Madeira souvenirs to pack on your way home

Pau da poncha, mexelote or caralhinho. The essential tool for making poncha: the typical Madeiran drink that tastes like fruit juice – only more dangerous. They are not easy to find, as souvenir shops don’t sell them, but with a little effort and commitment you will eventually succeed. Of course, you can buy a basic bottle of ready-made poncha, but that’s not quite the same thing. You can get one at the Mercado dos Lavradores, while at the airport they have the original version and a smaller version (the original is better, for vigorously stirring and mixing the drink).

Unavoidable. If you’re one of those people with a fridge that is already covered in magnets from your travels, then add one from Madeira. There is a huge variety, from Cristiano Ronaldo’s face to birds of paradise, landscapes and the traditional Madeiran carapuça cap. They are available from any souvenir shop (there are many on the seaside promenades).

Madeira Agricultural Rum 970 has been a benchmark on the island since it was first produced in the 1970s. It has a dark amber hue and, at 40%, has an alcohol content that will quickly digest any hearty meal. You can buy it at the Engenho do Norte distillery, where it is made, or at the airport where it is sold in mini to-go versions.

Sold in small clear bags, they have a rough and handmade look that is not very “gourmet”. These orange-coloured sweets are typical of Madeira and are based on the fennel plant - there are abundant fennel plantations on the slopes of Funchal bay, which is named after the plant. These sweets are also good for sweetening tea or for mixing with cane sugar brandy. Given fennel’s properties, these sweets also make good cough lozenges. So, a good present for adults and children

Bolo de mel is obligatory on the Christmas tables of all Madeirans, but it's on sale all year round for those who want to take a little piece of the island's confectionery home with them. It’s made with cane sugar honey and keeps for a whole year without going mouldy or hardening. In addition to honey, flour and yeast, it includes Madeira wine, fennel, cinnamon, cloves, walnuts, almonds, orange and lemon, among other ingredients. It must be broken by hand. The Fábrica Santo António (Travessa do Forno, 27) in the heart of Funchal sells the delicacy in beautiful cardboard boxes. You can also easily find large and small cakes at the airport.

A fortified, intense, sweet and fresh wine produced on Madeira and recognised throughout the world. There are four main versions of Madeira wine, each named after their variety: Malvasia, Boal, Verdelho and Sercial. Prices vary depending on year and variety and you can find it in large bottles (you can buy it at Blandy’s cellar and ask to pick it up at the airport: they take care of everything for you).

Chocolates are always a good choice to take home with you, either to eat on the plane as you mourn the end of your holiday or to give to a loved one who wasn’t there with you. The Uau Cacau artisanal chocolate factory in Madeira has chocolates filled with poncha, rum and Madeira wine. Not to mention the other options with island fruit, all pretty and delicate, looking like jewels in the shop window in the centre of Funchal and at the Mercado dos Lavradores. Take a box with a selection of chocolates.

There are many hats, but in Madeira there are two that are very typical: that of the Carreiros do Monte, a simple straw hat with a black band saying "MADEIRA"; and the traditional carapuça, a conical coloured cap worn on the island in the 18th and 19th centuries, which is influenced by the Portuguese medieval cap and carapuços. The latter is used today only by folklore groups or in representations of the island, and sold in various sizes in souvenir shops.

Fun fact: locals say that if the tip of the hat is taut, it means the man is single man, while if it is twisted, the man is engaged.

If you don't have enough money to buy a complete trousseau or a hand-embroidered tablecloth, there are more affordable options that are just as beautiful and honest, such as coasters that cost less than £2. It’s all original and on sale at the Bordal shop (R. Dr Fernão Ornelas, 77) where you can go upstairs and watch the embroiderers at work.

In 2013, the GONNA Creative Studio dedicated itself to the Pure Madeirense project, which led to it opening its own shop (R. D. Carlos I, 39), where you can find various products with island words and expressions, with a lot of humour thrown in. Add another travel T-shirt to your collection, but ask the amigue madeirense (Madeiran friend) to tell you what ir pá casa d’amleinha or deixa-te de cramar mean (my Madeiran friend tells me they mean “stop bugging me” and “stop complaining”, respectively). Other printed expressions include the dedication of love goste mais de ti do que milhe frite (I love you more than I love fried corn - a popular Madeiran dish); vamilha, a combination of vamos lá (let’s go); o teu cão investe?, which means o teu cão morde? (does your dog bite?), which is perfect for friends with dogs. There are also babygrows, mugs, cushions, soft toys and stickers. If you’ve already left the island without visiting this shop, you can always order from their website.