Many tourists have contacted us asking whether there holiday will be affected. Please note that the flash floods and the damage caused by them were nearly always in and nearby the rivers of various areas of Southern Madeira - notably Funchal centre (3 rivers), Ribeira Brava (1 river) and Tabúa (1 river).

In Funchal the three rivers drive down the very heart of the city and these are the areas that gave some of the most dramatic photo and video footage in the media the last few days. Two of the rivers in Funchal have a confluence at the eastern end of the marina. Most of the photos on this site show these areas.. These are examples of where the worst affected areas are. The river in Ribeira Brava, and the one in Tabúa, are examples of significantly damaged areas. HOWEVER, for the most part areas away from the course and confluences of rivers are not affected in such a way as would a characteristically strong storm normally affect it.

For the most part your holiday will not be affected in the sense of the major sightseeing, levada walking, and eating out. We expect that areas beyond the river banks, and vicinities neighbouring them, should come back into operation this week already. That is, most of the Funchal central business district and the Old Zone. Areas affected such as the marina, the downtown area of Ribeira Brava, and the central viaduct of Tabúa will take a little longer to come back into operation.

But for the most part your hotel is unlikley to have been affected, nor the areas around them, unless they sat on the banks of rivers or close to the downtown areas closest to the seafront in Ribeira Brava and some parts of the central business district of Funchal.

- Jorge Barbosa