incl. Breakfast - HRS Rating: 7,33/10 - ALL ROOMS HAVE SEAVIEW, TWIN OR DOUBLE BEDS, ... more
PRIVATE BATHROOM WITH TUB AND SHOWER, TV, DIRECT-DIAL PHONE, HAIRDRYER, SAFEBOX FOR HIRE, WICKER CHAIRS AND TABLE. LOCATED NEARBY ON THE NORTH COAST OF MADEIRA ISLAND....
This 4-star hotel, which is situated near the village of São Vicente, is an agreeable ... more
alternative to the city. Its location on the north coast of the island of Madeira is 40km away from the capital city Funchal and 50km from the international airport. ...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Estalagem Do Mar lies in a tranquil location between mountains and the sea, 300 metres ... more
from the beach and 800 metres from Sao Vicente. The 91 guestrooms are decorated with prints and dark wood fittings, and open onto balconies or terraces with seav...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
The Estalagem Do Mar lies in a tranquil location between mountains and the sea, 300 metres ... more
from the beach and 800 metres from Sao Vicente. The 91 guestrooms are decorated with prints and dark wood fittings, and open onto balconies or terraces with sea ...
Information:
Price is per double room per night and may vary depending on date booked...
Advantages: Fantastic in every way Disadvantages: None as far as I'm concerned
- there is a small local restaurant called Restaurante doMar (simply the Restaurant by the sea) which offers simple but tasty local food at very cheap prices.
And wherever you go here, you can get orange juice which is ACTUALLY FRESH- not this "fresh" juice peddled by supermarkets, which has actually been generated in a factory somewhere and then driven hundreds of miles in a lorry. And proper fresh orange juice is fantastic.
The whole eating and drinking experience of Madeira just served to remind us what filth we are forever being served up in the UK.
My only word of warning would be that when you venture into the Old Town area in the east of Funchal, there are a cluster of tourist-oriented restaurants where you WILL be approached by waietsr desperate to grab some new customers. You don't even need to pause your walking by for them ...
bagoproverbial 05.10.2007 (29.09.2007)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Madeira (Portugal)
Advantages: A fantastic holiday experience Disadvantages: Location, in particular for those with mobility problems although the hotel is disability friendly.
on the sun cream. If it is too hot outside then take a dip in the luxurious indoor pool again with views over the sea.
There is also a small complimentary gym, which I cannot really comment on do plenty of that at home. The sauna which is also complimentary is an experience we will never forget!!! Madeira is a fantastic island for all ages, however it does seem very popular with the more mature age group!!! I was happily sitting in the sauna, minding my own business wearing my tankini when in walked Eight Naked German Men with an average age of 80, two of them started doing leg raises whilst lying down it was not a pretty sight and I felt trapped for at least 20 minutes. This was a common occurrence apparently amongst the elderly German Culture. You could spot the Brits very easily in the sauna as we kept our bits n pieces covered up!!
There ...
Advantages: Beautiful picturesque island, not too hot in summer Disadvantages: Hilly, poor restaurants, no sandy beaches
the sea.
~Getting out and about~
On foot- As Madeira is on a large granite mass sat out in the Atlantic it has very steep cliffs and gradients. Just walking around Funchal requires good legs for hill climbing and negotiating large numbers of steps. After two weeks my calf muscles were like iron and my thighs were getting a great workout too. Fortunately for those less able there are other options which are available.
By Car- We didn't hire a car as I have been to Portugal before and thought all the local drivers wanted to die. Their driving is fast, overtaking is hazardous and generally I didn't want to be a part of it. As Madeira is a small island you should not need a car if you stay in Funchal as the public transport is so good. If you do hire a car you should not need it for more than a week.
By Taxi- Taxi's in Funchal are ...
