Madeira had never sprung to the top of my mind when considering the ideal European venue for meetings, conference and incentives for our client base. I suppose my perception of the place was coloured by the experience of friends and relatives who went for a whole variety of reasons, none of them remotely to do with business.

"A beautiful place to get away from it all" everyone who had been there had told me. I never questioned the fact that they might simply be trying to keep its secrets to themselves.

So when the invitation came in from Meetings & Incentive Travel, to attend a FAM trip to the island, I had no hesitation in putting my name forward.

The islands of Madeira, Porto Santo and the uninhabited islands of Selvagens and Desertas form the Madeira Archipelago, which was discovered by the Portuguese in 1418.

The archipelago lies in the Atlantic Ocean just 500 km off the coast of Africa and 1000 km from mainland Europe. Thanks to its location and mountainous terrain, the area enjoys a surprisingly balmy climate with moderate humidity and an  average temperature of 23ºC in summer, dropping to a very pleasant 17ºC in winter.