Madeira-anyone been recently?
 

Madeira has come up as a possible place for our Christmas vacation. There seems to be so little information on Fodors(last thread seems to be 2011) so was wondering if anyone has been in the last year? What were your favorite cities and where would you base yourself? Thanks!

Anyone?

Hi dutyfree,

I'm a reporter at the Wall Street Journal, and doing an article about the plastic-wrapping service for luggage that is offered at many airports around the world. I saw some comments you posted on the issue in one of these forums a couple years ago, and would love to speak to you briefly by phone if possible. If you're available, please let me know where I can reach you by writing me at [email protected]. Thanks so much,

Arian Campo-Flores

we will be there for one day at the end of this month on a cruise.

i probably won't do a trip report, but send me an inquiry at my back-up site and i will respond when we retrun home in late may: [email protected]

Yes I have. I was there for 5 days in mid-November and liked it a lot. It had been on my "must visit" list for about 15 years. We stayed in Funchal and didn't scratch the surface really. We travelled by public transport and Shanks Pony.
Best thing - Funchal has a lovely old part which is very picturesque and bustling at night. The location of this city is spectacular cascading right the way down the mountain. Lots and lots of yellow houses with red roofs. In aspect it was very similar to Castries in St. Lucia but larger.
Communications were good. Fabulously imaginative use of engineering to run fast roads around the cliffs.
And of course the weather. We had hoped it would be warmer than home and it was. There were people swimming and it was warm enough to fall asleep by the pool- in November.

In reading a few guides, I noticed that the time around New Years Eve is fun in Funchal with fireworks and markets for the holidays,etc. It sounds like this would be a great match for a holiday vacation in December but would like to know if one could be happy there for more than a week with sightseeing,etc.?

I think so.
We stayed close to where the cruise liners came in and so it took us about 20 mins to walk each way into Funchal and we did this twice a day.
Roughly (because I didn't keep notes), we spent the first afternoon napping(early flight) and then walked into town and ate in the atmospheric old quarter, in O Jango
The next day we took the cable car up to the tropical gardens,then took the sledge down the road_ that was the most fun I've had in ages. We went back to the hotel where we had some drink and I fell asleep in the sunshine by the pool. That night we walked back to the old quarter and ate in Arsenio's a fado restaurant.
The next day we took a guided trip along the levada from Ribero Frio-about 12 kms.The journey there was very pretty and there was lovely countryside. That night we ate in the Fort restaurant- don't miss this.It was beautifully decorated for Christmas and the food was very good!
On our last day we took a bus to Cabo San Lucas a fishing village which Churchill painted-worth a look. We returned to Funchal and visited the Blandy's Port building which was interesting and then spent the rest of the afternoon browsing amongst the attractive streets.That night we ate in an Indian restaurant near our hotel.
We didn't see much of the island other than what I've set out above but enjoyed it enough to think that we would like to return and see the rest

Thanks Frances!

Madeira is depressingly under-represented on this forum - probably because few Americans manage to get there. It's long been a popular winter retreat for northern Europeans (particularly British, German and Scandinavian visitors) - some retired folk spend the entire winter there. We've been about 10 times and fell in love with the island on our first visit.

The only city as such is Funchal, where most foreign visitors base themselves. Apart from that there's a few small towns and many villages, some of which were very isolated until comparatively recently when the EU funded road network expanded across the island via a series of amazing tunnels and bridges. By far the bst thing about Madeira is the stunning mountain scenery - truly some of the most dramatic anywhere in Europe, combined with a warm sub-tropical climate which benefits the many wild flowers and gardens. To see the island properly you need a hire car (and a head for heights!).

There's an excellent selection of mid-range to up-scale hotels, and the choise of local dining has improved greatly over the years (I can give you plenty of specific recs if you are seriously interested). I can thoroughly recommend a winter visit to Madeira, it's a far better choice for this time of year than some of the other European destinations mentioned on your other threads.

Gordon R-I am definitely thinking Madeira!
I would love to get thoughts from you and others who have been about how long to allow for a visit to the island.I plan on flying into Funchal and staying in that area for the last week of December in order to experience the fireworks/New Year celebrations I keep reading about.
However, I am thinking that I would also want to stay on another part of the island too for a few nights.Suggestions on where else to stay or areas to avoid?

On all our previous visits we've stayed for one week (and always wished we could have stayed longer). There is plenty to see and do for a week or two at a time.

