An amazing Carnival celebration is to be found on sunny Madeira Island, where celebrations go back centuries. Azores Airlines is offering round-trip package starting at $1,999 per person (incl. tax) double occupancy. The deal includes round trip air from Boston, seven nights hotel, breakfast, 4 tours, 3 lunches and a dinner. Wow.

Carnival officially begins on the Friday before Lent and ends on Shrove Tuesday, with the whole island being caught up in the party. It is March 1 to 9, 2019

Carnival on Madeira is one of the region’s liveliest festivals. Funchal wakes up on Friday morning to the sound of brass bands and carnival parades, which is then continued at night with concerts and shows in the Praça do Município for five consecutive days.

On Saturday night, it’s time for the great parade of floats followed by singing and dancing in a magical atmosphere of music and merrymaking.

On the day of the Carnival itself (Shrove Tuesday), Funchal host the big parade and there is party in the streets.

Funchal is a warm, bustling city that rises from the Atlantic like an amphitheatre. It boasts forts, an historic old town, well-preserved churches, inviting museums, and regionally crafted wines. It is a walkable city with a pleasant harbor and a medieval cathedral more than 500 years old. Funchal is also perpetually sunny, but when the sun goes down, it’s easy to find entertainment, fine cuisine and music in its nightclubs, restaurants, and casino. The black cliffs surrounding Funchal are dotted with world-class hotels. There is an art museum, wicker toboggan rides, wineries, an open market, seaside parks… and so much more.  The Lavradores Market features the colors, aromas, flowers, fruit and fish of Madeira.

Azores Airlines, part of the SATA Group, has connected New England with the Azores and mainland Portugal for more than 35 years. For more information about booking flights visit https://www.azoresairlines.pt/usa or call 800-762-9995.