The popularity of Madeira as a holiday destination for European golfers is set to soar even further in 2022 with the launch of five new flight routes to the sunshine island – from Ireland, France, Belgium and Italy.

The Portuguese islands will be more accessible than ever to players from next spring following Ryanair’s announcement that they will be operating new flights to Madeira’s capital Funchal from five airports: Dublin, Paris Beauvais and Marseille in France, Brussels Charleroi and Milan-Bergamo.

The twice-weekly services are part of a new schedule revealed by the low-cost airline which will launch from March. Adding capacity to already serviced cities such as Manchester, London Stansted and Nuremberg, Ryanair’s introduction of 10 routes will connect Madeira with mainland Portugal and six other European countries, helping to strengthen the archipelago’s position as one of the continent’s leading tourism destinations.

Named as Europe’s leading island destination at the 2021 World Travel Awards for the eighth year in a row, Madeira boasts three first-class golf courses – Palheiro Golf, Clube de Golfe Santo da Serra and Porto Santo Golf as well as an array of outstanding historic, cultural and lifestyle experiences.

The best way to enjoy the golf courses is with a Madeira Golf Passport which, providing holders with an unrivalled golf experience, is available to both individuals and groups and can be booked on a three or five-round basis. 

Offering a one-stop-shop for visitors eager to experience the finest things that the islands have to offer on and off the course, the portal features the chance for golfers to review and book their golf and accommodation, with a selection of quality hotel, self-catering and all-inclusive options all available. Three-round packages cost €225 per person while five-round passports are priced at €360 per person.

Madeira has enjoyed a steady increase in overseas bookings in the last 12 months with growing numbers of European golfers eager to experience the many benefits of playing first-class golf in a safe and secure environment.

Latest figures revealed recently by the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira showed that more travelling golfers visited the Portuguese islands this summer than pre-pandemic two years ago, with the number of guests visiting in August 1.7 per cent more than the corresponding period in August 2019.

Located approximately 1,000km from the European mainland – and just 500km from the African continent – Madeira enjoys an amazingly mild climate, ranging from 25°c in the summer to 17°c in the winter, with very mild average temperatures and moderate humidity, making it the perfect year-round location for a golf break.

And visiting from the UK and Europe has never been easier with Madeira. Belongs to all – the consumer-facing brand of the Madeira Promotion Bureau – taking every step to ensure the safety of every resident and visitor.

Since the start of the pandemic, the archipelago has been considered one of the safest destinations in Europe and has been widely praised for its handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Earlier this year, Madeira was named as one of the safest destinations for 2021 by European Best Destinations and has worked closely with SGS, the world’s leading certification company, to ensure safe practice across the destination and minimise risk in regard to Covid-19.

Under the umbrella brand “Madeira Safe to Discover”, Madeira. Belongs to all has published updated guidelines for all incoming visitors, including for people who have been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19.

All adults and children aged 11 and above travelling to Madeira must register on the Madeira Safe site and complete an epidemiological survey between 48 and 12 hours prior to departure.

The green corridor already exists at Madeira airport for those who arrive with a vaccination certificate or with proof of a rapid negative antigen test done within 48 hours of travelling. Alternatively, visitors can take a free test at the airport on arrival and having entered Madeira, visitors are free to travel anywhere in the islands. People who did not test for free on arrival at the airport can still have a free test before travelling back to their country of origin if needed, while discounts are also available on any further tests that are required for visitors returning to their country of origin, with PCR tests from €90 and antigen tests from €18.

In addition, only an antigen test is required within 48 hours of arrival for travellers who have not been vaccinated or have recovered from Covid for more than 90 days.

For more information on Madeira, please visit: www.madeiraallyear.com