Estalagem da Ponta do Sol

Estalagem da Ponta do Sol stands on the clifftop above Ponta do Sol, a village of red roofs and banana terraces on Madeira's south-west coast whose name means "point of the sun". It began as an old quinta, a farm estate, and the renovation kept the original buildings and joined them to new ones in a plain contemporary style, designed by the architect Tiago Oliveira with interiors by Carvalho Araújo. The result steps down the rock in thick stone walls, with a footbridge and a lift linking it to the village street below. For years the hotel was a partner of MadeiraDig, the winter festival of experimental music held in Ponta do Sol, and programmed and hosted its after-parties until the final edition in 2024.

There are 54 rooms, each with a balcony or terrace, sold as two doubles: Garden View, which looks over the lawns, the village and the banana-planted hills, and Sea View, which looks out over the Atlantic. Inside they are the same room. Walls are white, floors are black stone with grey rugs, the furniture is light wood and the photographs are black and white, so the colour comes in through big panoramic windows. The bedroom is 18 m², with a bathroom and a balcony beyond. Each has air conditioning, a mini fridge, a coffee and tea tray and a safe, and rates are bed and breakfast.

The design is the reason to book. Flat surfaces and sharp angles throw hard shadows across the grounds, wind walls frame the views, and the monochrome rooms keep the eye on the cliff and the sea. The outdoor infinity pool sits on a sun deck on the clifftop, its edge running out to the sea and the south coast, and there is an indoor pool, a panoramic jacuzzi, a sauna, a steam bath and a gym, all free for guests; massages, the hydro-massage bath, yoga and qi gong cost extra. The glass-walled restaurant serves Mediterranean, vegetarian and Madeiran dishes over the village, the lounge bar has two fireplaces and a terrace for the sunset, and the Kabo bar by the pool has a 180-degree view of the sea.

The trade is the cliff itself. Reaching a room can mean a lift, a footbridge and several flights of steps, the car park is small, and Funchal is a 28-minute drive. In return the village is five minutes away on foot, by the lift, with its pebble beach and seafront cafés. Book it for the design and the quiet of the west coast, and take a Sea View room.