Old Funchal or quiet Caniço de Baixo. Barceló Funchal Oldtown, from about €225 with breakfast, if you want the Sé two minutes away and a rooftop pool; Sentido Galomar, from about €220 room only, if you would rather have adults only and a lift down to the sea.
The insider oneA new five-star behind six old façades by the Sé, opened in 2023, with a rooftop pool and old Funchal on foot.
€€From about €225 a night
Choose Barceló Funchal Oldtown if
The catch
A small, shallow rooftop pool, about 10 by 6 metres, where loungers run short on busy days
The adults-only oneThe adults-only building of a clifftop resort at Caniço de Baixo, with a seawater pool, sea-view saunas and a lift down to the sea.
€€From about €220 a night
Choose Sentido Galomar if
The catch
Half-board dinner is a buffet at the Ondamar restaurant in Sentido Galosol, the resort's other hotel, which takes children
| Best for | Barceló Funchal Oldtown | Sentido Galomar |
|---|---|---|
| Best beach hotels in Madeira | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best spa hotels in Madeira | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best value hotels in Madeira | On the list | On the list |
| Best central hotels in Madeira | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best quiet hotels in Madeira | Not on the list | On the list |
Barceló Funchal OldtownSentido Galomar
Barceló Funchal Oldtown
Sentido Galomar
The verdict
Old Funchal or quiet Caniço de Baixo. Barceló Funchal Oldtown, from about €225 with breakfast, if you want the Sé two minutes away and a rooftop pool; Sentido Galomar, from about €220 room only, if you would rather have adults only and a lift down to the sea.
Hand-picked: only the best, one version of each, researched so you don’t have to.
The food and wineFrom €954.8(550)
The west, by jeepFrom €695(650)
Whales, on a big catamaranFrom €354.6(7,900)
The sunset sailFrom €504.8(2,600)
Questions people ask
Old Funchal or quiet Caniço de Baixo. Barceló Funchal Oldtown, from about €225 with breakfast, if you want the Sé two minutes away and a rooftop pool; Sentido Galomar, from about €220 room only, if you would rather have adults only and a lift down to the sea.
Old Funchal on the doorstep and a pool on the roof, from about €225 a night with breakfast. Check availability for the Junior Suite. A polished five-star behind a row of old town façades, built for walking out of the door into old Funchal. The roof pool is a place to cool off, not the point of the stay.
It has a rooftop pool. A public beach is within walking distance.
A clifftop adults-only building with a seawater pool, sea-view saunas and the Atlantic at the foot of the lift, for couples happy to share dinner and the lido with the family side of the resort. Check availability for the Double Room Sea View Balcony. A quiet, modern adults-only building on a cliff, where the seawater pool, the saunas and the sea below are the point. Funchal is a short drive away, and dinner and the lido are shared with the family side of the resort.
It has indoor and outdoor pools. A public beach is within walking distance.