This house is outstanding. Its attention to detail is excellent. It is extremely spacious. It has everything you could possibly want - in the kitchen, in the laundry, in the bathroom and in the living areas. There is a games room. The pool is great on a very hot day. If anything the photographs and description don't do it justice. It is, quite simply, first class. The view from the terrace is absolutely stunning. You can look over Funchal (on a Saturday night you can enjoy the fireworks in the harbour), watch the boats go by or sit and watch the sun go down in the evening. Wake up in the mornings, open the curtains and gaze at the blue Atlantic – one day we saw dolphins.
If you are reasonably fit you can walk up 101 steep steps to the main road to catch a bus into Funchal (about 10 minutes and 4 euro), walk for about 10 minutes to Zarco’s restaurant (excellent) and where there is a chemist or turn right and walk to Hotel Gardens for a drink/meal. However, to stay here for any length of time you probably need a car, although we were there for a week without one but never ventured further than Funchal. A taxi back from Funchal is about 8 euro. There are no shops in the vicinity.
However, and we cannot emphasise this enough, the greatest advantage of this property is its owners. Patricia and Fernando could not have been more courteous, more helpful or more determined for us to enjoy our stay on this island. They can be contacted at any time and will help with anything. If you are ok with staying outside of the capital and away from it – then don’t bother looking at anything else, stay here.