On the island of Madeira, a large number of different sports are practiced, both outdoor and indoor the various facilities available throughout the island.
Amongst the variety of sports practiced on the island, it includes the following:
Football
Monument in Camacha, celebrating the first ever organised football game in Portugal, that took place in 1875.
The first organised game of football took place in 1875 in Camacha, organised by the Madeira born Harry Hinton (it was the first organised football match anywhere in Portugal).
C.S. Marítimo is considered the biggest club of Madeira and has enjoyed various campaigns in the UEFA Cup having recorded famous results against teams such as Juventus, Leeds and Rangers. Having finished 5th in the league in the 2009/2010 season, C.S. Marítimo qualified for the Europa League for the 2010/2011 season.[2]
In 2003–04Nacional achieved fourth place in the Portuguese League, their best classification ever. They repeated it three years later and are the only Madeiran team to finish fourth place in the Portuguese League. Nacional were the first Madeiran team to reach the Europa League group stage (in the 2009-2010 season) until Marítimo reached the group stages in the 2012-13 season. Cristiano Ronaldo, a football player, played in Nacional until he was 12 years old before moving to Sporting Lisbon. Nacional plays in the Madeira Stadium (Estádio da Madeira), considered by CNN in 2011, one of the eight more unusual stadiums in the world. Besides Cristiano Ronaldo, other known footballers have also played at Nacional including Paulo Assunção (F.C. Porto and Atlético Madrid among others), Rúben Micael (Porto and Real Zaragoza among others, current Nacional player), Maicon (Porto among others), Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg among others) and Felipe Lopes (Wolfsburg among others).
In recent years, Madeira has had a considerable amount of success in professional basketball, with CAB Madeira having won numerous titles, especially their female team. CAB is often seen competing in European matches such as the FIBAEuroCup and former stars include Filipe da Silva and ex-Los Angeles Lakers player Ike Nwankwo.
Surfing
Paul do Mar: this spot, according to surf experts, has the best barreling waves (also known as tubular, tunnel waves) on Madeira. Both stand-up surfing and bodyboarding are practised at this spot.
Madeira Andebol SAD, the island's only professional handball team is one of the most successful in the country.
Running
The oldest Saint Silvester Road Race in Portugal and one of the oldest in the Europe Union is held every December 28 and is called the Volta à cidade do Funchal and is made up of professional and amateur runners.
More to that there are: Boa Ventura Trail run, Sky Trail Camp – Porto da Cruz, Trail de Porto Moniz – São Vicente, Madeira Trail Camp – São Vicente, Trail do Porto Santo, Madeira Trail Series – São Vicente, Trail do Ludens de Machico, Corrida Nocturna Baia dos Descubrimentos, Vertical KM – Câmara de Lobos, Trail da Zona Militar da Madeira, Ultra Sky Marathon Madeira, Cristo Rei Trail, Funchal Sky Race, Trail de Água de Pena, Ultra Trail Porto da Cruz Natura, Trail de Santa Cruz, Vertical KM – Funchal, Madeira Uphill 2000, Vertical KM – Fanal, Eco Trail do Funchal, Trail de Câmara de Lobos, Trail da Calheta, Trail Nocturno de Machico, Source
Scuba diving has become very popular in recent years due to the crystal waters and the abundance of life that characterize Madeira. The Marine Reserve of Garajau and the Marine park of Cabo Girão where lies the Wreck of the F488 Afonso Cerqueira, can offer the best dive sites of the island. These areas are reachable from the dive shops of Funchal.
The clear waters and marine life of Madeira, known for its numerous nature reserves and marine areas, offer countless fascinating and electrifying dive spots. The marine fauna of this region consists mainly of coastal species. Sandy and rocky bottoms host numerous species of marine creatures: groupers (Epinephelus guaza) and other serranids, salps, sea bream, mullet, scorpion fish (Scorpaena scrofa), moray eels, octopuses, cuttlefish, barracudas, damsels are just some of the species that divers may commonly spot. Among the invertebrates, besides various species of anemones and starfish, we emphasize the presence of numerous bearded fireworms (Hermodice carunculata), known for their considerable size (up to 30cm) and for their painfully stinging bristles. Common are also several species of crabs; the most curious of them is definitely the arrow crab (Stenorhynchus seticornis). Large, typically pelagic organisms can also be occasionally encountered: wahoos, tunas, cetaceans (i.e. the spotted dolphin and Risso's dolphin), sea turtles, manta rays and mobulas, and the famous but rare monk seal (Monachus monachus).
Madeira offers about 950 kilometres (600 miles) of walks, many alongside the levadas, some of the island's greatest attractions. The levadas provide stunning walks, some of which are quite challenging.[4]Canyoning has increased in popularity over the last few years with many companies offering canyoning tours.
