Casa Velha do Palheiro, a Relais & Chateaux Hotel

Casa Velha do Palheiro, a Relais & Chateaux Hotel

Four kilometres above Funchal, the road climbs past hydrangea hedges into a 150-hectare estate the Blandy family has farmed and shaped since 1885, and Casa Velha do Palheiro sits at the centre of it, a country house with 38 rooms across two floors rather than a hotel built to look like one. Entrance to the adjoining Palheiro Gardens is included in every rate, as is a daily courtesy bus down into town and out to the estate's own golf course, which is the thing that sets this place apart from Madeira's coastal resorts: a full round, tennis, table tennis, croquet and badminton are all folded into the stay rather than sold back to you. The spa runs an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and massage room, with a separate outdoor pool for anyone who wants sun instead of steam. Two kitchens carry the weight, Vista Balancal for a southern European table and Oxalis for a lighter, produce-led menu, with a café and bar filling the gaps between. Rooms lean traditional, air conditioning, minibar, safe and bathrobes throughout, with hot tubs and larger suites in the higher categories. A library, a waymarked nature trail to the golf clubhouse, cycling routes and a playground round out days that don't require leaving the grounds at all. Pets travel with a modest deposit and fee, and the property is wheelchair accessible with meeting space for smaller events and weddings. This suits a traveller who wants Madeira's scenery without Madeira's crowds and is happy to be four kilometres from the nightlife. Anyone wanting to walk to a beach bar after dinner should look closer to the marina. A 150-hectare Blandy family estate above Funchal with a golf course, gardens and spa built into the room rate rather than added to it. Country house calm, five kilometres of green between you and the city.