Made in Madeira

My second trip to Madeira was even better than the first! The first time, I stayed at my great-grandfather’s house, which is now a hotel in Funchal called Quinta Da Casa Blanca. This time, I got to show the house to my brother and his family, but we stayed in different parts of the island. On this trip, I also found out my Granny was “made in Madeira” and born in Madeira.

Our first night we stayed in a village near the airport called Santa Cruz so that we could have a feeling of different parts of the island. My brother booked Vila Gale, an upmarket hotel right on the ocean. I stayed next door at Hotel Solar De Bon Jesus which was a lot cheaper at £50 a night, but still very nice.

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My daughter and I enjoyed the Vila Gale swimming pool and bar and restaurant with my brother and his family. It has two perfect slides in a kiddy pool and other facility’s including an indoor children’s play area and an outdoor trampoline. Meters away from the pool is a walk way into the ocean where children and adults can jump into the ocean for a dip anytime. While the kids frolicked, the adults enjoyed the pool and the poncho cocktails, a local drink from made with special alcohol from the island.

The first day we were enjoying the facilities of Vila Gale so much that we didn’t leave all day. The complimentary tasting of fine wines from the island, hosted by the hotel was an extra cherry on top!

About five minutes walk from Vale Gale is the Aquaparque Madeira water park. This costs €20 per adult and €15 per child but is well worth it for a days entertainment as it offers water slides for all ages. There are also parrots, snacks for sale and other forms of entertainment there to be enjoyed.

It was hard to leave Vila Gale after only a couple of days as the hotel is so perfect, and I would suggest staying the whole week if you can. The hotel offers an all inclusive package which is great if you want to relax. Another bonus is that Vila Gale offers a free shuttle into Funchal daily which you can book the night before. Funchal is half an hour away and costs around €35 in a cab from the airport (which is next to Santa Cruz). It is where most of the city activities are happening so having the shuttle is another reason to stay at Vila Gale.

After our stay in Santa Cruz, we moved to Funchal to the Dorisol Mimosa Hotel. This is a very central hotel which is reasonably priced at £85 a night. The rooms are modest and without air conditioning. However, there’s a nice breeze even in August at night, and for me, the lack of air con wasn’t a problem.

Every night, the hotel has entertainment by the pool, which is a fantastic way to relax at the end of a busy day out. We tended to eat at Roma Restaurant directly opposite the hotel. It was only €11.90 for three courses of decent food, and the staff are very nice too.

After indulging ourselves, we would then make it back for the daily show at the hotel at 8pm. Every night, the hotel hosts a different show, from classical guitar to salsa dancers, with the most popular being the traditional Portuguese dancers who interact with the audience, thrilling the kids.

On our first day, we visited the main tourist sites in Funchal, which include Blandys wine tasting and tour, the inner harbour, and the tourist shops. We had dinner at the Ritz. I wandered further to find a Pingo Doce supermarket for some reasonably priced sunscreen, as pharmacies charge a ridiculous amount. We crossed the town to get there but I was pleased to see charming squares surrounded by restaurants and beautiful river canals along the way. The town is certainly not just the main square!

The next day, we did a Best of the West Tour with Lido travels. I was thankful they waited for us, as getting two young kids up early and down to the bus stop was challenging. On this tour, our highlight was the Cabo Gérau Sky walk and the Porto Moniz rock pools. The vistas we stopped at along the way in Serra D’Agua valley were truly stunning.

The day after our tour, we headed out to the Monte Palace by taking bus number 24 directly from town to the palace. On the way, we passed a local festival and enjoyed Brisa, a local sparkling passion fruit drink. The palace gardens cost €15 per person to enter and are stunning, featuring a number of statues, an indoor museum, coffee shops, and even a little train to take you up and down the slopes. This is a big hit with the kids, and is worth the €5 per person, especially if you don’t want to walk back up the hill to the entrance. At the end of the palace tour, there is a cable car directly opposite which runs up and down the mountain to the old town. At €12 a person, I thought it was a bit overpriced for the short journey, but the kids went free, so we weren’t totally bankrupted by the outing.

At the bottom, there are many nice restaurants and bars, creating a charming old town vibe. An old fortress has been converted into a museum and restaurant, which has a very enticing restaurant area. There’s a seafront walk and play area for kids near the waterfront, with a taxi stand right next to it.

Uber is no longer on the island; only normal taxis with meters are available. The prices are reasonable and the drivers are friendly, unlike in many cities.

On our fourth day in Funchal, we took the “Best of the East” tour with Lido tours, and again we let them down time-wise. They kindly came back for us after picking up other guests, which was greatly appreciated. Our tour guide encouraged us to try the local banana beer and a “Cortada”. I loved the banana beer, but the Cortada is a mix of Madeira wine and coffee that I found quite unpleasant. For those who enjoy pork, there was also a traditional dish of pork and bread at the restaurant stop.

A highlight of the tour was visiting the old thatched, triangle-shaped houses in the village of Santana. The kids pretended it was theirs to live in and jumped all over the beds. After that, we had time to wander the streets and have lunch. There is a talking parrot at the main restaurant stop on the tour in Santana that does cat meows—you don’t find that too often!

Another highlight was reaching the top of the mountain of Poco do Arieiro. The vistas were amazing. Sadly, this stop was only half an hour long due to a shortage of official parking. The government should address this issue as it is a wonderful spot to take in the sights and have a snack.

At the end of our week in Madeira, none of us wanted to leave. I know I will return to Madeira again, with its pleasant weather and friendly people. It is a safe and beautiful destination, so how can one not want to go back?

FAQ’s for Family Travel to Madeira

Check out:
Tracing my family history in Madeira
Madeira Family Holiday Guide
Amazing Azores
Weather in Portugal – best times to visit