Into the Atlantic, with or without children. Sentido Galomar, from about €220 room only, if you want an adults-only building at Caniço de Baixo, a clifftop seawater pool, sea-view saunas and a lift down to steps into the Garajau marine reserve; The Cliff Bay, from about €385 with breakfast, if you would rather bring children, swim off the jetty ladders and have the Sé ten minutes' drive away.
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
The viewA five-star resort on its own promontory in Funchal, with the bay in view from the Bay View balconies and a saltwater pool at the edge of the Atlantic.
€€€From about €385 a night
Choose The Cliff Bay if
The catch
Not in the centre: the Sé is a 33-minute walk along a busy road, uphill on the way back, or a bus or taxi
| Best for | Sentido Galomar | The Cliff Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Best beach hotels in Madeira | On the list | On the list |
| Best spa hotels in Madeira | On the list | On the list |
| Best value hotels in Madeira | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best quiet hotels in Madeira | On the list | Not on the list |
| Best hotels with a view in Madeira | Not on the list | On the list |
Sentido GalomarThe Cliff Bay
Sentido Galomar
The Cliff Bay
The verdict
Into the Atlantic, with or without children. Sentido Galomar, from about €220 room only, if you want an adults-only building at Caniço de Baixo, a clifftop seawater pool, sea-view saunas and a lift down to steps into the Garajau marine reserve; The Cliff Bay, from about €385 with breakfast, if you would rather bring children, swim off the jetty ladders and have the Sé ten minutes' drive away.
Hand-picked: only the best, one version of each, researched so you don’t have to.
The east, in comfortFrom €38.704.7(3,900)
The food and wineFrom €954.8(550)
The west, by jeepFrom €695(650)
Whales, on a big catamaranFrom €354.6(7,900)
Questions people ask
Into the Atlantic, with or without children. Sentido Galomar, from about €220 room only, if you want an adults-only building at Caniço de Baixo, a clifftop seawater pool, sea-view saunas and a lift down to steps into the Garajau marine reserve; The Cliff Bay, from about €385 with breakfast, if you would rather bring children, swim off the jetty ladders and have the Sé ten minutes' drive away.
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.
The Funchal hotel for swimming in the Atlantic below the garden and looking at the bay from the balcony. Check availability for a Funchal Bay View room, and whether Il Gallo d'Oro has reopened for your dates. A large, polished, classic resort where the day is spent between the sea ladder, the saltwater pool and the spa, and a sea-facing balcony looks over the Atlantic or Funchal Bay. Funchal is a bus ride or a long walk away rather than on the doorstep.
It has indoor and outdoor pools. There is no beach; the nearest is a drive away.