‘I visited Hawaii of Europe four hours from UK – the comparison does it a disservice'
Ben Morris enjoyed a trip to a volcanic archipelago, boasting highs of 22°C in April, an average flight time of 3 hours, 55 minutes, and return tickets for as little as £61
A vlogger who visited an island dubbed the "Hawaii of Europe" declared that it "doesn't get much better than that" as he described a "ridiculous" local sight. Ben Morris travelled to the autonomous region of Madeira, a volcanic archipelago in the North Atlantic Ocean situated roughly 500 miles away from the Portuguese mainland.
Renowned for its subtropical climate, dramatic landscapes, welcoming waters, and picturesque beaches, Madeira recently secured the top spot in TripAdvisor's Best of the Best Destinations at the 2026 Travellers' Choice Awards. Ben commenced his journey by referencing an article that branded the destination the "Hawaii of Europe", noting that it was a "big claim" and explaining he would devote four days to investigating it. Upon arrival, Ben collected his hire car and travelled along the southern coastline to locate his accommodation, an Airbnb boasting "incredible" vistas of the ocean and the island's dramatic terrain.
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Ben admired the mountain panoramas as he made his way to the municipality of Porto da Cruz in the north east the following day; here, he enjoyed some surfing, which he characterised as a "lot of fun".
Later in the video for his eponymous YouTube channel, Ben ventured to a spectacular surfing village called Paul do Mar in the west of Madeira. There, he savoured a "delicious" portion of grilled sea bass and encountered a friendly cat.
Afterwards, he travelled further along the coastline and discovered something "breathtaking". Ben said: "I decided to just drive further along the coast and stumbled upon a breathtaking viewpoint overlooking the village I had just left."
As he gazed across the viewpoint, he captured the spectacular scene before him, which showcased lush green mountains tumbling down towards Paul do Mar, as white waves crashed upon the shoreline beneath a brilliant blue sky.
He said: "This is actually just ridiculous. It doesn't get much better than that. That is a little village, Paul do Mar, where we just were. We had lunch somewhere down there. Look at these waves from above. That is just insane."
Concluding his observations about the Hawaii comparison, Ben said that the claim "kind of does it a disservice", and, while referring to an excursion to Fanal Enchanted Forest, where he was caught in the rain, advised people not to "forget your coat".
He said: "Would I say Madeira is the Hawaii of Europe? Honestly, the comparison kind of does it a disservice because Madeira isn't trying to be Hawaii, and I think it's just some clever marketing from the tourism board.
"It probably won't live up to your idea of Hawaii, but I definitely recommend you go. Just don't forget your coat."
If you'd like to visit Madeira, you can expect highs of 22°C in April, an average flight time of 3 hours and 55 minutes (from London), and return tickets for as little as £61 with Ryanair, according to Skyscanner.
