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Latest update: 7 November 2023
Are you looking for a unique stay in Madeira? Then you’ve come to the right place, because I’ve found a few cool places to stay WITH A VINEYARD! Perfect for something unique for a night or two. After all, unique stays in Madeira don’t come cheap.
Unique stays in Madeira
You have unique stays, but you also have unique stays in a hotel with a vineyard. You’ll get in Madeira. You can usually also arrange a wine tasting at these hotels. Because of the price tag, you may only want to spend part of your time in Madeira in one of these cool places. Still, these accommodations are perfect for a romantic evening. Or simply because you don’t feel like driving back to your hotel after drinking wine. 😉 Forget about romance; drink wine!
Hotel Quinta do Furão in Santana, Madeira
Santana is located in the northeast of Madeira. And there, on top of a cliff, between the vineyards, is the Hotel Quinta do Furão. I visit for lunch, so it’s a pleasant surprise that you can also sleep here. In the restaurant, you can eat on the balcony on warm days, looking far over the sea and the cliffs. On cold days you can warm up inside by the fireplace.
The hotel was renovated in 2020, and additional rooms have been added since. In total, there are now 65 rooms (2023). It is a luxury hotel in Madeira with a beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean and the northeast coast from your balcony or terrace. But there are also plenty of things to do in the hotel. If you stay for a week, you can, for example, participate in a workshop making poncha (a traditional drink from Madeira), a wine tasting, or baking bread. They make fresh bread every day in the on-site bakery.
A few more bonus points for Hotel Quinta do Furão in Madeira: the outdoor pool, the wellness facilities (sauna, massages), only 20 minutes from the airport, and yet surrounded by nature. So the hotel is perfect as a base for scenic walks and road trips or just chilling out and enjoying the tranquility.
By the way, quinta means farm and a furão is a ferret, which I have not spotted. What I did see at Hotel Quinta do Furão is that beautiful vineyard. Of the 5 hectares of land, 2 hectares consist of organic vines. They grow Arnsburger, Nacional Touriga, Verdelho, and Tinta Roriz grapes. There is a small wine cellar where you can taste Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malmsey wine. If you come in September, you can even help pick grapes! The Madeira Wine Festival is also held in September.
Check the prices and availability.
Terrabona Nature & Vineyards in Boaventura, Madeira
Marco and Maria João prove that luxury is in the details with their newly opened Madeira villas (June 2023). Damn, it’s ridiculously stunning here. In a lush valley surrounded by mountains and vines, the duo has created luxury apartments on their own land: Terrabona Nature & Vineyards. It was a bit of an accident, and a combination of luck and passion, that immediately earned the couple their first wines bronze medals and 91 out of 100 Robert Parker points.
There are three Terra Bona wines from the Arnsburger grape: one Riesling-like, fermented in metal wine tanks. And a Riesling-like wine fermented in French oak barrels (“It’s a sin!” Marco laughs), of which only 560 bottles are made yearly. Then there is also an even more unique wine fermented in an old-fashioned clay barrel. Very impressive how they managed to get this far already on a vineyard that had been abandoned for years.
And in the middle of that vineyard, you can spend the night on Madeira. That is really pure luxury: both the view and the apartments themselves. Each villa has a private terrace with comfortable beanbags and a fantastic interior with beautiful SMEG equipment, a fabulous bath or two-person rain shower, and a grand view over the vineyard and the valley. Breakfast is included, and Marco and Maria João organize delicious dinner evenings with their guests from time to time.
Anyway, have you spotted the infinity pool in the photos yet? Directly behind it is the sauna with a view. There is no shortage of services: you can use walking sticks, electric bicycles or arrange a picnic. And if you are not staying at Terrabona Nature & Vineyards, can luckily still join a wine tasting.
Hotel Quinta das Vinhas in Calheta, Madeira
Quinta das Vinhas, or ‘vine farm’. With a name like that, you can’t help but marvel at the vines at this cool place to stay in Madeira. Here too, you can help harvest as a guest in September. And, of course, you can taste wines from Madeira all year round. Quinta das Vinhas organizes wine tastings and guided tours. There is 30,000 m² of vineyard to explore!
