Madeira is often forgotten about when you think of Portugal, perhaps as it is not part of the main country, but an island nearly two hours away from Portugal itself, by plane.

Made of two volcanic islands, Madeira and Porto Santo, Madeira is the main island. Although quite small in size, 56km long and 19km wide, it would take a whole day to drive around searching for property in Madeira due to the winding roads and steep cliff edges.

The volcanic peaks on the island can reach nearly 2000 metres high. The island itself is the top of a huge volcano which stems almost 4 miles from the Atlantic Ocean seabed. Formed around 700,000 years ago, the most recent volcanic eruption is though to be as recent as 6500 years ago.

The continuous volcanic eruptions caused lava to work through the older lava, creating tunnels now known as caves. These can be found all over the island. Transport is mainly car or walking in Madeira and the island is a haven for hikers, with extensive footpaths around the island which take in some of the best views around.

Cable cars can also be found, mainly in the capital Funchal, and they will take you north to Monte where the beautiful botanical gardens can be found, as well as the famous toboggan run. Here you will be seated in a wicker basket and pushed downhill for approx 2 miles by Madeiran men in traditional toboggan dress.

To understand the full step-by-step process to buying a property in Portugal, collect The Overseas Guides Company’s ‘Portugal Property Buying Guide’