Hotel Monte Mar Palace, Funchal

Advantages: Good rooms, helpful staff, free bus into town
Disadvantages: Its a bus ride from town.

...for the taxi and bought the pics because it didnt add a lot to the total and it was a memorable if slightly cheesy experience. The trip to the gardens is in a cable car not far from where the hotel bus stops in Funchal. Afternoon tea at Reid's Palace Hotel is not to be missed and I have reviewed this experience elsewhere. In town are markets and plenty of small restaurants to explore. The local specialities are Scabbard fish, which is really ugly - we saw some in the market - they look like wet black leather sword scabbards with big teeth and bulging eyes. On your plate though they look and taste fine. Limpets are a local treat which we tried but werent to our taste. One thing that you must try are the huge beef kebabs that they serve on 3 foot long skewers which hang from the ceiling in some places or shorter ones on table top holders... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Plants and birds in a semi-tropical environment
Disadvantages: A little steep, some paths uneven

...trees and shrubs to the far western side of the garden. Here there were numerous examples of pines, palms and bizarrely a 'sausage tree', an ordinary looking tree very similar to a Birch with long fine branches, but no visible 'fruit'. Further on there were bunches of Aloe Vera plants underneath the tree canopies with names carved into them by random visitors. At the end of the path there was a viewpoint area that looked across the northern part of Funchal. From here we could see the cable car ride or 'Telefericos da Madeira' to Monte and we could see Monte's famous church. We could even see the 'Monte Palace Tropical Garden' which we had visited a week earlier. At the viewpoint we were also aware of another point higher up so we went up to investigate. It was a bit of a climb, but it was sheltered by numerous palm trees and soon we were up... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Able to get it last minute, nice surrounding area
Disadvantages: Food, Staff, Price, Other guests, the room....... everything else

...It was pure chance that we stayed at the Paradis Park Hotel in Pineda De Mar. Whilst looking for a cheap and cheerful last minute deal to get some sun I spotted a package to the Calella Palace Hotel through Teletext holidays online. After a bit of research the decision was made to book it, however, the dates we wanted weren't available. We were offered an allocation on arrival for the same price, or for an extra £45 each we could have an alternative named hotel of the same rating. Being unadventurous I opted for the latter and was given the choice of the Alexis Hotel (I had previously read reviews all of which were bad) and the Paradis Park Hotel. I accepted the Paradis Park (as recommended by Sun4U Limtied, the tour operator) and after it had all been booked up we discovered that the Paradis Park was a 3 star, whereas the Calella... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful