Casa Tia Clementina

My husband and I live in Madeira and wanted an overnight stay on the other side of the island to do a long walk as his birthday treat. Casa Tia Clementina's is perfectly situated to get to the foot of the highest peak - Pico Ruivo. After our fabulous, but exhausting walk, we turned up and were met by the delightful Rosa who showed us our room. Very comfortable with a nice view through the garden. Rosa also recommended a friendly, local restaurant, Cantinho da Serra, where we had a very good meal too. Breakfast was OK, not fantastic, but the whole package was very good value, and the surroundings were charming. We'll definitely go again.

Refúgio das Camélias is the best

We would like to take the opportunity to thank you again for the warm and friendly stay at your estate 3 weeks ago. We will remember our stay with happie memories due to the quiet location , tasteful furnishings and beatiful surrondings.The followings places were nice too, but we would rate our stay at the Refúgio das Camélias as the BEST.We will recommend the good experience to our friends and maybe we will be back in the future.

Sorry for my bad english! The Quinta da Capela was: Verry clean. On a nice place. A perfect breakfast. Easy to find. The Lady there was perfect an helpful. I dont like the smell from the old wood in the rooms. But i know, that we can not change.

Very nice house, friendly people, good service

Holiday Farmhouse Quinta do Pântano

Very nice house, friendly people, good service

review for vila echium

Dieses Haus war für uns die optimale Unterkunft: viel Privatspähre, super gepflegt, zentral gelegen und trotzdem sehr ruhig ( abgesehen von den Fröschen im Biotop ). Wir haben den Aufenthalt sehr genossen! / This house was for us the perfect property: much privacy, super well maintained, centrally located and yet very quiet (apart from the frogs in the habitat). We have enjoyed it more!

Casa das florenças

Tudo muito bom!

Schonen Urlaub

Ich genoss das Haus. Es ist eine schöne, komfortable, gemütliche mit allen Anforderungen für einen guten Urlaub. Das Haus hat eine fantastische Aussicht. Wir sind sehr dankbar fur diesen schonen Urlaub , und werden sicher wieder hier zuruckkommen. (Austria) I really enjoyed the house. It is a beautiful, comfortable and cozy with all the requirements for a good holiday. The house has a fantastic view. We are very grateful for this spare, and be sure to come back here again. (Austria)

Casa Rosario Coelho - Porto Santo

Lovely house and garden, in a quiet corner of a quiet island. We hired a car, so were at the big beach within 10 minutes, but the sea is only a 15 minute walk along the road from the house, and the Porto dos Fradres restaurant is excellent.

Fim de semana na Casa da Capelinha

Com ajuda de um tempo excelente, de uma recepção amigável e calorosa por parte dos responsáveis da Casa da Capelinha, consideramos que este fim de semana da Páscoa 2013 foi muito bem passado. O local é tranquilo acolhedor e oferece todas as condições para se passar uns dias no norte da ilha.

Casa das Florenças

A nossa opinião sobre a casa é muito positiva, uma casa com qualidade, limpa, tem de tudo o que precisamos, com uma vista espectacular, um lugar calmo para todas as idades, é expectacular, recomenda-se a qualquer pessoa e esperamos um dia lá voltar.

We had a very very pleasent stay at Quinta do Pantano. The house is great, the landscape incredible, the owner is very kind and helpful. Everything was really nice, we enjoyed a lot. thanks for all!

I never knew so many shades of blue and turquoise exist…

We absolutely loved your garden, mom is still talking about your flowers and trees, especially we loved the avocado-tree!! I’ve eaten avocados every other day in Finland for years. … so you must believe what did it feel like to taste your avocados, it was amazing how good they were!! So we hope to come there again one day and this time with a big group of friends and have barbeques under the avocado tree and listen to the ocean... I could have admired the ocean all day long, it was wonderful to wake up in the morning, open the curtains and go out and air was WARM… and then look at the ocean and see how the light and color of the ocean was continuously changing, I never knew so many shades of blue and turquoise exist…

Expectacular!

Han sido tres días de ensueño. Todo es tal y como se aprecia en las fotos; una casa muy limpia y cuidada a la que no le falta el más mínimo detalle. Ideal si se quiere estar en la casa sin salir todo el día de allí tanto para familias grandes como para grupo de amigos. Nosotros fuimos 10 personas y la verdad es que toda la experiencia genial. La casa se limpia y recoge a diario y se dispone de todo lo necesario para poder hacer una vida completamente normal. El recibimiento con una cesta de frutas y una botellita de vino típica de la isla fué un grandísimo detalle. Lo mejor de todo sin duda alguna ha sido la atención por parte de los propietarios. Recomendable 100%

Julen 2012

Vi var to familier som leide Villa Echium fra 22.12.12 til 05.01.13. Vi hadde et kjempefint opphold! Vi er fornøyd med hus, hage og med Filomena som gjorde hverdagene enkle for oss! Vi besøkte Funchal i julehøytioden og på nyttårsaften, fyrverkeriet var strålende og byen pyntet til fest hele perioden!Vi nøt lang dager på stranden nedenfor huset, svømte i havet og var på tre levadavandringer blant annet. Anbefales! Vi håper vi snart kan komme tilbake! Heidi

First visit to Madeira

This first visit to Madeira has been a pleasing experience! Fine weather for the season enabled us to live outdoors - whether walking the levadas or the Eastern cape, relaxing in the pool or having all meals, except one!, in the yard! We have been the lucky to stay in Casa do Retiro and give our thanks to Family Noronha and to Mrs Graça for your hospitality and concern! PS: leaving tonight for -3 - -6ºC and snow in Copenhagen/DK!

The Dream Stay!

Our weekend in Madeira was perfect thanks to this amazing property and having everything we needed at our fingertips. Beatriz and Tito were wonderful hosts, there whenever we needed them and very helpful. Plus they left us a whole bunch of fruit, wine and food that was above and beyond what we expected! We went with a group of eight young people and found it difficult to leave the house due to the heated pool, jacuzzi, pool table and outdoor BBQ. There was plenty of space, a supermarket very close by and the house was easy to find from the directions Beatriz gave us. I'd recommend it to any large group or family...it really has everything you need and makes for a dream stay in Madeira!

