(CNN)Year-round spring climate.
Mountains soaring from an ocean of deepest blue.
An abundance of exotic fruit and superlative seafood.
Unique wines.
Madeira seems to be the island that has it all.
Yet Portugal's "pearl of the Atlantic" has always had an image problem.
"Dreary, stuffy little place," a British friend told American writer Paul Bowles back in the 1950s. "Nobody goes there but very elderly ladies."
Bowles -- known for his travels around North Africa's wilder corners -- ignored them and was enchanted by Madeira.
Less than four hours' flight from London or Paris, Madeira is still popular with seniors but this peaceful, year-round destination 300 miles west of Morocco is increasingly diversifying as new low-cost flights bring in younger visitors.
Here's what's unmissable: