You never know quite what to expect of the weather in Madeira but whenever you go you are likely to get something like a lovely British Spring which will include occasional and unexpected showers. With that in mind Quinta da Casa Branca is a hotel that stands out. Not suitable for children or even perhaps teenagers, but very suitable for couples looking for a restful, relaxing or romantic stay.
A few hundred yards upwards and inwards from the historically renowned Reids Hotel and a 20 minute drive from the airport in Funchal, Quinta da Casa Branca sits in its own botanical garden, which is stunning in its variety and its tranquillity. Tropical exotic plants are all around: tree orchids, cacti, hostas, banana trees, popcorn plants, wisteria and of course the famous Birds of Paradise. In the centre sits a Manor house, once a home to the Leacock family notable for production of the famous Madeira wines. The main house is confusingly dated in its style, but it is not unpleasant. It includes a formal restaurant and some hotel suites which have been renovated to a high standard. But most of the rooms are in a more modern low-rise 21st century building which has been thoughtfully designed with timeless simplicity – it is well maintained and looks to be in good shape. All these rooms and suites open out onto terraces facing the gardens. These sunny terraces have the added and necessary benefit of shelter from the rain which comes in frequent, but not unpleasant, showers which are important for the lushness of the garden as well as the whole island. Well-equipped, everything works properly including the Wi-Fi throughout the hotel and grounds. Given the garden setting, there is a calmness and steady pace about the place, not overcrowded with about 45 rooms.
Not just efficient, the hotel staff, from reception to housekeeping to restaurant service, go the extra mile with grace and charm. Nothing is too much trouble, exemplified by a proactive call from the concierge on departure day suggesting a time when they might collect luggage given the expected departure time of the taxi to the airport. Oh, and the laundry service is exquisite! It’s totally worth getting a few items done.
Exceptionally the food is outstandingly good. At breakfast, lunch and dinner, carefully and thoughtfully compiled menus are a pleasure to ponder. Food is sourced mainly locally from the island – Madeira produces a wide variety of fresh foods including homegrown fruits and vegetables and a good range of meats and locally caught fish. What is not locally sourced tends to come from Portugal, including wine, apart from the legendary and widely exported Madeira wine, whether dry, medium or sweet.
The dinner restaurant experience in the Manor House has not caught up with the times – it is dated but the food and service are outstanding. It’s the ambience, the décor, and even the occasional live music, which long predate even the older generation visitors but not in an unpleasant way.
Breakfast, lunch and pre- dinner drinks are in a charming and traditional building adjacent to the hotel buildings. The outside ambience is a divine delight, and the staff are outstanding. The weather is good enough on most days to eat breakfast and lunch outside on the terrace. No buffet breakfast – hurray – perhaps a silver lining from pandemic lockdowns. Instead, a delightful selection of predominantly local foods – eggs, fruit, seeds, homemade jams and breads to select from the menu.
There are two pools, one for adults only, which are fairly simple but have a kind of weathered charm. There is also a spa.
The centre of Funchal, the marina and old town are walkable, almost downhill all the way, although the uphill return, good for fitness, is less attractive but there are plenty of taxis. While there are numerous places to eat out in Funchal, few can compete on food quality with the Quinta da Casa Branca. But lunch or dinner at the family run Casal da Penha, a 15 minute walk away, is worth the effort: for homemade food and good wine it is a big indoor and outdoor space with a neighbourhood feel, but it is wise to book.
The idea of returning to Quinta da Casa Branca one day is very appealing.
About Madeira
A volcano, dormant, rising out of the Atlantic, Madeira, an autonomous region of Portugal, comprises peaks and valleys, with a sub-tropical climate making it highly fertile. It is like Spring all year, with 20+ temperatures most of the time, and of course it does rain. The climate and the vegetation change every 500 metres the further up you go. This climate attracts visitors all year, and particularly from Europe, and especially the UK, seeking some warmth in the Winter months, and so it seems that the elderly predominate.
Walking the Levadas, sloping water channels, is a popular reason to visit, even for older people, but you can barely walk anywhere without a vertiginous shlep, up and down. And then there are the fabulous plants and flowers to be found around the island stretching some 57 kilometres long and 22 Kilometres wide. While the formal Botanical Gardens are billed as an attraction, in fact the established estates and parks have considerable gardens to savour.
Funchal, the capital, is an old-fashioned city in most respects, with attractive traditional green and white buildings in the centre, but cafes aside it is not the liveliest of towns. Its marina attracts the grandest of cruise ships. Its Western outskirts have seen the development of a hotel strip, once dominated by the cliff top Reid’s hotel. Now the area stretches further West each year, as modern and somewhat similar hotel and apartment blocks have multiplied overlooking the sea.