Looking forward to come back!

Good night, Dear Tito, Cristina and Beatriz! Thank you for a wonderful stay in your home! Everything was just great! We loved it - and the comfort of your home, and beauty of the space around himself a beautiful house! And most of all, it was very nice to meet you and your spouse! I hope to see you soon at the next holiday on Madeira! Sincerely, Julia Barysheva from Russia

Tilia House

Dear Martim We would both like to thank you for our stay at Tilia. We had a really enjoyable time and loved the area. Being so close to levada walks was a great advantage. We did a great deal of walking and explored new places from out last visit in Madeira. Once again we thank you. Kind regards Linda and John

Wonderful house

Many thanks to Mr. and Mrs. N. for the hospitality! Wonderful house - very comfortable, nice, clean! Perfect place to stay! A very warm and friendly welcome. It was very nice to meet you, and I hope to make friends! We were thoroughly satisfied with our stay and would recommend it to friends

Lovely place!

We have stay there for four days during our first visit on this beatiful island. Adorable house with great view and super nice owners. Quick ride with realtively ofthen (every 20 minutes) departing buses will take to center of Funchal, where you can enjoy a lot of restaurants. House it self is quiet and will allow you to relax. Great value for money.it also serves well as base for sightseeing whole island.

Casa do Retiro - sheer bliss!

Dear Family Noronha! Thank you so much – you were so Great hosts – and also a big thank you to Mrs. Graça – you made our Christmas and New Year- vacation a very special and wonderful experience! The house is gorgeous – especially for dog-owners! Our 4 mini dachshunds Josy, Pauline, Jule and Lucy felt as comfortable as we did. They loved to check out the garden without being cheesed by us. So everybody experienced a great relaxing vacation. Madeira is an awesome island and it’s worth to come back one time! But one thing is clear: when we return we’ll come back to this house! A big THANK YOU from Olaj + Anne from Weimar/Germany and from Roland + Gabi from Hannover/Germany and of course a big thanks from Josy, Pauline, Jule and Lucy =) PS: Your tip for the new year's fireworks display at Funchal was AWESOME!!! Thanks a lot =)

A Haven

A haven for rest and relaxation.

Best villa we've ever stayed

What a wonderful way to celebrate my 50th birthday. This was our first trip to Madeira and we can’t think of a better place to have stayed on the island. We will always remember your kindness from the moment we arrived. The lovely and very unexpected gifts and provisons that made such a difference to other places we have stayed elsewhere . It was lovely to meet both Mr. Tito and Mrs. Cristina and Martin and to talk to Beatrice on the phone too. And a Big thank you to Mrs. Graça for keeping the home so clean and beautiful and a treat to come home every night, to clean towels and lovely made bed. The people of Canhas have also been so kind to us and we feel that we have made some special friends here. The island – well what can we say – one of the most beautiful places we have visited. Every corner brings a new surprise. Great views, great food and wonderful hospitality whererver we have been. We’ve walked levadas, had long sunny lunches, listened to fado music, danced in the bars. Had a truly wonderful time. We are all very sad to be leaving today but look forward to return as soon as we can. Thank you once again for your wonderful house and hospitality. We hope to see you soon.

Everything is perfect

I was looking for somewhere special to take my wife for her 50th birthday. Fortunately I found Madeira, and the wonderful owners of this place. We were greeted by the biggest, warmest smile you can imagine, and for our whole holiday their warmth and kindness shone through. The house is exactly as you see it in the photos and how it is described by the other reviews - it is perfect as you feel at home whilst surrounded by comfort and everything you need. All the little things are taken care of for you before you arrive - a wonderful welcome pack, including wine and madeiran cake and no need to go and buy wasking up liquid, sugar, salt and loads of other things as they are all there. I chose here not only for the swimming pool, jaccuzi, lovely grounds and spacious accommodation but also because my wife loves to sit and enjoy an open fire in the evening. The house was kept spotless for us and also stocked up with logs and timber and took care of all our needs. If you think this may be the place for you, then look no further. Thank you to the owners for letting us into your beautiful home and leaving us with such wonderful memories to look back on.

Breathtaking Fajã

-Breathtaking elevator -Breathtaking View to the sea -Breathtaking Calm

Casa do Retiro

Quel bonheur ce doit être de vivre en permanence à Madèire! Quel calme, quelle douceur de vivre, quelles couleurs! Encore un grand merci pour votre accueil et votre gentillesse. Nous allons hélas être obligés de revenir, quand l'île sera en fleurs... quel charme!! Cordialement Famille Guiot (France-Lille)

Magic

Spent two nights here as part of a walking holiday. Wow!!. Beautiful position overlooking the the town. Staff were really friendly. Sat in the garden in the evening with a glass of red soaking up the atmosphere. Can`t get much better!! Whats the steps!!

Een verblijf in Quinta da Capela is een unieke ervaring

Wij kunnen iedereen aanraden om er tenminste een nachtje te verblijven. Het is een oud herenhuis (met hiskapel, vandaar de naam), dat volledig ingericht is met oude meubels. Bij thuiskomst kun je vertellen dat je geslapen hebt in een museum. Er is een -ook historisch ingerichte- keuken waar je gebrik van kunt maken. Je kunt er naast koffie en thee ook je eigen maaltijd koken. Overdag kun je in de tuinheerlijk genieten van de rust, de bloemen en het uitzicht. Er is geen permanente receptie. De gastvrouw woont iets verderop. Als ze er niet is, dan hangt er een briefje met het verzoek haar te bellen. Wij waren de enige gasten en dus helemaal alleen in dit museum huis. Van harte aanbevolen voor een unieke ervaring!

