Santa Maria Trips For The Atlantic Festival ; New Aircraft For Porto Santo ; 1st Accessible Beach Award
(31st May). ‘Sun And Free Entrance Compose The Beaches – The good weather takes many people to the beaches, even with a very high UV factor’. Even the clouds that descended over Funchal yesterday afternoon didn’t deter people from Lido*, Ponta Gorda, Gavinas, and the other free beaches. Some people said that they no longer use the beaches that charge entrance fees. Today also has a very high ultra violet warning. (*I believe access to Lido is free for a temporary period?).
‘The Thematic Park At Santana Is Going To Have A Time Machine’. The attraction will show visitors old images of Madeira "which curiously continues until the year 2419", a thousand years after Madeira was discovered. I wonder if Uncle Bertie will feature in those later years, or perhaps that will be saved for another display about the dinosaurs of Madeira.
Ribeira Brava Distinguished With ‘Accessible Beach’ Flag – It is the first beach on Madeira to display the flag that shows that there is special access provisions for disabled people, people with mobility problems, pregnant women, and the elderly. The award is made by the National Committee of Coordination for the European Year of People with Disabilities. To obtain the award, six criteria must be met : Pedestrian access, parking provision, access to bathing area, beach crossing path, adequate sanitary provisions, and access to help / first aid. Other less critical considerations are access to bars and restaurants, and availability of amphibious wheelchairs (which Ribeira Brava doesn’t have). The award, which has been running since 2004, already covers dozens of beaches in Portugal and the Azores.
(30th May). ‘The ship Santa Maria offers tickets at €15 for the Atlantic Festival – Cheaper tickets for Madeirans’. Demand to see the firework displays is high, and the company that owns the ship will do Saturday night trips out to see the event from offshore. The tickets are on sale at the booking office at Funchal Marina. The outing departs at 10pm, returning at 11.30pm, and includes a glass of Madeira Wine. Other Portuguese and foreigners can book tickets at hotel receptions and travel agencies for €25. I am sure someone will have something to say on the price differential … over to you!
(29th May). ‘SATA Brings New Aircraft To Porto Santo – The new plane has less seats, but will be more modern’. The two Bombardier Dash Q200′s have already arrived on the Azores, but for now have a Canadian registration. They will fly the Madeira – Porto Santo route from the start of next year. They have already been painted in the new SATA group ‘brand’ that uses the slogan ‘The Atlantic and you’. The planes already have 11 years of service, having been used by the North American company Horizon. They will substitute the ATP which currently does the Porto Santo route, and will be more modern and more efficient for the job. There will only be 37 seats, compared to the 65 currently, but the new planes will be able to make more journeys. SATA also awaits delivery of four new Dash Q400′s, with capacity for 80 passengers, and these will be used in the new year on routes between the Azores, Madeira, and the Canary Islands initially, and later for Faro and also the islands of Cabo Verde.
‘Post of Madeira In Lisbon ‘Despejado’ By The AICEP’. A couple of things there I can’t work out, but the gist of the article is that Madeira has been kicked out of it’s space in the tourist information offices in Lisbon, a space it had shared with the Azores over many years. Turismo de Lisboa took the action without consultation, and surprised Madeira, although the Azores had already made alternative arrangements. The Regional Secretary for Tourism and Transport may have known, but probably wasn’t given time to make alternative arrangements. The search is now on to find somewhere else suitable.
