Madeira has so much more to offer than you imagined! 

Only 32 miles long and 12 miles wide this incredibly beautiful sub-tropical island rises to almost 6000 feet at its highest point.

Many of our luxury hotels are in or around Funchal, others are in Choupana, Palhiero, Monte, Canico and one in on the beach at Vila de Calheta.

Famous for its friendly people, its natural beauty and its mild climate Madeira is an ideal destination to visit at any time of the year and only 3½ hours from London.

Lush green unspoiled countryside, terraced farms and vineyards vie with spectacular mountains, pine forests, waterfalls and craggy cliffs.  The sea is welcoming and hosts many water sport activities.

Flora in abundance, Orchids, hydrangeas, hibiscus hedges, no wonder Madeira in called the Floating Garden. 

The countryside is worth exploring from mountains to valleys, cliffs and caves – there are some excellent guided excursions but many of our guests use Moses, one of our drivers who tailor makes a tour to suit your needs.

Dining out in Madeira

In the evenings life continues apace. There are hundreds of restaurants from the first class to the family business where service excels. Lots of island dishes, in particular the fresh Atlantic fish, are delicious, do sample the ‘espetada’ – beef cooked over a fire of laurel and served on a skewer. There is a selection of night clubs and discos and a casino. On the what to do in Madeira page we list some restaurants that many of our clients have enjoyed.

Getting around Madeira

Interesting modes of transport – in addition to the norm of taxis, buses, shank’s pony there are a couple of other much more exciting ways to see parts of Madeira.

The first is the “Monte sledge” made of basketwork. The sledge rides begin in Monte and end down in Funchal. They are powered by the feet of the two carreiros, or sledge drivers, helped by the steep slope, and it’s a pure adrenaline experience. It’s an unmissable experience, though not for the faint-hearted.

It’s the ideal way to get down after going up to Monte by cable car. This cable car will take you from the old part of Funchal to Monte in around 15 minutes. Enjoy a spectacular view of Funchal Bay and  the valleys from one of the 39 seven-seat cars. Opening hours 9.30am  to 5.45pm.

There is an additional cable car from the Botanical Gardens to Monte – again a great way to see some of the country side.

Car hire - A hired car gives you so much freedom and adds an extra dimension to any holiday, but particularly in Madeira as some of the greatest pleasures are to be found in the countryside. We would be delighted to quote you prices, including baby seats and roof racks if required.

Local best buys - Embroidery, tapestry, Madeira wines, wickerwork, shoes, leather goods, flowers.

What's on in Madeira

There are various events held in Madeira each month and a list is a shown on our “What's on in Madeira” page see link above.  We will update this list as new events are announced.

What to do in Madeira - below are some headlines

Walking and hiking - There are 600 miles of walks, many along the Levadas - walking shoes would definitely prove useful. 

Gardens - As one would expect of an island referred to as the Floating Garden of the Atlantic, Madeira has many exotic gardens that can be visited.

Museums and Architectural Interest – over 23 museums and many buildings of interest.

Water sports - Water sports abound, with scuba diving, deep sea fishing and sailing (dinghies) windsurfing, waterskiing, canoeing and more. 

Madeira Wine – there are many wineries that you can visit and taste the surprising range of Madeira wines and of course there is the wine festival each year.  This year it is from 31 Aug to 2 September.

Golf – The mild climate makes Madeira ideal for golf.  With two fabulous championship courses.

Spas – a luxury holiday today would not be complete without a Spa treatment!

More detail on these and other activities on Madeira are shown on our What to do page above.

Why not enjoy the World Record (Guinness Book of Records) breaking fireworks display over Funchal at New Year?

Take advantage of us!

Or at least of our personal experience of these islands! We can advise you on hotels, fly/drive, eating out, sports, walking, night-life, we have the answers to most questions and can find the ones we don’t have.

Fly drive we do know the island well and offer an a la carte Madeira – this can be a fly-drive staying in delightful rural properties in different locations or perhaps a combination of countryside and Funchal.  Our dedicated experienced team would be happy to create a unique holiday for you.

Prestige Plus - added extras as standard for all our clients visiting Madeira

Fruit and mineral water or wine in rooms on arrival
Travel guide to Madeira 
A half bottle of excellent Madeira especially bottled for Prestige
Individual taxi transfers from the airport to your hotel.  Our guests are usually enjoying their first cocktail while others are still waiting on a coach at the airport.

Flights from your chosen local airport.