Superbe maison d'hôte

Nous sommes resté 2 semaines début septembre 2012. La maison d'hôte est superbe avec les meubles d'époque. Il y a également du parquet dans toutes les pièces. La Quinta a été entièrement rénovée et décorée avec goût. Nous sommes très satisfaits de notre séjour. Le rapport qualité/prix est imbattable. - Ensemble : magnifique Quinta très bien rénovée et très bien tenue et meublée avec des meubles d'époque. Le jardin est également très beau. Il n'est pas très grand mais il est très beau et agréable. La Quinta et le jardin associé sont beaucoup plus beaux que les Quinta-musées de Funchal. Le quartier est calme et il y a souvent des bus pour aller au centre-ville. L'arrêt de bus se trouve à 10 mètres de l'entrée de la propriété. Les photos que l'on trouve sur internet sont fidèles à ce que l'on trouve en réalité et il n'y a pas de mauvaise surprise à avoir. - Chambre : La chambre était grande et propre. La vue est superbe sur la baie de Funchal et en contrebas, le magnifique jardin de la Quinta. Le sol est recouvert de parquet massif et la salle-de-bain de carrelage. Il n'y a pas de douche mais une baignoire. La décoration est en rapport avec le reste de la Quinta, meublée avec des meubles d'époque en très bon état. Le lit est d'1m20 environ. Il est d'époque et en bon état. Le sommier et le matelas sont de bonne qualité. - Propriétaires : Les propriétaires sont sympathiques et discrets. Ils ont pu arranger des visites de l'île en bus et ont négocié le prix. Ils parlent l'anglais en plus du portugais, donc la communication ne posait pas de problème. - Arrivée/départ : Avec notre accord, les propriétaires ont demandé à un taxi de nous chercher à l'aéroport (28 euros). Le chauffeur nous attendait avec un écriteau et nous a conduit directement devant la porte d'entrée et est allé chercher les propriétaires pour les prévenir que nous étions arrivé. - Attention : Attention aux personnes allergiques aux chats, les propriétaires possèdent 4 chats mais ils font en sorte qu'ils n'aient pas accès aux pièces accessibles par les clients. Donc les chats ne devraient pas poser de problèmes aux personnes allergiques. Par contre, les pièces sont toutes avec du parquet massif au lieu de la moquette habituelle des hôtels, ce qui est une très bonne chose pour les personnes allergiques. - Petit-déjeuner : Le petit-déjeuner était correct et meilleur que beaucoup de petit-déjeuner que l'on trouve dans les hôtels français mais il n'est pas au niveau d'un petit-déjeuner que l'on trouve en Allemagne ou Autriche. - Internet : Internet n'est pas disponible dans les chambres (murs trop épais ?) mais un ordinateur est mis gratuitement à disposition et une connexion wifi gratuite est disponible dans le salon (et en orientant correctement l'ordinateur portable, on a accès depuis le patio). - Aide au tourisme : Des cartes, horaires de bus, guides de randonnée, prospectus sont disponibles - Divers : un mini-bar payant (cash uniquement) est à disposition. Nous ne l'avons pas utilisé et avons préféré acheter à boire dans la petite supérette se trouvant à 100m. Des livres en anglais sont également disponibles. - Paiement : nous n'avons pas payé d'avance et les propriétaires nous ont indiqué que l'on pouvais payer au moment que nous souhaitions. Nous avons donc payé la totalité par carte bancaire au début de la deuxième semaine. Comme nous avons réservé pour 2 semaines, nous avons pu avoir 2 nuits gratuites. - A savoir : la propriété se trouve à environ 10 minutes du centre-ville par bus. Il y a des bus jusque tard dans la soirée. Il n'y a pas trop de bus le dimanche ( 1 par heure environ). Une des lignes passant devant la propriété est la ligne "centre de Funchal" vers "parc tropical". Donc on peu aller directement au jardin botanique. - Restaurants : Il y a 3 restaurants dans les environs si l'on ne veut pas aller au centre-ville pour manger. Nous ne sommes pas allé au plus proche (près de la supérette) car il n'affichait pas de carte. Nous avons essayé la pizzeria mais ce n'est pas terrible. Un peu plus loin par contre, il y a le restaurant "Vasco de Gamma" qui est très bien. Nous recommandons donc fortement cette maison d'hôte aux personnes qui recherchent le calme dans un environnement agréable. Je recommande un peu moins cette maison d'hôte aux couples avec enfants car il n'y a pas de piscine et ils risquent de s'ennuyer.

The perfect vacation

We are just back in the real world from a perfect holiday. There is not much I can add to what the other reviewers wrote. Casa do Retiro is the perfect place to spend a paradise vacation. We stayed with the whole family (grandparents, parents and kids) and everybody was happy. There is nothing left you could wish for. What we found quite exceptional is that the owners did not only prepare a wonderful welcome for us, they picked us up from the airport and had been grocery shopping for us so that we could start our vacation right away and did not have to worry where to get food. We also enjoyed Senhora Graca´s daily house keeping and her friendlyness. Thank you for the wonderful memories. We will be back.

The Last Paradise

A place of rest in our fast world. Surrounded by very special vegetation and fruits. The Atlantic at your doorstep and the sun in your face. What could you wish more...

50th wedding anniversary in a perfect villa

Dear Family Noronha, we spent 3 wonderful weeks in this beautiful house. Everything is so thoughtfully equipped and carefully maintained. What a treasure! We were grateful to have spent my/ours parent's/grandparent's 50th wedding anniversary in this special surrounding. Thank you for the excellent Madeira Wine, Senhor Noronha. We had very good weather and started our days swimming in the pool, as well as relaxing in the evening. Our days were filled with explorations throughout the magnificent island. We had good food, wine and met wonderful people. We will certainly be back one day. Thank you for a lovely vacation and all the nice treats!

Belle semaine!

"Grande et belle maison dans un décor à couper le souffle, dans un des plus bel endroit de l'ile. Les 4 chambres spacieuses ont toutes vues sur la mer. Les propriétaires sont charmants et chaleureux, et Rosa qui s''occupe de la maison est toujours disponible et très efficace. A recommander absolument !"