Karting and golf are other popular sports played on the island. The island lies in an ideal location for water sports such as fishing, sailing and diving due to its climate and location. Jogo do Pau, a Portuguese martial art, is still practiced in the rural areas of the island but has declined since its peak in the early part of the 20th century.[citation needed]
Madeira is also popular as a Mountain bike destination, organizing stops of the Enduro World Series championship.[citation needed]
Related Research Articles
Madeira, officially the Autonomous Region of Madeira, is an autonomous region of Portugal. It is an archipelago situated in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the region of Macaronesia, just under 400 kilometres (250 mi) north of the Canary Islands, 520 kilometres (320 mi) west of the Kingdom of Morocco and 805 kilometres (500 mi) southwest of mainland Portugal. Madeira sits on the African Tectonic Plate, although it is culturally, politically and ethnically associated with Europe, with its population predominantly descended from Portuguese settlers. Its population was 251,060 in 2021. The capital of Madeira is Funchal, on the main island's south coast.
Funchal is the capital, largest city and the municipal seat of Portugal's Autonomous Region of Madeira, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean. The city has a population of 105,795, making it the sixth largest city in Portugal. Because of its high cultural and historical value, Funchal is one of Portugal's main tourist attractions; it is also popular as a destination for New Year's Eve, and it is the leading Portuguese port on cruise liner dockings.
The Madeira Football Association is the regional governing body for the all football competitions in the former Portuguese district of Funchal, including both Madeira Island and Porto Santo Island. It is also the regulator of the clubs registered in the autonomous region.
Club Sport Marítimo MH M, commonly known as Marítimo or Marítimo da Madeira, is a Portuguese professional sports club based in the city of Funchal, on the island of Madeira. Established in 1910, Marítimo is best known for its football team currently playing in Liga Portugal 2 that previously played for 38 consecutive years in the Primeira Liga from 1985 to 2023.
Clube Desportivo Nacional, commonly known as Nacional and sometimes Nacional da Madeira, is a Portuguese football club based in Funchal, on the island of Madeira.
Machico is a municipality, parish and city in the southeast part of the island of Madeira, in the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The easternmost municipality on the island, it is also the third-most populous area with a population of 21,828 in 2011. The town, proper, had a population of 10,894 in 2001.
Clube de Futebol União, commonly known as União or União da Madeira, was a Portuguese football club based in Funchal, Madeira, notable for its six appearances in the Portuguese top-flight Primeira Liga, between the 1989–90 and 1991–92 seasons, the 1993–94 and 1994–95 seasons and most recently in the 2015–16 season.
Artur de Sousa, known by his nickname Pinga was a Portuguese footballer and later coach who made his name at FC Porto, where he served until his death in 1963.
The history of Madeira begins with the discovery of the islands by Portugal in 1419. There is no record of anyone living on the islands at that time. Portugal began populating the island in 1420.
Madeira Airport, informally Funchal Airport, formerly Santa Catarina Airport and officially Cristiano Ronaldo International Airport, is an international airport in the civil parish of Santa Cruz in the Portuguese archipelago and autonomous region of Madeira. The airport is located 13.2 km (8.2 mi) east-northeast of the regional capital, Funchal, after which it is sometimes informally named. It mostly hosts flights to European metropolitan destinations due to Madeira's importance as a leisure destination, and is pivotal in the movement of cargo in and out of the archipelago of Madeira. It is the fourth-busiest airport in Portugal. The airport is named after Madeiran native Cristiano Ronaldo, considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. During its renaming ceremony in 2017, the airport drew media notoriety for an infamous bust of Ronaldo unveiled at the ceremony, now replaced.
Association football, the most popular sport in Portugal, has a long and storied history in the country, following its introduction in 1875 in cities such as Funchal, Lisbon, Porto and Coimbra by English merchants and Portuguese students arriving back home from studying in England. This led to the establishment of local clubs dedicated to the practice of the sport.
Bruno Marcelo Pereira Fernandes, known simply as Bruno, is a Portuguese former professional footballer who played as a central midfielder.
Estádio da Madeira, formerly named Estadio Eng. Rui Alves and informally known as Estádio da Choupana is a football stadium in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal. It is primarily used as the home stadium for C.D. Nacional.
Clube de Futebol Andorinha de Santo António is a Portuguese football club based in Santo António, Funchal, on the island of Madeira. The name andorinha came about following a shot by a team player that followed the trajectory of one of these birds.
José Vítor Jardim Vieira, commonly known as Zé Vítor, is a Portuguese footballer who plays as a right midfielder.
An extreme weather event affected Madeira Island in Portugal's autonomous Madeira archipelago on 20 February 2010. The resulting flash floods and mudslides killed 51 people, of whom 6 are still to be found, and injured 250. Around 600 people were left homeless.
José Edgar Andrade da Costa is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for C.S. Marítimo as a forward or winger.
Dyego Wilverson Ferreira Sousa is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Portuguese club Nacional.
The Museu CR7 is a museum that is dedicated to Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo's trophies. It is located in Ronaldo's birthplace, the city of Funchal on the Portuguese island of Madeira.
Harry Carvelery Hinton was an industrialist of British origin and a football pioneer who is widely regarded as one of the most important figures in the amateur beginnings of football in Portugal, organizing the first-ever football game in the country in 1875, at the age of 18.
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