Madeira Local Information
The Island of Madeira lies 621 miles south-west of Lisbon and 497 miles west of Casablanca and the coast of Africa. It is one and a half hours by aeroplane from Lisbon and the flying time from London is just over three hours. Its delightful temperate climate varies from around 25° c in summer to a very pleasant 16°c in winter.
Palheiro Estate is located just 20 minutes by car from Madeira’s International Airport. A new network of motorways ensures a quick, easy journey and an ideal opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery as you approach the destination high above Funchal city.
The Estate enjoys an unrivalled hillside location to the east of Funchal, capital of Madeira Island. Far enough and high enough away to give stunning views over the city and harbour, it is less than fifteen minutes by car to the city centre, a colourful mix of historic buildings and modern shopping.
Surrounding Area:
Funchal Madeira's almost five-century-old capital is said to have been named 'Funchal' because of the abundance of fennel (funcho) that was growing there. Funchal is located in an absolutely unique area. The amphitheatre of Funchal city begins at the harbour and rises almost 1200m high on gentle slopes. This provides a natural shelter and was what once attracted the first settlers. The best harbour and the best climate combined with an excellent geographical position allowed Funchal to have a rapid population growth.
Today Funchal is a very modern city with over 104.000 inhabitants. This does however mean that traffic congestion in the centre can become sometimes quite confusing. The city can easily be explored by foot and no matter where your hotel is located (as long as it is in the Funchal tourist area) you will find no difficulty in walking into the city centre to delight at its sights and sounds. Probably the most central point is the ‘Sé’ Cathedral. Built between 1493 and 1514 by Gil Eanes it represents one of Madeira's numerous treasures.
Camacha, is a beautiful small village a few kilometres in the hills east of Funchal. It is famous for its ‘Apple Festival’ and its very active folklore dance groups. Camacha is also called ‘the village of basket makers’ which is actually not doing it any justice as it is much more than that ... it represents the centre of Madeira’s willow craft industry! Nowadays they make furniture, hats, ornaments, kitchen utensils, wine holders and of course... baskets of all sizes and shapes. All in all over 1000 different articles are on exhibition, which is an absolute 'must see' for every tourist! Many also consider the Camacha village the ‘Madeira Island Capital of Culture’. In fact, if you look around, you will find very talented people and lots of cultural, social and entertainment events. One of the best examples is one of the local folklore groups, which is one of the most famous Portuguese folklore groups known throughout the world.
Câmara de Lobos was the traditional fishing village, situated five kilometres from Funchal, which inspired the late Sir Winston Churchill to paint its lovely surroundings. The village was given its name by the explorers João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira because of the shape of its bay and the many sea lions (‘lobos’) living there at the time. Câmara de Lobos, apart from its wonderful bay, has several points of interest such as Pico da Torre, Curral das Freiras, Boca dos Namorados, Boca da Corrida and Cabo Girão.
Cabo Girão is further along the road from Funchal through Câmara de Lobos and up into the mountains. This is the second highest cliff face in the world. Standing at the iron railings of the viewpoint is quite a breathtaking adventure. The view is incredible and certainly more enjoyable once you retreat from the cliffs edge.
Machico, from the historic point of view, is probably the most interesting town on the island as it was the landing point of the discoverers of Madeira. This peculiar corner of the island boasts the oldest church, the 'Capela dos Milagres', and two forts still bear witness of the locals’ defence against the many pirate attacks on the village. Machico has a wonderful beach and good facilities for both swimming and sunbathing. This tranquil town boasts some excellent guesthouses and restaurants and is a good starting point for a number of nice ‘levada’ walks.
Levada Walks are often the best way to experience the wondrous and thrilling landscapes of Madeira. The courses laid out for walks are breathtaking, winding along trails and paths through the majestic peaks and deep gorges of the island, or along the rugged coastline of the island. Many walks follow the “levadas”, small water courses built by man for irrigation purposes, veritable “veins” which criss-cross the island in all directions. They run along the contours of the island transporting water from the north side to the south side and providing the ideal way to see the very different landscapes and types of flora and fauna to be found on the island. The walking is easy, if a little vertiginous. In fact, many a love affair with Madeira has started with the discovery of the levadas.
It has been said on many occasions that Madeira offers some of the finest fishing grounds for Atlantic Blue Marlin. Fish close to and in excess of 1,000lbs are caught here more than anywhere else in the world. Although you may not see the same numbers of marlin compared to other locations, the fish of your dreams is waiting for you just for you between May and October each year. Big Eye and Bluefin Tuna are also regularly caught with the average weight for Big Eye being around 100lbs. Wahoo up to 90lbs are not uncommon and make excellent sport on light tackle.