Obrigada pela hospitalidade

D.ª Joana, gostei muito deste refúgio. Depois lhe enviarei algumas das muitas fotos. Um beijinho e muito obrigada pela hospitalidade. Idalina Afonso

"the best we've ever tasted!"

We really enjoyed the scenery and the serenity. Keep up the good work with the agriculture, your mangos and avocados are the best we've ever tasted!

Un séjour de rêve

Un accueil des plus sympathiques, un cadre rêvé dans cette vieille demeure meublée avec goût et à laquelle une charmante chapelle apporte une touche originale. Une adresse que nous recommandons à tous les amoureux du calme et de la nature. Mieux vaut avoir une voiture car la demeure est sur les hauteurs, ou prévoir d'utiliser les taxis de la ville voisine.

The sound of the sea

We have had a fantastic stay at Fajã dos Padres. Staff is more than helpful, the place is idyllic and the sound of the sea is the best anti-stress method that we have tried before.

Maison très agréable et trè bien équipée

Nous étions dix adultes et cette maison très grande était très adaptée à ce nombre :cinq chambres ,trois salles de bains ,grande salle à manger, salon ,véranda abritée ; le plus c' était la piscine avec le jacuzzi ; les propriétaires sont très sympathiques et très avenants : à noter également la présence d une femme de ménage très discrète et très efficace ;nous ne pouvons que recommander cette maison

Casa do Retiro

Toute la famille Le Roy ne peut que vous remercier pour votre accueil chaleureux et pour la trés bonne semaine que nous avons passé dans votre agréable maison. Nos lieux favoris: -Le Pico do Areiro -Le jardin tropical de Monte Palace -Les grottes de São Vicente -Le mirador de Balcões (Ribeiro Frio) -Le piscine naturelle de Porto Moniz -Le jardin botanique (sauf les perroquets en cages). Un remerciement special à Madame Graça qui par son efficacité et sa discrétion a rendu notre séjour encore plus agréable. Merci pour toutes vos charmantes attentions tout au long de la semaine.

"it looks like you have your own little part of paradise..."

Staying at Fajã dos Padres is a great experience. It was wonderful being surrounded by different kinds of exotic fruits, like bananas, mangos, avocados, papayas and even passion fruit. The houses are comfortable and spacious for its kind, all with a unique view to the sea. When sitting outside, it looks like you have your own little part of paradise...

Casa do Retiro

Location de qualité,maison très agréable pour une famille nombreuse avec enfants. Equipements extérieurs (piscine,jacuzzi,salle de jeux) bien entretenus. Le ménage est fait chaque jour ce qui est un plus très appréciable. L''accueil a été charmant et les propriétaires ont fait preuve d''une grande gentillesse et attention tout au long du séjour.Le lieu est très calme et très agréable. En conclusion nous recommandons vraiment cette location !

"réelment magique"

Merci beaucoup, C'était vraiment très bien cet endroit est réelment magique. Dommage que nous retournerons à la réalité.

Dias fantásticos

Represento um grupo de 8 jovens que teve uma estadia de 5 dias na Casa do Retiro e antes de mais gostaríamos de agradecer a simpatia, amabilidade e recepção do Sr. Noronha. A casa é maravilhosa, com uma decoração clássica, bem cuidada e carregada de história em cada canto com comodidades que são fantásticas. A piscina aquecida, o jacuzzi, a churrasqueira, a zona de jogos com os matraquilhos e o snooker, tudo absolutamente fantástico. Muito bem localizada, com supermercado, farmácia e pizzaria mesmo ali ao pé. Referimos ainda que as pessoas da vila são muito simpáticas. A opinião do grupo foi comum, foram dias impecáveis e a vontade de sair não era nenhuma. Aconselhamos a quem queira e possa e esperamos voltar um dia. Cumprimentos e Obrigada em nome de todos Susana e grupo de Lisboa

Perfect 5* Holiday Home

Lovely villa located up the winding roads of Canhas. We were met by the owners, who gave us a typically Madeirense, warm welcome! We were shown around the villa, introduced to the maid, presented with our welcome gifts and then left to our own devices for the remainder of our stay. The house was beautifully presented, clean and well maintained. The maid turned up every day, and cleaned everything! Bedrooms, bathrooms, the pool, the kitchen, she washed everything in site! The pool, paddling pool and the jacuzzi were constantly used, we really liked the fact that you could lock the gates to the pool as we have young children. We made good use of the games room and spent alot of time there! The barbecue facility is lovely and we enjoyed quite a few espetadas. Our children enjoyed the garden and loved playing there. There is also wi-fi, which we found invaluable. There is plenty of room to park your car(s) and the villa is quiet, peaceful and secure. There is a restaurant, supermarket, ATM's and a pharmacy literally 2 minute's walk from the villa. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay, we are a family of 5 with 2 young children and we cannot hold Casa do Retiro in high enough regard. I think the one thing that sums up how much we enjoyed our stay here, is that my children are constantly asking me, "when are we going back to the holiday home?" To the owners I say, congratulations on having such a beautiful home, we hope to see you again soon, when we next visit Madeira. Obrigado!

Hospitality

Vielen Dank fur alles. Es hat uns sehr gefallen. Wir haben uns bei Ihnen sehr wohl gefuhlt. Es war ganz prima.

"a little paradise at the end of the world"

Unique place in an absolute quiteness, very unique in its location, a little paradise at the end of the world, at the bottom of an abrupt cliff, facing the sea, managed by discret and efficient people.

La casa está en un entorno paradisiaco...

"La casa está en un entorno paradisiaco, desde todas las habitacions ves y oyes el mar, se respira una tranquilidad y paz absoluta, la casa muy limpia y ordenada, cada habitación tiene un baño individual, casa muy amplia y soleada. Pudimos disfrutar de la piscina y tomar el sol con el oceano a nuestros pies, he de decir que las fotos no hacen realidad a la casa, al verla descubres que esta mucho mejor de lo que ves en las fotos. Una delicia 100% recomendable y si vulevo a Madeira volveremos a ella sin dudarlo."

