Madeira, the Portuguese Island nestled in the Atlantic Ocean, was this years location for the Stimpson family holiday! It was no wonder Madeira has been nicknamed ‘the Island of eternal Spring’, with beautiful bush lands, picturesque villages and beaches which took our breathe away. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring this gorgeous Island as well as taking some well deserved R n’ R. Come see how we spent our week in Madeira from staying at the most beautiful villa (see pics below!) to some epic road-trips, oh and of course all of our favourite place’s we ate at!
Where to stay
We stayed in a beautiful villa in Garajau which is a 10 minute drive from the airport and about a 15 minute drive into Funchal the capital city of Madeira. The James Villa accommodation boasts the most incredible view’s throughout the villa. It certainly did not disappoint! As you can imagine we did not get tired of waking up to this view every morning. The recently refurbished villa had beautiful glass terraces so no view was spoiled. A new pool, a fully equipped kitchen and an added bonus of a gym and games room which was certainly utilised! A little healthy competition does no harm in a relationship! (Apart from the fact I obviously never lose!)
The village of Garajua had a small local shop and a street of restaurants which are a 5 minute walk from the villa. Nestling at the base of the Garajau cliffs, the Garajau beach is inside the Natural Partial Reserve. The beach is accessible by cable cars, driving or a steep walk down and up for the crazy people.
These are some of the other places which I found in the local area to where we stayed but for fewer people!
What to do
1. Explore Funchal Old Town
Price: Free
As the Islands capital and largest city many people base here for their holiday. Dating back to the 15th century the city combines the old town with a more modern marina area.
We wandered through the streets and quickly found it was a city full of artistry. As we strolled down the oldest street in Funchal, Rua de Santa Maria, we came across all of the painted doors.
Fun fact: before 2010, the old town used to be somewhere tourists avoided due to being known as a ‘rough’ area. Then the project ‘The Art of Open Doors’ sprung to life as the local government provided artists with paint to decorate the doors and now the old town is bustling with tourists exploring the art and eating at some of the best local restaurants.
There is a map on the official website of the ‘Art of Open Doors’. So you can find some of the best ones or do what we did and just wander!
2: Trip to Seixal and Porto Moniz
Price: Seixal natural pools are free. To swim in the Porto Moniz natural pools it costs €3
A drive to the North side of the Island took us to the coastal town of Porto Moniz. Our first stop was in the smaller town of Seixal to swim in the natural pools. This incredible collection of lava-rock tidal pools where not only visually beautiful but a perfect spot for an afternoon swim. Unfortunately the weather was not on our side as an overcast drizzly day didn’t make it the most inviting to dive in for a swim. However, it was an opportunity I did not want to miss and once you were in it wasn’t too bad!
Once in the water it was beautiful and was very fun to explore through the rock arches and caves. This is a great free activity and as a lesser known spot it was definitely not as touristy as the natural pools in Porto Moniz.
Pack a picnic as there are lots of tables and spots to sit and enjoy some lunch with a view.
Our journey along the coast road to Porto Moniz was a spectacular one . The road, little more than a corridor cut into the sheer cliffs, dips and rises as it passes through tunnels and overhead waterfalls. The slightly bigger town of Porto Moniz meant that the pools even on a cloudy day were much busier.
3: Funchal Farmers Market and Garajau Beach
Price: Free
Established in 1940, the market Mercado dos Lavradores is a must visit if you ever come to Funchal! It is open Monday through to Saturday and is ripe with fruit, vegetables, herbs, fish and flowers. It’s the unity between tourists and locals that makes this place extra special. This is a great thing to do in Madeira.
Tyler enjoyed all the free samples (typical Brit!) as the locals are more than happy to show off their tasty produce. The various flavours of passion fruits they brought home were quite impressive! Types such as banana, tomato, lemon and strawberry passionfruit’s were a fun after dinner ‘which is which’ one evening. They also picked up some seabass, mackerel and squid which was part of mine and Tyler’s fish stew we cooked up that evening!
Later we explored Garajau beach which is a beautiful stony beach nestled in the cliffs below the Christ The Redeemer statue. It’s a beach perfect for snorkelling or scuba diving, with a little café which was ideal for a nice cool drink.
4: Go on a boat trip
Price: between £25-50 pp depending on shared or private charters.
When wandering around Funchal on the first day we scouted out some potential boat trips. There are many along the harbour all of which do very similar itineraries. The cheapest option is to hop on a catamaran that goes looking for wildlife, cruise along the coast and stop for a swim, all of which is exactly what we wanted. However, the downside was it packed these boats with up to 50-70 people! We wanted something a bit more personal and came across someone who told us about a new boat that can be privately chartered.
In typical newbie blogger fashion I actually forgot the name of the company, oops! However the promoter Chris spends his time on the pier along the Marina and if you find him he will point you in the direction of the boat! Anyway it was by far the best afternoon! For a very reasonable £50 pp for the 6 of us we had the whole of this big beautiful boat to ourselves.