I would stay in a single location in Funchal without moving elsewhere. I say this mainly because there is no need to move really - you can easily access anywhere on Madeira these days on fast roads within an hour's drive out of Funchal, though it <s>can</s> will take much longer if you take the scenic routes and stop for photos along the way:). It's also worth bearing in mind that outside Funchal, places are <i>much</i> smaller and quieter, so you'd have more limited options for eating out in the evening for example. Having said that, places such as Porto Moniz (in the extreme North West), Sao Vincente (north coast) and Calheta (along the south coast) are good choices if you wanted something quieter for a few nights.

I've never been in Madeira at New Year, but I hear the fireworks in Funchal are impressive. Be aware thhat many hotels add a surcharge for that night with compulsory "gala dinner", so watch out for the higher prices.

Oh, I meant to mention that the fishing village, popularised by Winston Churchill, which Frances visited was Câmara de Lobos (situated just to the west of Funchal). This is a very poverty-stricken village however and is one of the few (only?) places on the island you might be harassed by beggars - certainly one place I would <b>not</b> stay in.

DutyFree, please forgive my intrusion here.

I am also interested in a vacation on this island, for it garners so little press here in the US. (Not to mention my long-ago research into the island's most famous tipple which did NOT net me a trip!!)

Question to Gordon: ARe there hotels with large heated pools that would allow serious swimmers to enjoy leisurely swims even in winter season? Can you recommend any hotels with large, heated pools that do not require male guests to don jackets for dinner?

I would love to hear more about the food scene... is there any local food scene on the island, showcasing local produce?? Or is it all about meat and veg, fish and chips and the like??

No problem-ekscrunchy.!

I am so surprised that more UK friends haven't been here as I thought that it was somewhat like the Canaries or Cyprus for their holidays?
I really appreciate the various towns you recommended Gordon and will look into them. We are probably going to rent a house or condo as it is easier with 4 adults all up at different hours.
Keep those tips and insight coming!

Dutyfree - Madeira is not at all like the Canaries or Cyprus. Although tourism is a major part of the economy it's not as commercialised and the local goverment has gone to great lengths to avoid over-development. I'd say the clientele is generally a bit older and more affluent in Madeira, but obviously that's a generalisation.

ekscrunchy - most of the big hotels (and there are many of them) have both large outdoor and (smaller) indoor pools. The indoor pools are heated all year round but I'm not sure that would be the case in the winter for the outdoor pools. I'm not a serious swimmer, but I remember styaing at one hotel where the outdoor pool really was too chilly for swimming in January. Apart from Reids [http://www.reidspalace.com/web/omad/reids_palace.jsp], I can't think of anywhere that would require a jacket to be worn for dinner (I do struggle to get to grips with this US "dress code" thing, LOL). What's your budget and preferred style of hotel, so I can point you in the right direction?

The local food scene has improved a great deal in the past 5 to 10 years, and would certainly not be typified by meat and veg or fish and chips. The local seafood is particularly good. We like the following (all in the Old Town in Funchal):-

http://restaurantedoforte.com.pt/forte-en/
http://restaurantedoforte.com.pt/mozart-en/
http://www.gaviaonovo.com/index2.html
http://www.riso-fx.com/index.php
http://www.restaurantelejardin.com/
http://www.restaurantetapassol.com/

Some typical local specialities:-

Espetada (meat on skewers): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Espetada
Espada (blak scabbard fish): http://www.love-madeira.com/espada-f...a_aid=3598aabf
Bolo do caco (garlic bread): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolo_do_caco
Grilled sardine salad : http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-raYk3erL_f.../Sardines.jpeg

I'm portuguese, i was there two years ago. The thing i recommend the most, are 'levadas' in madeira. It was without a doubt the best part of my trip. Google search for walks in levadas in madeira. U can take trips and some u can do by yourself.

http://www.madeira-seekers.com/MadeiraWalks.html
here you can see the most known ones.

Levada Queimadas - Caldeirão Verde was my favorite and u can go by yourself if u rent a car.

Another pretty one, but more of a mountain and harder, is Levada of Pico do Arieiro - Pico Ruivo but in this one you have to take a group tour so they catch you in the end of the walk and take you to your hotel.

Hope you enjoy it very much.

I've never been but I have the impression it is a rather genteel kind of place. Maggie Thatcher used to stay regularly at the Reids.

Call me old-fashioned, but I just don't understand the point of posting advice on somewhere you've never visited!

