Porto Bay Serra Golf
There’s something very appealing about the setting for the PortoBay Serra Golf. The busy city of Funchal is just a stone’s throw away, and yet the high Santo da Serra plateau feels like a different world: a vast, shaded woodland populated dark pines, old quintas and cool mists.
The hotel’s story begins in the 1920s, when a Madeiran merchant constructed the original quinta as cool summer residence, away from the heat of downtown Funchal. Of its time, the design embraced the fashionable Art Nouveau style of the period – a careful restoration preserved this wonderful detailing: decorative floral tiles, white wooden louvred shutters and the building’s distinctive fish-scale roof. The house became the fashionable Santo da Serra Tea House in the 1940s – a popular meeting place for the great and the good of Madeira’s blossoming cafe culture. The old tea house dining room survives and is now home to the hotel’s Avo Micas restaurant.
There are just twenty-one rooms in total, giving the hotel a pleasantly intimate feel. Two superior rooms and the large suite are located in the original manor house, with decor in the style of a traditional Madeiran country estate. The two-bedroom suite is particularly impressive and includes a sitting room, fireplace, kitchenette and direct access to the garden. The other eighteen rooms are in the adjoining building – they’re a little more contemporary in style and have the same view over the peaceful gardens
It’s a short walk from the hotel to the Santo da Serra Golf Course, but you don’t need to be a golfer to appreciate the setting. Levada walks, horse riding, mountain biking and Madeira’s high peaks are all close by – the indoor heated pool, sauna and spa provide a welcome place to unwind after a hard day exploring the island.
