Palheiro Village

We love the whole property, fantastic view from the terrace, cleanliness everywhere, nice pool, good location, everything perfect.

Palheiro village, perched around 500 metres above Funchal, is more than just an exclusive holiday village. In addition to a variety of high-quality self-catering units, there’s a golf course and club house, extensive gardens, stylish hotel with spa and garden tea house, and communal pool. Our generously spacious, quiet, immaculately spotless, smart two-bedroomed apartment, with its fast broadband and effective a/c, was excellently equipped, with its large terrace with spectacular vistas overlooking the sea and Funchal. It was serviced halfway through our seven-day stay, and housekeeping is exemplary. A car is desirable, if not essential, if you don’t want to feel too isolated and reliant on buses or taxis, as Funchal is about four miles away, and there isn’t a grocery store at Palheiro itself. We were staying close by the Forum, where the swimming pool and estate office are, about an eight-minute walk down the steep road to the main road (and bus stop), 20 minutes steep uphill walk to the club house and its excellent Balancal restaurant, and a further 15 from there to the Casa Velha Hotel. By car, these places are a few minutes away, but a fairly strenuous walk otherwise. Apparently, there’s a shuttle service on the estate which can be pre-booked, though we were happy to walk. All the estate staff are fabulous, helpful and friendly, making Palheiro something of a special place. A few things can be improved, though these don’t significantly impact on my 5-star review. Check-in instructions were vague. We arrived on a Sunday, and although e-mailing ahead for instructions, we had to make phone calls once we arrived in order to find out where check-in was. This needs to be sorted out. Despite the well-equipped apartment, the TV was old technology. Guests expect a smart TV in quality accommodation. And what use is a DVD player? There’s a useful information folder, but a map of Funchal, and perhaps some other touristy leaflets, would have been welcome. Despite these minor niggles, it's a fabulous place.

Boa localização e casa muitos espaçosa, mas em termos de limpeza podia ser mais frequentes, pequeno almoço variado e saboroso. Adorámos a Complexo Balnear da Barreirinha, e as levadas.