The Portugese island of Madeira has once again been voted the Best Island Destination in Europe for an unprecedented sixth time.
Having won the award for three consecutive years the idyllic volcanic isle beat its contemporaries again in picking up the coveted award in Funchal.
The Portuguese archipelago, made up of the islands of Madeira, Porto Santo and the Desertas, is known for its wild beauty and subtropical climate, making it the perfect year-round escape.
It beat off competition from the likes of Crete, the Balearics, Cyprus, and Malta, which were nominated for the 25th World Travel Awards.
The prestigious awards identify best tourism practices throughout the world.
The World Travel Awards were created in 1993 to recognise work within the tourism sector and to generate competitiveness between hotels and countries.
The selection committee consists of approximately two thousand tourism professionals and the general public from roughly a hundred and sixty nations. The award is hotly contested each year as it is acknowledged as a tourism industry seal of quality.
Madeira forms part of an archipelago south-west of Portugal along with Porto Santo and the Desertas islands, and enjoys a sub-tropical climate, meaning you can expect year-round mild temperatures.
ln addition to its breathtaking natural beauty, with its mountainous terrain and rugged coastline, its also become a favourite for foodies while its location in the middle of the Atlantic also makes it a prime spot for scuba diving and dolphin and whale watching.
Meanwhile beach lovers should head to Porto Santo, known as the "Golden Island," for its turquoise waters and silky sands.
For more reasons to visit the island, check out our guide to Madeira , including a review of the Belmond Reid’s Palace , widely considered one of the island's finest hotels.
Portugal did well in the awards overall, scooping Europe's Leading Destination for 2019, meanwhile Lisbon was named best city break destination,
The Algarve was crowned leading beach destination and the five-star Hotel Quinta do Lago was named Europe's Leading Beach Resort for 2019.
Other notable wins included Capri Palace Hotel & Spa in Italy, which scooped "Europe's Leading Beach Hotel 2019" and Santo Maris Oia Luxury Suites & Spa in Greece, which was named Europe's Leading Boutique Resort 2019
Russia's St Petersburg and Batumi in Georgia were each crowned best city destination and best emerging destination respectively.