Ferienhaus mit Pool und Gartenfläche

"Sehr schönes und großzügiges Ferienhaus mit Pool und Gartenfläche. Wir haben den Aufenthalt mit unseren 3 Kindern sehr genossen. Die Vermieterin und ihre Helfer waren bei der Ankunft sehr aufmerksam."

La amabilidad y el trato familiar

La amabilidad y el trato familiar de los propietarios y la maravillosa decoración de la casa. También se puede destacar el precioso jardín y las vistas al mar. El desayuno continental se compone de 2 enormes panecillos, mermelada de la casa, mantequilla, jamón dulce, queso, un vaso de zumo, yogurt, fruta o aguacate, leche, café o té. Todo ello servido en el maravillosa comedor que parece de película. La quinta está a unos 3 kms del centro de Funchal, pero hay 4 autobuses urbanos que paran casi delante de la puerta. recomendable para gente que prefiere la individualidad a la masificación de los grandes hoteles.

Le plus belle

Des quatre maison oú nous venons d´habiter au cours de deux semaines á Madére, , celle -ci est le plus belle, , et celle á láccueil fût le plus agréable . Nous espérons bien y revenir... Marc et Nicole Frish ( Paris) , enchantés de ce premier sêjour á Madére.

Professor

Dear Johnny, Thank you ever so much for your great hospitality and a most magnificent stay at Villa Echium. Your wonderful, spacious villa and beautiful, lush garden was just what we needed for our two-week holiday. The housemaid, Filomena, is extraordinarily service-minded and takes care of everything big and small and even provided us with a fully decorated Christmas tree! The shops in the immediate neighborhood provided us with most daily necessities and the 15 minute bus-ride into Funchal is no problem as soon as one learns that the departure times at the local bus-shelter refer to the terminal, not the bus-shelter. Yes, we would certainly like to return to “Villa Echum”. Karen Marie & Pans Peter

Fabulous house

It has been a pleasure to say in this fabulous Refúgio das Camélias.I have enjoyed the amazing view , the nice weather, and every corner of the fabulous house. Every single detail has been taken into account when building it , people can actually, feel in the heart of Madeira Contryside but with the comfort of the city. The love of Candelária ´s family , tradition and friendship makes this hotel unique!It has a wonderful experience, a Christmas holiday to remember forever.

Where a guest can be king

First of all, like the other reviewers, I also want to thank the family Noronha for their kindness and good help before and during our stay. The furniture on the photos shows the old style of decoration in the house, it is old, but well maintained and since the whole house is in this style it looks nice. We had a perfect vacation for 6 days on Madeira. The villa was our main station from where we rented a car to visited as much a possible of different parts of the island. I recommend car rental because you can decide when and where you want to go. We didn’t used public service. Location is good because supermarket and nice pizza restaurant is around the corner. The villa was perfect! We used the swim pool, Jacuzzi, pool table, all the bedrooms, the showers and living room. We stayed in the Villa with 6 men aged between 27 and 31. We all had separated rooms except 2 of us who stayed in single beds. Showers are good with temperature and pressure, also when used together. I had very good e-mail contact with the contact person of the villa. I had several question about linen, towels, arrival time, etc... And every time within a day I received a answer. During our stay we got out of firewood for the fireplace inside the house and the fireplace outside the house (great for barbeque use). I send a e-mail to the contact person and the next day we had new wood. Finally the housecleaning service; each day our house was cleaned, showers, bedrooms, kitchen, dining and living were cleaned but our moved furniture stayed at our moved location witch was perfect! Because we moved chairs into a position that for us was more friendly. Our breakfast and dining dish was also cleaned each day. And more then enough fresh towels for shower and swimming each day Concluded; Great villa with everything you can imagine and perfectly great cleaning service. All in service of a friendly family that consider their guests as kings.

Une semaine inolvidable!

"Cadre splendide pour cette maison spacieuse et très bien équipée. Nous y avons passé un agréable séjour avec des enfants... Propriétaires charmants et restaurant à proximité (Engenho Velho) très sympa."

Fritz and Kitty

Dear Celina, thank you very much for everything you did for us. Many times you walked up and down this hill to bring us breakfast and clean the house. In two weeks we've seen a lot of this beautiful island madeira. We drove more done a thousand kilometrers to see as much as possible. We will never forget this holiday in "THE COW HOUSE" Many greetings to your husband and children Fritz and Kitty Note: this message was written in a special paper with a drawing of the hill and the valey

Magnífica casa

Família Noronha, Muitos Parabéns pela magnífica casa!!! Nem parece que estamos na Ilha da Madeira! Um local soberbo e com tudo "à mão". Adorámos a semana que foi uma semana de descanso e em família. Era tudo o que estavamos a precisar para esquecer a confusão do Funchal e o stress do dia-a-dia. Um muito obrigado pela vossa simaptia e também obrigado à Sra. Graça. Esperamos voltar em breve!

Videiras

ola ,desculpe nao responder mais cedo,pois ja vi o seu email.Mas a vida é um corre , corre .Adorei e estou ainda sem palavras,ainda dou comigo a pensar na viagem que eu e o meu marido fizemos.Temos 4 filhos e eles tambem querem ir, o que é um bocado mais dificil mas tudo é possivel. Um muito obrigado por tudo, adoramos a estadia, fomos bem recebidos.Ate um dia e muito obrigado.

Videiras

Hi there Johnny Sorry for the delay in responding to you - life continues to be as hectic as ever! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at Casa das Videiras - thank you for the opportunity. As you may remember, we decided to move on to the other side of the island, to Funchal for our last few days. We were very pleased to have experienced both aspects of Madeira - the North of the Island and the South - completely different from one another, but both equally appealing. The village and peasant surroundings where Casa das Videiras is situated are very traditional and gave us a taste of a less commercial and less tourist-focussed side of the island. However, in the middle of winter and completely out of season we did find it both a little chilly and extremely quiet - we were usually the only people dining in the local restaurants. It was this that prompted us to seek a different perspective in Funchal. We found Funchal really delightful - a beautiful area - nothing like most industrial/commercial centres in Europe. The only downside is that there is no beach - so if we were ever to visit again we would probably combine the trip with a few days on the little island of Porto Santo. Thank you for your interest in our stay, and in being so understanding about our mid-week shuffle! Best wishes to you and kind regards Jules and Jane

Un coucher de soleil ...