We made our way out to sea in the hope to see some dolphins and maybe even a whale! Unfortunately we didn’t get to see any this time but it was still a great day. It was a perfect afternoon and I would highly recommend going on some sort of boat trip while in Madeira. Head over to our Instagram to see some GoPro shots!
5: Cable cars to Monte and the Toboggan ride
Price: Cable cars €10 pp. Toboggan ride €15 pp.
We ventured yet again into Funchal except today we were getting the cable cars from Funchal to Monte. The views from the cable cars where amazing and it was very cool to be able to see the city from such heights. Even if my mum did spend the majority of it with her eyes shut because of her fear of heights!
Sat 550 meters above sea level we arrived in the quaint village of Monte. The Municipal Gardens cover most of the Monte area and the beautiful array of tropical plants are visible from the moment you exit the cable cars. We didn’t go in the gardens although we did go to the Botanical Gardens instead. Following a leisurely stroll the next activity was the Monte Toboggan ride! This was an experience unlike any other and that is why I would recommended doing it! Commencing in the 19th century as a solution to getting the wealthy and goods from Monte to Funchal, the wicker baskets that slide on wooden skids are now a popular tourist attraction.
The journey began next to the Church of the Monte and the 2km steep ride ended 10 minutes later at Estrada of the Livramento. The ‘Carreiros do Monte’ are the basket car drivers. They drove the basket in pairs dressed in traditional white shirts and trousers and wore a straw hat with a black ribbon around. For £15 pp it was like a time warp and a transportation you wont find anywhere else!
6: The botanical gardens
Price: €10 pp
With over 2,000 exotic plants it’s no wonder Madeira boasts an incredible botanical garden. It was a lovely place to wander round and explore for a couple of hours. This is a cool thing to do in Madeira.
Where to eat and drink
Of course we explored all of the best places to eat so here’s a couple of our favourites.
Ferrugem no Garajau.
So, the first night set high standards which is always risky business! We wandered up the road from the villa and stumbled upon a little local restaurant called Ferrugem no Garajau. We sat outside on the balcony and very luckily next to a local acoustic guitarist who serenaded us all night long. To start me and Tyler shared the Rosso prawns and as soon as these big juicy prawns came I knew I would be happy! Then the main course just topped it off with Tyler going for the salt cod risotto and I went for the octopus risotto. OMG it was so tasty! There is just something about the fresh fish when you’re by the ocean that we love.
A Vista D Antonio
Another resturant in Canico down the road from our villa actually opposite Ferrugem. A lovely local restaurant with the biggest portions ever! We started with Bolo do Caco which I actually have totally craved everyday since we left Madeira and pretty much ate everywhere we went! Bolo do Caco is a traditional local stovetop pan-baked flatbread served with a fresh garlic butter centre. If you ever get the chance to try it TRUST ME you must! Anyway, the main, which I actually ordered the cod casserole and my sister ordered the stone baked octopus. Consequently my sister being a vegetarian wasn’t so keen when a whole octopus turned up on her plate so we swapped. I had no regrets as although the cod was good, the succulent octopus with the sweet baked peppers was delicious!
Rei da Poncha
A little break from food to talk about Poncha! Poncha is a traditional rum based drink which we came across and drank LOTS of while in Madeira. Originating from a drink the fishermen used to drink to warm themselves on the way to sea. The original recipe involves Madeira rum, lemon and honey however various modifications have been made. We stumbled across Rei da Poncha on our way to dinner on this cool street with little tables and stools and decided to sit down and order various Ponchas. I went for a passionfruit or ‘Maracuja’ Poncha which is a firm favourite. I also love how traditionally it comes with a pot of garlic beans and peanuts in the shell.
Taberna Ruel
The most beautiful restaurant set on the bustling street of Santa Maria in the heart of Old Town Funchal. This was a special dinner full of local white wine, fresh fish and of course Bolo do caco and Poncha! The food and atmosphere was so good the newbie blogger in me came out and I totally forgot to take pictures of the food! However please trust me when I say the fish sharing platter which me and Tyler shared was filled with beautiful Tuna, Swordfish, Squid, the biggest mussels I have ever eaten and so much more it was totally delicious. 
Vila da Carne
Another special dinner location. This restaurant came recommended by our villa host as the restaurant arrange a pick up and drop off from Funchal to their location in Camara de Lobos. They have two restaurants right next to each other, one for fish and the other for meat. They are set on the hill overlooking the gorgeous little fishing village.
We chose the meat place as a bit of a change from all the fish! To start we had lovely beef carpaccio and fresh cheese and Bolo do Caco. (wasn’t joking when I said I was obsessed!) The mains were very exciting however yet again I am a rookie and didn’t get pictures. I ordered steak skewers which hung on a long steel rod above me and Tyler got a massive steak. All the food was incredible and we left basically having to roll down the hill!
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