Small hotels with a story. Casa Velha do Palheiro, from about €320, if you want a restored 1804 hunting lodge beside the Palheiro Gardens and golf; Estalagem da Ponta do Sol, from about €225, if you would rather have an old quinta with monochrome wings and a clifftop infinity pool.
The hideawayA restored 1804 hunting lodge on a 150-hectare estate above Funchal, with gardens, golf and a MICHELIN-listed dinner at the door.
€€€From about €320 a night
Choose Casa Velha do Palheiro if
The catch
Funchal is a taxi ride, not a walk: the Sé is 18 minutes by car off-peak but about 70 minutes on foot, much of it steep
The design oneA minimalist black-and-white design hotel built around an old quinta on the cliff above Ponta do Sol, with an infinity pool on the clifftop facing the sea.
€€From about €225 a night
Choose Estalagem da Ponta do Sol if
The catch
The hotel is layered down a cliff: reaching a room can take a lift, a footbridge and several flights of steps, which is hard work with limited mobility or heavy luggage
| Best for | Casa Velha do Palheiro | Estalagem da Ponta do Sol |
|---|---|---|
| Best design hotels in Madeira | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best spa hotels in Madeira | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best value hotels in Madeira | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best quiet hotels in Madeira | On the list | On the list |
| Best hotels with a view in Madeira | Not on the list | On the list |
| Best hotels for food and drink in Madeira | On the list | Not on the list |
Casa Velha do PalheiroEstalagem da Ponta do Sol
Casa Velha do Palheiro
Estalagem da Ponta do Sol
The verdict
Small hotels with a story. Casa Velha do Palheiro, from about €320, if you want a restored 1804 hunting lodge beside the Palheiro Gardens and golf; Estalagem da Ponta do Sol, from about €225, if you would rather have an old quinta with monochrome wings and a clifftop infinity pool.
Hand-picked: only the best, one version of each, researched so you don’t have to.
The west, by jeepFrom €695(650)
Whales, on a big catamaranFrom €354.6(7,900)
The sunset sailFrom €504.8(2,600)
The tall shipFrom €454.6(2,300)
Questions people ask
Small hotels with a story. Casa Velha do Palheiro, from about €320, if you want a restored 1804 hunting lodge beside the Palheiro Gardens and golf; Estalagem da Ponta do Sol, from about €225, if you would rather have an old quinta with monochrome wings and a clifftop infinity pool.
A historic quinta for gardens, golf and long dinners, a taxi ride above Funchal rather than in it. Check availability for the Double Golf Wing. A small, historic country house in gardens and woodland above Funchal, where the estate, the spa and dinner are the holiday and the city is a taxi ride down. It suits slow days, golf and walks more than nights out.
It has indoor and outdoor pools. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.
The hotel to book for design and the view: an old quinta with monochrome modern wings, an infinity pool on the clifftop and the village five minutes below. Check availability for an Estalagem Double Sea View. A small, quiet design hotel where the architecture and the cliff are the point, in a village base on the far side of the island from the airport. Good value for a hotel this distinctive.
It has indoor and outdoor pools. A public beach is within walking distance.