"Cette villa est une merveille ! jolie, au calme (la nuit, le seul "bruit" est celui des vagues...), très bien équipée, propre et très bien située. Tous les soirs, un coucher de soleil différent sur la terrasse... Nous avons passé une semaine inoubliable à Madère pour de multiples raisons : la qualité de la villa en est une."

Perfect villa

A wonderful 2 weeks in Madeira. The boys loved the swimming pool and the hot tub & were in and out of it everyday. Your home is beautiful & the hospitality was perfect. The fresh fruit went down with 3 mangoes consumed by 2 boys in a day!! Great for exploring the island by car - the views are breath taking & the roads amazing. Thank you so much once again.

PARABENS

Parabéns por ter criado condições para nos sentirmos tão bem durante estes dias.

A very special house

Dear Family Noronha, we thank you for your hospitality and the wonderful stay in your lovely house Casa do Retiro!! We very much appreciated you warm welcome and enjoyed the Madeira Wine and Bolo de Mel. Since my husband works for an airline, we always prefered houses istead of staying in hotels during our holidays. Casa do Retiro is really one of the best because it is spacious and a very nice classic style and very well maintained. Thank you very much to Mrs. Graça for the housekeeping day by day! Tito, all success with your classic cars!! Best wishes and kind regards

Le refuge

Le Refúge des Camélias, pourrait aussi s´appeler le refuge des sourires, le refuge du bongoût, le refúge de la gentilesse....... Belles douces tendres journées avec petits rayons de bonheurs á Luisa et ses parents. Evelyne( France)

3 weeks in a perfect holiday house

Dear Dr. Tito and Christina! How fast these 3 weeks of vacation have passed! Now we can say Many, many thanks for the really wonderful weeks in your holiday house on that lovely place on earth! Everything was perfect and also a "thank you" to Mrs. Graça for the ongoing housekeeping day by day what made lots of things easier and faster. After these 3 weeks we think to have seen a lot, have crossed the island in each direction again and again and made so great hiking trios along the levadas and up to the mountains. We enjoyed each day again and each trip was a new experience. We will keep this holidays for a long time in our minds. After the "whole day" excursions we enjoyed in the evening your great swimming pool, jacuzzi and for sure the barbecue + fireplace to think about the day, recreate and to make new plans for the next day. But after 3 weeks we have to say: we did not see everything and there are so many hiking trips we did not make. We will have to come back again in a near future! We will think for a long time on you both and your warm welcome, on the holiday house and on Madeira with it's great nature aroud. Many thanks again for the gifts as well! All the best!

Videiras

Exmo Sr. Dr. Johnny Bjelkaroy, agradeço o seu mail e o envio do recibo conforme prometido. Aproveito a ocasião para lhe transmitir que eu e a minha familia gostamos imenso de ficar na Casa das Videiras, e foram sem dúvida umas férias relaxantes e muito agradáveis que ficarão gravadas positivamente na nossa memória. O sítio, a acasa acolhedora e os bons serviços da Srª Natália, contribuiram para uma semana muito bem passada que esperamos poder repetir no futuro. Aproveitei esta experiência muito positiva para transmitir a muitos amigos e conhecidos pelo que certamente alguns deles irão solicitar os vossos serviços no futuro. Desejo-lhe um óptimo Verão 2011!

As Casinhas de Chocolate da Quinta Devonia

Não deve haver outro lugar tão parecido com um cenário do conto infantil como a Quinta Devónia: os três chalés de pedra escondidos pelo arvoredo imitam na perfeição a casinhas de chocolate da história de João e Maria. Ou serão o lar dos Sete Anões? Esta será a visão dos miúdos; para os adultos, a Quinta é um belíssimo refúgio no cimo de um monte sobranceiro ao Funchal. Seja qual for a nacionalidade é difícil não gostar do local, e também da privacidade que se obtém pelo simples facto das casas estarem imersas numa verdura frondosa, unidas por carreirinhos e escadas de pedra que ligam os socalcos onde se encontram.

Place for great vacation

Many thanks to family Noronha for the great holiday we had in the Casa do Retiro! The house includes everything what is needed for a stay over a longer time. The house itself is tasteful equipped with beautiful old furniture and very personal things from the family’s history. The technical equipment whatever you need, is completely available. In addition you will have in the house also a WLAN-access for permanent internet. The house itself is situated in a village-like environment and around you have access to all really needed things, like pharmacy, small supermarket or a bank and a cash machine. The beautiful big swimming pool and the whirlpool we enjoyed as really big "add on" especially on hot days or after extended hiking tours. The ambient area is completed with a big barbecue (what can be used as fireplace), a nice garden and a "gaming room". The house and all around is in very clean condition and a house maid comes everyday! Family Noronha is taking care about all the wishes of their residents to make all things perfect for the stay in their holiday house and that you have these weeks on Madeira in mind for a long time. We have enjoyed our weeks of vacation completely and can only recommend that lovely place for a stay on Madeira! Best regards Sabine and Holger

Echium

Hi Johhny, I thought i would drop you a note just to say how much we enjoyed our holiday in Madeira. Your Villa was the perfect place to be, beautiful and so clean! Philomena was very nice and worked really hard! Not that we were messy ha ha. Unfortunately we didn't see as much of the island as we would have liked due to my mum not being very mobile and i must say the taxi drivers were scoundrels! They wanted at least 20 eur every time we went to Funchal so we ended taking the bus when we could. We did find a really nice taxi driver on the last day, he normally sits on the main road near the villa. Only wish we had found him earlier. If we come back to Madeira i will certainly be hoping to stay in your villa again. sheila x

Excelente casa!