Until 2018, the vineyard was managed by the Wine Institute of Madeira (Instituto do Vinho da Madeira). Now, under the management of Quinta das Vinhas, at least seventy different grape varieties grow there. Their own Madeira wine has been maturing in the barrels since 2020, so you have to wait a few more years to get a taste of that.
Quinta das Vinhas has both hotel rooms and cottages. The vineyard separates the accommodation types. The hotel is an old country house, and the rooms and cottages are simple but modernly furnished. There are two swimming pools and many (steep) paths to wander through the vineyard and garden. Breakfast is included, and you can also eat in the restaurant. Just let the hotel know in the morning that you would like the chef to prepare something for you.
Check availability and prices.
Hotel Fajã dos Padres in Ribeira Brava, Madeira
Ribeira Brava is located on the south coast of Madeira. Here you’ll find Fajã dos Padres, which you can visit for lunch, a day in the sun, or to spend the night. You can only get there by boat or cable car. How’s that for unique, huh? You descend about 300 meters in 2.5 minutes from the cliff to the bay and the lush garden. Pay attention to the cable car schedule when you go out. Otherwise, you might be obligated to use the stairs. And that is quite a climb or descent!
There is a black pebble beach, but most people put their towels on the pier. But the real draw is the plantation-like garden. Crazy beautiful. Almost everything grows in the garden: bananas, mangoes, tomatoes, and courgettes. I spot many butterflies and it rustles with the lizards that quickly hide when I walk by. And, of course, grapes grow here. The grapes are among all the other vegetables, fruits, and herbs, so it is not a typical vineyard. But who cares? I imagine myself in the tropics.
Attached to the garden is a small wine cellar where Madeira wine is made. The Malmsey wine usually is quite sweet, but this one from Fajã dos Padres is medium-sweet, as the family likes it better. The wine is mainly served in the on-site restaurant. They only make small batches. The remaining grapes go to Barbeito to make the classic Madeira wine.
Priests used to use this part of Madeira as a summer residence. But since 1921, Fajã dos Padres has been a family business. Katerina, who shows me around, is the fifth generation. You can stay in simple cottages onsite. The restaurant is simple, so go for local dishes. Be sure to try the lapas: grilled sea snails. Very tasty. And the mango cheesecake is fantastic!
Check the prices and availability.
More Madeira inspiration?
Useful links for your Madeira trip
- Accommodation. Favorites remain Booking.com and Campspace. Would you rather stay in a hostel? Check Hostelworld.
- Activities. You book the best tours and activities with GetYourGuide and Viator. Book ‘free’ walking tours at Freetour.com or GuruWalk and try Baja Bikes for bike tours. WithLocals offers themed tours with local guides.
- Attractions and museums. Interested in a 5% discount on museums and other attractions? Use this discount code at Tiqets: KIMOPREIS22
- Car rental. My go-to car rental companies are EasyTerra and Sunny Cars as they have all-inclusive / worry-free offers. If you can’t find a good deal, you could check out Discover Cars.
- Flights. Compare all your options! Be sure to check out Momondo, Transavia, Skyscanner, and Kiwi.
- Money. Your debit and credit cards may not get accepted everywhere. You could opt for a Revolut card as an additional card when you travel.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? There is plenty of choice all over. For the Dutch: ANWB vakanties, Tui or Vakantie Discounter. Or pick Sawadee or Corendon. Or maybe D-Reizen or Sunweb.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high calling and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Travel gear. Buy your gear at Bever or Decathlon, or simply at Bol.com.
- Travel guides. I like paper travel guides to browse through, for sale at Bol.com and Amazon, among others.
- Yoga retreat. Or, what about a yoga retreat in Madeira?
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, I might receive a small commission.
I was invited to Madeira by Visit Madeira and Interface Tourism Netherlands.
