The catch at Casa Velha do Palheiro

Rua da Estalagem 23 is on the hillside about 4 km east of Funchal's centre and about 500 metres above the sea. The Sé is 5.8 km away on foot, about 70 minutes, and the route home climbs most of that height again. By car it is 18 minutes off-peak, with the cable car's base station in the Zona Velha at 15 and the Mercado dos Lavradores at 16. The nearest town bus stop, Quinta Palheiro Blandy, is a 13-minute walk from the door. The estate is lovely, but getting to the city in the evening takes planning.

The height that gives the estate its quiet and its pine air also takes the edge off the warmth. Ten years of Open-Meteo data put the average January afternoon at about 16°C at the hotel against about 19°C at the Sé, and the gap is the same in summer, about 24°C against 27°C in August. That is a pleasant difference in July and a noticeable one at breakfast in the garden in February, and evenings on the terrace call for a layer from autumn to spring. The indoor pool in the spa is heated to 27 to 30°C, so a swim does not depend on the weather.

This is a garden hotel, not a beach hotel, and Madeira has few sandy beaches near Funchal anyway. The swimming at home is the tiled outdoor pool on the lawn, 17 by 8 metres, with loungers and a bar, and the indoor spa pool with three Jacuzzi beds. The nearest sea bathing is the Barreirinha lido at the edge of the Zona Velha, 14 minutes away by car. Anyone who pictures a morning swim in the Atlantic before breakfast will need the car or a taxi every time.

The romance is in the 1804 house, but its seven Double Main House rooms run from 12 to 23 m², with a double bed, a shower only and no room for an extra bed. Some have a small balcony, and they were renovated in 2022. For the night of Tuesday 8 June 2027 a Double Main House room cost €398, against €318 for a 28 m² Double Garden Wing room with a walk-in shower, renovated in 2023, and €409 for a 32 m² Double Golf Wing room with a bath and a separate shower. Size within the category is not guaranteed, so two couples on the same rate can get very different rooms.

The estate has three places to eat, but they keep different hours. The Casa de Chá in the gardens is open from 10am to 5pm, and Vista Balancal at the golf clubhouse serves from noon to 8pm, last orders 7.45pm. After that, Oxalis is the only table on the estate: dinner daily from 7pm to 10pm, with a smart casual dress code that rules out sportswear, flip-flops and hiking gear. It is a good restaurant, listed by the MICHELIN Guide, but on a week's stay it is also the only one, unless you go down into Funchal.