Excelente casa para uns dias de descanso...oferece óptimas condições, cada recanto da casa tem história, um jardim fantástico e o pormenor da piscina e jacuzzi veio melhorar ainda mais... Adoramos e iremos regressar com certeza. Foi um fim de semana em grande. Obrigado

Casa do Retiro, um paraíso na terra!

Foi com grande prazer que voltei a esta casa dois anos volvidos. Costuma-se dizer: “Nunca voltes ao lugar onde já foste feliz” mas ignorei o velho ditado e mais uma vez não me arrependi. Vim cá com a minha família celebrar o meu 30º aniversário, uma data especial que merecia um ambiente a condizer (02.06). Gostei imenso da estadia e adorei as inovações na casa tais como a piscina e o jacuzzi. Um obrigada ao Dr. Tito pela gentileza com que nos recebeu. Adeus e até um dia

Garden House

Hello, thanks, it was a perfect time at your place and not expensive. We was in the house with garden. Perfect breakfast and service, green natural place. Bye, Heiko & Simone

Villa Echium

Hej Johnny! vi är jättenöjda med vår vistelse i ditt fina hus. allt har varit till belåtenhet och städerskans vänliga bemötande. varma hälsningar Norrbyvällegänget/ Helena och Yvonne.

Villa Echium

Bonjour Monsieur, Juste un petit mot pour vous dire que nous avons passé de très bonnes vacances à Madère, que nous avons trouvée magnifique. La villa Echium est très agréable et bien située. La personne qui venait faire le ménage tous les jours (Filoména) est très efficace, discrète et sympathique. Nous vous remercions de votre gentillesse et nous conseillerons Madeira Rural à nos amis. Bien cordialement, Annick Borrel

Casa das Videiras

Hi Johnny Bjelkaroy. Torsten and I have mostly positive comments regarding Casa das Videiras: Good, clean room in nice quiet surroundings. Beautiful view to the surrounding town and landscape. Excellent breakfast served by Natalia, - please say hi and thank you to her from us! Good kitchen for cooking our catch. Fine, small village with good restaurants. Fair fishing in the harbor - especially at night when everyone else was gone home. The only thing we missed was a small boat or kayak to venture a little outside the harbor and to sail our bait a little ways outside the pier when fishing from the shore. If this was supplied, I am quite sure we would be back soon. Yours sincerely, Edvard Finnerup.

Videiras

Boa noite sr Johnny É com imenso agrado que dedico estas palavras á casa das Videiras : acolhedora; paz; EXCELENTE anfitriã; Gratos pelo excelente momento dedicado ao retempero de forças!!! Já passei informação sobre o seu local a uns amigos. Mantenha enquanto puder a srª que nos recebeu - este é um dos seus melhores trunfos!! Com os melhores cumprimentos, Luís Jorge Machado

Videiras

Estimado Sr. Johnny Bjelkaroy Infelizmente o tempo não deu para conhecer o Seixal como se pretendia, e por isso o tempo passado na Casa das Videiras não foi muito. A casa é bastante confortável, cómoda e funcional. No fundo sentimo-nos em casa. O pequeno almoço é bestial, assim como a simpatia da D. Natália. Resumindo, é um local recomendável pela casa em si, pelo local onde está inserido e pela simpatia da população. Cumprimentos, André Gomes

Videiras

Dear Mr Bjelkaroy It seems a long time ago, that we´ve been to Madeira.. But we kept one last bottle of red wine from Seixal and many good memories. Your house was great place to stay with a very "individual" atmosphere and friendly service - a perfect location to relax and explore the amazing north coast of the island. Yours Bärbel Sieder

Stunning and peaceful location

Once we arrived we couldn't have been happier. Stunning and peaceful location with ocean views from every bedroom. The photos in the advert do not do this house justice - it is a beautiful, comfortable and spacious home. Very clean and all facilities as advertised."

Esperamos de encontrarnos outra vez

Muchas gracias por todo, Sénora Joana. Nosotros hemos estado muy bien aqui y en Porto Santo Esperamos de encontrarnos outra vez. Hasta Y luego Sílvia e Fábio

Videiras

Bom dia eu e o meu marido adoramos a estadia na casa das videiras. A hospitalidade foi fantástica, o espaço é muito agradável. Cumpts

Videiras

Caro Johnny Foi uma experiência singular. A casa é fantástica, a D. Natália é espectacular e o sítio lindíssimo para quem quer gozar da natureza e da paisagem. Obrigado, Manuel Marques

Many thanks to the hosts of Casa do Retiro

Dear Dr. Tito and Christina, We thank you for your hospitality and the wonderful stay in Madeira and the lovely house! Best wishes and kind regards Jana Hana

In paradise

Having enjoyed every day, we really dont want to go away. We felt here like in paradise, the nature, the flowers, and this house. It stays always in our mind , the nicest place we have ever found. Ilona ( República Checa)

A unique villa

We would like to express our thanks to the family Noronha for the wonderful holiday we had in the Casa do Retiro. The whole villa with the garden possesses its specific genius loci; at the same time it´s very comfortable, tastefully furnished, very clean (the house maid comes every day and does her job excellently). The secondary road in the vicinity of the house did not disturb us at all (it was our prior concern to have a quiet place) - the yard behind the house is completely sheltered. During the evening and night it´s absolutely calm. We enjoyed the fact that the family Noronha adheres to the place - what a contrast to a faceless milieu of some hotels! The monument next to the garden represents a moving testimony from the history of the family. Best Regards, Katerina

Videiras

Dear Johnny Sorry not to reply sooner. We had a great couple of weeks touring your island, usually we stay in Funchal. We stayed there then travelled to the pousada in the mountains followed by a few days in the vineyard in the west. We then stayed at your house and were very impressed, we were the only guests apart from a mouse in the kitchen we named Nora. The house was welcolming, as was your house keeper. As an artist I particulary enjoyed all the objects left around the place making it feel a home rather than rented accomadation. All the locals were friendly and we even ended up at a local family party in the yacht club singing into the small hours. We would love to return, staying longer. thankyou. regards

Madère. 4 au 9 mars 2011.

