Advantages: Fantastic in every way Disadvantages: None as far as I'm concerned
Having visited Madeira twice now, and experienced different hotels and different sightseeing each time, I thought it would be a good time to write up our experiences of the island- which I have to say are entirely positive. I would go as far as to say that it's probably the best holiday destination we've been to yet- although with a few long distance trips planned, who knows if that will remain the case. All I can say is that Madeira will be a hard place to beat- and this tale of two trips will hopefully explain why.
For those who aren't aware or only vaguely aware, Madeira is one of the Portuguese territories in the mid-Atlantic. It's actually closer to Morocco and Western Sahara than it is to Portugal, and so the flights do take several hours to get there.
Considering its location, Madeira doesn't tend to get uncomfortably hot ...
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.
INTRODUCTION
The Riu Palace in Madeira sits like a white-washed fairytale castle with terracotta turrets, corner towers and grand archways looking out over the sapphire-blue sea. The grounds house brightly coloured flowers and palm trees making you believe you are on a Caribbean island far away.
The Riu Palace is located right on the seafront at Canico de Baixo, only 10 minutes drive from Funchal Airport and 20 minutes drive to the city of Funchal. On arrival at the airport everything ran smoothly and quickly apart from me not recognising my own suitcase!!! We were driven to the hotel in a small mini bus with 5 other people and half an hour later we were sunbathing by the pool. Now that's what I call service.
CHECK IN
From the moment you check in at the impressive, grand reception area with its polished marble flooring, elegant ...
Advantages: Beautiful picturesque island, not too hot in summer Disadvantages: Hilly, poor restaurants, no sandy beaches
of an older design, for example 'The Carlton'. It is a large block concrete about four storeys high near from where we stayed, it looked ugly from the outside, but apparently it is a good hotel to stay in with a five star rating. We stayed in a smaller modern hotel called 'Quinta de Casa Branca' which is also reviewed here on Ciao, it was a great hotel to stay in.
Apartments in Madeira seemed few and far between, which is why we stayed at the QCB. I felt that generally the hotels in Madeira seemed to be well built and maintained. One thing you should try and make sure your hotel has is a decent swimming pool. The hotels along the front have the biggest and best pools, whilst our hotel had a good pool for the guests. A hotel with out a pool is not a problem if you are within a few minutes walk of the 'Lido' as this gives you good access to ...
In the Hotel Savoy, Av. do Infante 9004-542, Funchal
Telephone
291 21 30 00
Manufacturer's product description
Its most devoted admirers claim that this restaurant serves the finest food on Madeira. We rank it near the top. It's certainly scenic, with a panoramic view of the twinkling lights of Funchal. You can observe the activity in an open-grill kitchen. Reservations are important, and even with them you sometimes have a long wait. Meals are likely to include such well-prepared dishes as fresh lobster with mushrooms, shrimp in Pernod sauce, flavorful steak in peppercorn sauce, and veal medallions flavored with Calvados.
