It may have a short runway and a political leader resembling Alfred Hitchcock, but there’s more to Madeira than over-enthusiastic flower lovers and the hillwalkers brigade.

Someone mentions Madeira and immediately you are imagining a flowery paradise overrun with sixty-something garden-loving couples from Surrey. Or a group of earnest hill walkers armed with sturdy boots and compasses and prepared for survival in isolated mountain terrain. True in part – there are plenty such characters to be found on the island. But there are also glamorous hotels, a town with vibrant street life and the chance to swim with mammals in the surrounding seas.

Next comes the question of its exact location, which few seem to be very sure of. Near to The Canary Islands, you think. Not far off - in fact this Portuguese island is nearer to the north of Africa than to anywhere in Europe. Less than 40 miles long and easily drivable in four hours, it lies southwest of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean; on a very clear day those with supersonic eyesight may catch a glimpse of the mountains of Morocco.

Originally colonised by Portugal in the 15th century, the island has had varying levels of autonomy since 1974 and the fall of the Salazar dictatorship on the mainland. The people of Madeira have elected the same man into power for the last 24 years. Dr. Alberto Joao Jardim bears a striking resemblance to Alfred Hitchcock, and anyone who has visited knows this is a great way to strike up a conversation with the locals, most of who are highly amused by the subject. Today it is not dramatically different in culture from the Portuguese mainland, although there is a curious Anglo influence apparent. Also distinguishing it from its bigger brother, it has its own local culinary traditions, and is the proud inventor of the unique heating and fermentation process – estufamgem - used in the production of the famous Madeira wines.

While you might not realise beforehand, landing in Madeira is more adventurous and action-packed than the average aeronautical undertaking. The island’s airport boasts a runway built on stilts in the sea – the end of which disappears abruptly into the Atlantic below. But don’t let this put you off in any way – apparently pilots all undergo special training in order to be able to land on this archipelago. Let’s hope it’s true. As the hub for cruises from the United States and European destinations, a great number of the island’s visitors arrive by sea - passengers on one of the many cruise ships that use Funchal, the capital, as a stop-off point on their journey. These impressive cities-on-the-sea are lined up in the harbour like giant toys in a row.

The island is like a never-ending botanical garden on the coast, home to lush green terraced slopes and perfectly kept red-roofed houses nestled into the hills behind the city. Funchal, meaning wild fennel, spreads upwards from the port; its busy squares and boulevards are lined with an explosion of colourful vegetation and lead onto a series of narrow cobbled streets. Strict planning conditions mean that the island is still amazingly un-spoilt, you might even call it ‘streamlined’. Buildings are white and mostly traditional in style. It is famous for its microclimates - they still exist, even in these heady days of global warming. With its highly fertile soil, everything grows here with abandon, and the place is alive with the orange and blue of the birds of paradise - flowers that grow wild on every corner.

But the word ‘wild’ is maybe not the most apt to use when referring to Madeira - words like ‘cultured’ and ‘cultivated’ are more descriptive of the flora and fauna, as well as the general feel of this island. The landscape is not so streamlined, however - the treacherously high and precarious curves in the roads which crisscross it are not for faint-hearted drivers, and even passengers prone to vertigo would be well advised to take a snooze at the highest points. The terraced fields snaking its circumference are planted with crops and vines. All kinds of fantastic fruits are grown – here you will find pittanga, loquat and tomarillo hidden amongst the baskets of the breakfast buffet. Anyone from the more northern climes would be proud to be able to name the array of fruits available. With all this growth, the island’s spectacular gardens are a must-see and include those in the Monte Palace, Quinta da Palmeira, and the Jardims do Emperador. The Laurissilva Forest, having previously covered much of Europe, now only remains in Madeira, and is home to plant species existing nowhere else in the world.

But just when you wonder if there is any more to this huge botanical garden, and are racking your brains for ways to escape from the flower-loving retirees, you will be relieved to discover that there are other options available.

To write about Madeira without mention of the bizarre tobogganing practice, used to connect Funchal with Monte, would be like forgetting to mention the Sistine Chapel in Rome. For only here can you can bolt down a public road at top speed in a wicker basket steered by adults perched on the back. Nearby, the cable car, which arrives more regularly than the London Underground and offers a slightly less terrifying option than the toboggans, will bring you to and from the top of Monte. Previously a health resort for Europe’s aristocracy, Monte is where the Emperor of Austria, Charles 1st, is buried by the old church that dominates the pretty hilltop area.

The island is famed for its levada walks, an unusual but singularly beautiful way to see the local terrain. Levadas are a network of irrigation channels that spread over 1,350 miles of verdant hills and valleys, and walkers use the maintenance paths running alongside them as trails. The first of these were built during the years of colonisation, often using slaves and convicts to hew into the hills, but most were constructed after the Second World War.

The truly knowledgeable fisherman will know that this is an area for big game fishing. Tuna and blue marlin are abundant and the latter is tracked by enthusiasts from all over the world. But catching a fish is not the only way to experience marine life here – anyone who has ever swum with wild dolphins will testify to the magic of the experience. The waters in the bay of Funchal are awash with these ethereal creatures and even if you don’t venture into the slightly choppy Atlantic in person, to watch them swimming with the boat, gliding five abreast at a time, is a memorable moment.

Arriving in a local restaurant to see a line of metal skewers hanging from the ceiling over each table is another novelty peculiar to Madeira. The Latin Americans will gladly slow-roast a pig on a horizontal spit, even turning it by hand, but here the speciality is the espetada, served hung vertically over the centre of the table. The delicately flavoured beef on a skewer can be mouth watering, although it may take a little effort to master getting a piece on to your plate from this curious angle. For fish lovers, the espada – scabbard fish – is the culinary gem of the island. These black fish live at great depths, so Madeiran fishermen have learned to work with lines of up to a mile long. By the time the fish come to the surface they have already departed from this world, having succumbed to death by decompression. But don’t be alarmed by the nature of their demise – it doesn’t affect the taste of the delicious white meat.

This article was published in Business and Finance Magazine in 2007.