I wasn’t offering advice Gordon; just my impression of what the place might be like based on what I’ve been told over the years and what I’ve read too. I did state I’d never been there (not yet anyway). I just wanted to join in to keep the discussion going because I was enjoying learning about Madeira.

I`m in Madeira at the moment and the weather is fantastic. We´re staying at the Porto Santa Maria hotel which is very good and right by the cable car up to Monte and the gardens. The Old Town is right by us with it´s choice of restaurants, some good, some Ok and some not, but it´s very handy. This hotel is perfectly placed.

The island has improved out of all recognition since our last visit in terms of the roads and we drove through the tunnels yesterday from North coast to Funchal in less than half an hour. That was unheard of way back when. We did an Eastern circuit of the island before cutting across the mountains in just over half a day including lunch.

However, I´m not sure that there´s enough to hold you for more than a week, unless you like to lie in the sun and eat and drink. Not that there´s anything wrong with that! A week is probably about right if you like to be active and there´s some great walking routes across the mountains a nd levadas (the old irrigation channels).

I´ll be checking my e-mails so will pop in on Fodors whilst we´re here if anyone has any questions, but we leave on Monday, so won´t check after Sunday.

Thanks Rubicand for your updates! Are you staying on Madeira only or going over to Porto Santo too?
How long would you add for a family over the Christmas break holiday that would would give us time to explore and enjoy each other ?
Should we stay only in Funchal or pick another city to stay at too?
Best areas in Funchal to stay?
Appreciate any input.

It's highly questionable whether the additional cost/hassle of doing a side trip to Porto Santo is worth the effort. It's <u>very</u> quiet and undeveloped, and is known mainly for its golf and sandy beaches: there really isn't much else to do. Many local Madeiran families travel there for their summer holidays, and in recent years direct flights from mainland Europe have been introduced in an effort to boost the nascent tourist industry. There are quick but expensive flights on Sata Airlines between Madeira and Porto Santo, or you can take the Porto Santo Line ferry (2h15m each way), but I'm not sure how regular the ferry service is at Christmas time. I've also heard reports that the crossing can be pretty rough.

http://www.sata.pt/en
http://www.portosantoline.pt/index.php?lang=en&itemid=1

<i>Should we stay only in Funchal or pick another city to stay at too?</i>
I answered this earlier - there are no other "cities" in Madeira, just smaller towns and villages of which I recommended several.

<i>Best areas in Funchal to stay?</i>
Most of the hotels are located to the west of the city along Estrada Monumental (the so-called "hotel zone"). It doesn't sound particularly promising, but most of these hotels are mid to high end places and there is an attractive ocean-front promenade linking them. It's not like the over-developed concrete tourist towns you see in Spain. Plenty of restaurants in the area as well. On the other hand, the Old Town (Zona Velha) is arguably better if you don't have your own transport. The Hotel Santa Maria where Rubicund is staying has a terrific location.

Gordon_R is absolutely correct, Porto Santo is not worth the effort. Funchal is a small place, not really a city. It´s sprawled up the hillside in recent years, but I´d want to stay in Funchal itself.

The Estrada Monumental area is full of good hotels and restaurants, but there´s not much atmosphere. It´s all been built over the last10 years or so so a lot of glass and concrete. We drove through it this morning on the way up to Cabo Girao but I´m glad we chose to stay at the Porto Santa Maria for its location.

Unless you´re a sun worshipper and happy to stay on a sunbed for two weeks, with the odd excursion oput, Madeira is fine for a week. Any more than that and I´d start to go stir crazy.

There´s quite a lot of work going on on the shoreline near our hotel and acrooss to the West, with new anti erosion works being instituted along the beach. These are due to go on for some months yet. If you want the beach then stay further West, but if it´s not an issue for you, then the Zona Velha is fine. Now the roads are so good, one location and it has to be Funchal is fine.

Rubicund - how is Cabo Girao these days? Last time we were over (Feb last year I think it was), it was a mess - they'd started to build a new visitor centre/observation deck but run out of money due to the recession. It's a shame because the highest sea cliffs in Europe are well worth seeing.

Hi Gordon_R

It looks like it´s all finished. There a brand new steel and glass observation deck with a see through walkway and chest high railings! You enter through lockable gates and walk down a slope and to the right to where the deck is. There were lots of walkers there a couple of days ago all having a picnic lunch.

When we last came to Madeira many years ago, the observation area was a stone patio with a knee high wall to keep you from plunging 2000 feet or so. It still seems a long way down even with the new area.

