt) and Mozart (Rua Dom Carlos 50). Although you can eat more cheaply in Funchal, we thought these menus offered good value for money. Stella Forrester, Surrey Stick around Madeira is a beautiful, lush, island, with exotic gardens and plants. If you enjoy walking as I do, I recommend the levadas (terraces that run across the island). It is a very steep landscape, so take a walking stick to help you over the terrain. Jackie Tibbs, Norfolk Walk it off My wife and I recently returned from a week's holiday in Madeira, using Funchal as a base for walks around the island. Because our flight in was very late and our flight out was very early, we were forced to take the €40/£32 taxi between the airport and Funchal's hotel district instead of the well-run and inexpensive bus service. This steep price was in stark contrast to the cost of restaurants. Portion sizes on the island tended to be supersized, from a surprisingly large scoop of delicious gelato to endless servings of sliced, grilled picanha steak at a recommended steakhouse (appropriately named Beef & Wines; beefandwines.com). We found that the best way to work off our feasting was the multitude of easy-to-get-to and navigate levada walks. We used Walk and Eat Madeira (Sunflower Books) as a guide, in place of the expensive guided tours. Despite the wet weather, Madeira was a treat. Scott and Paulina Erceg, Berks Fish wonders Make time to visit the Mercado dos Lavradores. This is a wonderful covered market in the centre of Funchal and the place where the locals buy food. As you enter on the ground floor you are met with an amazing array of fish. Particularly striking are the enormous, freshly caught tuna, which you can watch the fishmongers slicing into steaks. Upstairs is a treasure trove of local fruit, vegetables, nuts, honey and sweets. Well worth trying are the different hybrids of passion fruit, which have fantastic flavours. Behind the market are some great cheap cafés, again aimed at the locals rather than visitors. A good plan is to visit the market first thing when the fresh catch is in, explore the place and then have coffee in one of these cafés. David Tucker, Dorset Sunny side The south-west of the island is the sunniest and at Calheta also has the only two, man-made, sandy beaches - the others are pebbles or volcanic. Take a boat trip to the Desertas islands to spot whales and dolphins on the way and return at dusk to see the lights of Funchal from the sea... magical. The Botanical Gardens of Quinta do Bom, high above Funchal, are worth an afternoon visit. You will also gain a different perspective on Funchal from this angle. In Funchal, the indoor market is a must as is a visit to the lace makers in the nearby streets for wonderful gifts to take home. Deborah Soutar, Fife Madeiran marvels Late May in Madeira is a great time to marvel at the blue-blossomed jacaranda trees in the avenues of Funchal. Lots of colour too, with flowers and fruit, at the Mercado dos Lavradores, best visited on a busy Saturday. For an elegant presentation of Madeiran craftsmanship try the Casa do Tourista simply for enjoyment - there's no need to buy. Madeira's famous gardens are reached easily by public transport but, if visiting the Palheiro Gardens to the east of the city, make the trip by taxi and the driver will drop you off and pick you up when you want. Go in June and you will see vintage vehicles in Funchal's Avenida Arriaga before having a coffee outside the Teatro Municipal. On any Saturday in June, perhaps from your balcony at the Porto Santa Maria hotel (portobay.com) in the old town, watch the fireworks over the harbour. W Irving, Glasgow All on foot Staying in the centre of Funchal rather than the hotel district means many of the sights of this delightful island are easily reached on foot or by local bus (load a prepaid card, which is cheaper than paying the driver). We recommend Hotel Madeira (hotelmadeira.com). Highlights include the Botanical Gardens, Monte, Blandy's Wine Lodge (theoldblandywinelodge.com), local market, seafront promenade and the lovely Baltazar Dias Theatre (modelled on La Scala). Palácio de São Lourenço is well worth a visit (free tours at 10am Wednesday, 3pm Friday, 11am Saturday; be prompt as latecomers are not admitted). The main tourist office on Avenida Arriaga has details of concerts. Lido Tours (lido-tours.com) and Happy Tours (madeirahappytours.com) offer excellent, reasonably priced excursions. Airport transfers are easy by bus; taxis are much cheaper if booked online. David Newbery, Middlesex Tropical pick A great one-day trip is to take the cable car up from Funchal to Monte. The distance is about three miles and gives fabulous views of Funchal and the Atlantic. Adjacent to the cable car exit are the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. In my view these are more interesting than the popular nearby botanical gardens: the history in tiles of Portugal is fascinating and there are several quirky art museums and exhibitions. Allow about three hours to do the gardens justice. Then, if you have the nerve for it, take the thrilling (but very touristy) toboggan ride down to Livramento. From there it is about two miles downhill back to Funchal town: beware, if you walk your calves will probably ache for days afterwards. Alex Wiseman, Manchester Beware the cobbles Madeira is seen as a destination for the older traveller. Be aware, however, that the roads in Funchal are often very steep and virtually all pavements are cobbled and very hard on the feet, even for the fit and healthy. Gardens, for which the island is famed, including the Jardim Botânico and at Monte above the capital, are similarly difficult to negotiate. We saw three people taking tumbles and, at the airport on our way home, encountered one woman on crutches and another in a wheelchair, both, it seemed, as the result of falls. On our visit in October, we found the Jardim Botânico really rather run-down and the integral parrot park, with it's small aviaries, quite distressing. Anne Mills, address withheld Restaurant touts Funchal Old Town can be off-putting as there are numerous waiters outside restaurants trying to persuade you to go inside. We found that the places that didn't have someone plying for custom were normally better. Head for some of the back streets where the prices are cheaper. Watch out for timeshare touts too, who always seem to be lurking somewhere. Steven Last, Devon City jams It's worth having a car if you want to explore the island properly and to seek out some of the lovely small villages. But avoid taking the car into Funchal itself, as it gets very busy - it left us stressed for hours. Jane Turner, Cornwall