Top 10 Madeira (Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides)

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Left Dolphin-watching yacht, Funchal Right Botanical Gardens, Funchal
Specialist Holidays
! Fly/Drive
You can experience
Madeira to the full by
using rural hotels as
bases for walks and
tours. The leading operators
are Style Holidays
and Caravela Tours in the
UK; and Abreu Tours and
Portugal Online in the
US. d www.style-holidays.
co.uk • www.caravela.co.uk
• www.abreu-tours.com •
www.portugal.com
@ Walking
Booking yourself on
an organized walking tour
means that everything is
done for you, including
ferrying your luggage
around – all you have to
do is enjoy the scenery.
d www.headwater.com •
www.exodus.co.uk • www.
discoverytravel.co.uk •
www.hfholidays.co.uk •
www.ramblersholidays.co.uk
£ Parks and Gardens
The advantage of a
specialist holiday is that
you get to see some of
Madeira’s private gardens
– rich depositories of rare
plants – as well as visiting
public gardens in the company
of an expert. d www.
brightwaterholidays.com •
www.cachet-travel.co. uk •
www.coxandkings.co.uk
$ Golf Packages
The Estalagem Serra
Golf (see p115) and the
Casa Velha do Palheiro
(see p113) both offer golf
packages with discounted
green fees, guaranteed
tee times, clinics
and one-to-one lessons
at all levels. If your partner
does not play, both hotels
are well placed for visiting
gardens and levadas.
% Wildlife
From kiosks at Funchal’s
marina, several
yacht charter companies
organize expeditions to
see the bird and marine
life of Madeira’s cliffs and
islands, including dolphin-
and whale-watching trips.
d Bonita da Madeira: 291
762 218 • Ventura do Mar:
291 280 033 • Albatroz: 291
223 366 • Gavião Madeira:
291 241 124
^ Fishing
Madeira’s waters
teem with big-game fish,
including blue and white
marlin, big-eye and bluefin
tuna, albacore and
bonito. TuriMar, based at
Funchal’s marina, offers
full- and half-day trips
with equipment provided.
It is a signatory to the
tag-and-release scheme,
whereby fish, once
caught and photographed,
are returned to the wild.
d TuriMar: 291 226 720
& Diving
Just under the surface
along Madeira’s
southern cliffs is a protected
world of marine
caves, colourful fish and
crabs, sea urchins, corals
and weeds that are invisible
unless you know how
to dive. Two hotels have
permanent diving schools:
Manta Diving is at the
Galomar (see p115) in
Caniço and Dive College
International is at the
Dom Pedro in Machico. d
Manta Diving: www.manta
diving.com • Dive College
International: 291 969 500
* Adventure
Madeira is being discovered
as an ideal destination
for a range of
adventure sports, from
mountain biking and rock
climbing to windsurfing,
surfing and paragliding.
d Terras de Aventura:
www.terrasdeaventura.com
( Spa Holidays
Several hotels have
large spa complexes offering
stress reduction and
health and beauty facilities.
These include the
Choupana Hills Resort and
Spa (see p113), the Thalassotherapy
Spa at the
Crowne Plaza (see p112),
the Vital Centre at the
Jardim Atlântico (see
p116), the Active Centre at
the Maderia Palacio (see
p113), the Phytomer
Health Spa at the Savoy
(see p112) and the Spa at
the Porto Mare (see p112).
) Honeymoons and
Romantic Breaks
Many of Madeira’s graceful
old manor house hotels
reserve their finest rooms
for honeymooners, or
those celebrating a special
anniversary. The island’s
scenery and sunsets, as
well as its indulgent pool
and spa complexes, make
for a memorable holiday.
d www.classic-collection.
co.uk • www.cadogan
holidays.com