You guys have got me rethinking Madeira now because you said that there wouldn't be much there for more than a week?
I am trying to find a place for 12-16 days over the Christmas holiday that would include history,great food and wine,culture for two adult kids with their parents.
Past holidays have been Cyprus,the Canary Islands,Morocco,Egypt and Jordan.
Any suggestions if we want to fly out of the UK? Thanks!

You said on your other thread:-
"...<i>I am not looking for a beach resort holiday but rather a destination that can be reached from the UK and within 3-5 hours</i>..."

and

"...<i>Our family is looking for a place that doesn't completely close down during the Christmas holidays and one that the weather might be anywhere between 50-70F. Looking forward history,sea and mountains,independent traveling and great food or wine</i>..."

That does narrow things down a lot, and since you've already been to Cyprus, the Canaries, Morocco and Egypt/Jordan, I'd say Madeira is a very good choice that ticks all your boxes. I don't think you would not run out of things to do/see in 12/16 days, provided you have your own transportation (rental car) and are not really unlucky with the weather. But each to his/her own...

Thanks Gordon as I was getting nervous about the wrong decision and have already started ordering Madeira maps and guidebooks!We would be getting a rental car so we can be more flexible so will hope for good weather and good wine :)?

This is an excellent book for anyone interested in driving tours and levada walks in Madeira:-

http://www.amazon.com/Madeira-Landsc...+guide+madeira

Thanks Gordon!

Not sure if you consider 2011 recent, but we spent 4 nights in Madeira and loved it. Not sure if you read my trip report, but here it is.

http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...tra-lisbon.cfm

The wine is very good, and if you like fish, you will be very happy. And we were always served a shot glass of madeira on the house, whatever restaurant we went to, no matter the time.

Bookmarking.

Trying to find a place in Madeira for my family of four-checked out the above hotels but for two rooms and ten plus days it would be well over 6600 euros!!!!

So I am looking on other sites to rent a house,villa,etc. Some of the rentals are in a "village" called Palheiro Village or Ajuda or San Goncalo. Any thoughts as to what direction I should be looking in for a 12 day stay over the holidays?
Some of the pictures are showing looking at the cruise ships in the harbor-NOT! and others talk about being in a resort type setting where I cannot see us being happy.
So confused but already booking.com says that 40% of all Funchal properties are booked for that period.HELP!!!!

Anyone familiar with the area called Canico that is east of Funchal? I would really like to be as close as possible to Funchal for the fireworks on December 31st but if not can you drive to see them?

dutyfree, I posted some info from my sister on the Funchal, Madeira post. Don't know if it will help you or not.

Thanks!

Which hotels did you find at €6600 for 2 rooms/10 days? That's way off the scale. I did a very quick look at hotels.com and was able to find the same accommodation in several good 4/5-star hotels in Funchal in the range €2500 to €3500, though several places do already appear to be fully booked - as mentioned before it's a <b>very</b> popular winter destination for northern Europeans, and the longer you leave it, the more restrictive the options will be... Check out the Pestana Carlton Madeira, Quintha Perestrello, Porto Mare hotel all available and in this price range for example.

Canico is fine, just not much there apart from a few resort-type hotels, but if you had a car, it wouldn't be a problem to drive somewhere to se the New Year fireworks in Funchal Bay. Palheiro Village is a golf resort type place - again OK if you have a car but not convenient for where the main shops and restaurants are.

GordonR-I was looking at a villa on tripadvisor that was advertising itself for about 3000 euros a week and with a hotel needing two rooms it was about 400-500 euros for two rooms a night. I am looking for a place that would allow those who want to get up early and those who want to stay up late the option of doing both without interfering with others. I would really like a house,condo or flat as opposed to a hotel situation where you might not even have a fridge (got to keep the wine cold :)?)
We will have a car but would like to linger over a dinner or drink in Funchal and possibly be able to walk back home? Is parking a hassle in downtown Funchal?
I cannot thank you enough for taking the time to help me plan this trip! The airfares are getting out of sight so need to put a fork in this ASAP!

OK understood. I have no personal experience of villas as we always use hotels. Parking in central Funchal is not too difficult provided you use car parks - there are several shopping centres with underground car parks, and there's an inexpensive multi-storey car park right on the edge of the Old Town (everything is easily walkable from there). The streets however are mainly narrow and busy so on-street parking is difficult: if you choose a villa in central Funchal itself, then you'd better make sure it has it's own off-road parking.