The Details
Madeira’s eastern seaboard is a tangle of jagged river valleys, dense cedar forests and imposing sea cliffs. Where the islanders have managed to tame the land over the last 600 years, you’ll see villages surrounded by terraces of sugar cane and bananas, stretching from the valley floor up to the highest ravines. The island’s modern road network makes it easy to explore by car – the busy capital Funchal, the Parque Natural do Ribeiro Frio, and the rugged sea cliffs of the north coast are all a short drive away.
Your home for the week is the cliff-top Quinta do Furao – one of Madeira’s most-popular hotels, thanks to its peaceful rural location and sweeping ocean views. The quinta is also a great base from which to walk Madeira’s best hiking trails – from the Caldeira Verde trail in the Queimadas forest to the beautifully-barren Ponta Sao Lourenco peninsula.