Une très belle habitation dans un endroit qui vaut le détour. Toutes commodités, dont commerces de proximité.

Fantastic week

Yes only one week - but what a fantastic week!Your house and gardens is something to wish for better a five star hotel ! We will certainly be back Madeira to see all the friends we have and of course Family Candelária hopefully new friends . We have already started recommending your apt. to our family and friends in Jersey and England,. Thank you for your lovely welcome in wine cellar. Best wishes for the future. See you again! Allan from Jersey

Best Christmas vacation ever!

Dearst Dr. Tito, his daughters and son, We came here totally weak and overworked and we had the pleasure to profit from your wonderful hospitality! We loved your house but specially your kindness! Thank you for the lovely cakes, the Champagne and your comfortable house that made it so possible to spend the best Xmas vacation ever. Thank you Maria Laura Valdimir Hanna Thanks for everything we really enjoyed our holiday!!!

Great hospitality

We really did enjoy your great hospitality and service in this beautifull house. What more could a person want to have on this holiday. Perhaps another time we will return. Greetings Bernard ( Holland)

Beautiful house

Dear Family Candelária, Thank you for your hospitality , we really felt at home in your beautiful house. Besides it was a pleasure meeting you, talking to you and let´ts not forget:drinking the lovely Madeira wine . Hope to see you again someday , we will never forget you. Obrigado, adeus. Albert (Holland)

Reçus comme des rois

L`hospitalité n`est pas un vair mot á Madeira.Surtoût pas au Refúgio das Camélias! Reçus comme des rois , avec dègustation de vin et visite du " ´Refúge".On s´y sent comme á la maison. Un vrai house de tranquilité que l´on apprécie vraiment au retour des randonnées. Merci á la famille Candelária pour ces quelques jours. Nous reviendrons bientot ! Anne et Philippe

MERCI!

Chére Madame Un petit mot pour vous dire um grand MERCI! Nous avons passe deux journées superbes ici à Porto Santo, dans votre maison três agréable. Ça a été un plaisir de vous rencontrer, dommage qu´on ne c´est pás revus la lune… Peut être la fois prochaine? On chez nous en Egypte? Encore une fois merci, et nous meilleurs voeux de santé, de joie e de paix

Die grosse Gastfreundschaft

Liebe Familie Candelária, Wir bedanken uns recht dich fur die grosse Gastfreundschaft in Ihrem schonen Haus. Besonders gefreut hat es uns, dass wir beim Brotbacken dabei sein konnten. Wir freuen uns auf ein wiedersehen... Christa + Michael Grazianski aus Bassum bei Bremen

Férias perfeitas!

Muito obrigado pelo fim-de-semana que nos proporcionaram. A casa é magnífica e muito confortável. Esperamos ter oportunidade de regressar.

Vacaciones en Madeira

muy buena relación calidad/precio; instalaciones correctas con estilo rústico austero, interior del hoel espacioso,limpio, con diferentes estancias para leer, relajarse, o simplemente mirar a través de la ventana del jardín delicioso del hotel, que incluye mesas para desyunar fuera, zona para jugar a mini-golf; decoración interior del solar con muy buen gusto (estilo rústico-moderno-ecológico, incluyendo una mini exposición-museo de material antiguo utilizado para el trabajo rural de la zona).

Satisfaction sur le sejour passe a Casa das Proteias

Bonjour ,je tiens a vous exprimer toute ma satisfaction sur le sejour passe a casa da proteas l'accueil de maria jose a ete parfait et les installations tres agreables; le coucher de soleil sur l'oceanrestera un moment inoubliable une adresse a recommander!

O prazer da estadia

Passámos um excelente fim de semana na Casa Das Proteas. A casa tem óptimas condições, tudo o que é necessário para quem deseja uma estadia caseira. A paz, o silêncio, o mar, tudo contribui para uma estadia ainda mais prazenteira.A simpatia e atenção da D. Mª José contribuem também para uma excelente estadia.Recomendo vivamente a quem gosta de fazer férias cá dentro. Tem todas as condições par sentir-se muitíssimo bem!

Manager

Good morning Linda I am writing to let you know that we were delighted with our accommodation at Casa Grande, Sao Lourenco. Celina met us on our arrival last Monday and we were amazed that she did not just bring bread and breakfast goodies each morning but they were actually part of the 'deal'. The house was spotlessly clean and truly beautiful (only very slight disappointment, no oven, just a hob). The whole place was of a very high standard. Unfortunately, the weather was not too kind and we were unable to use the lovely swimming pool or sit on the terrace in the evenings but the views were magnificent. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Madeira, the 'feel' of the island was wonderful (we all felt we could live there very comfortably). A truly magnificent island, superb accommodation - lovely week. Thank you very much. Kind regards Beryl Heath (plus Bernard, Marilyn and Lawrence)

we....

The isle is very beautiful, but the Quinta São Lourenço is near the paradise. The family is very fiendly!

14 April 2004

Acht Tage verweilten wir auf dieser schönen insel und lieben alle pracht über uns ergehen: naturerlebnisse in ihrer prächtigen vielfalt, ausgiebige jouren in alle Richtungen - all unsere sinne kamen dabei auf ihre kosten möge dieses schöne fleckchen so natur belassen bleiben, denn auch die vielen baustellen entgingen nicht unseren blicken. In diesem schönen Häuschen fühlten wir uns sehr wohl, genossen abends die wohlige wärme am kamin, freuten uns über den unsichtbaren "Hausgeist "(Sra Graça) und erprobten fleibig in der küche kulinarische genüsse. Ein herzliches Dankeschön sagen die "Rand-Berliner"

Canhas, 04.03 bis 11.03.2004

Wir motorradfreunde Priestersöd aus Aschau im schönen Bayern, verbrachten in der Casa do Retiro auf der Insel Madeira sieben wunderschöne Tage. Kurren über Kurren, Berge über Berge, all das was ein Biker herz erfreut fanden wir hier vor. Der Gute Geist des Hauses Sra. Graza sorgte dafür, das wir uns in diesem Hause mehr als wohl fühlten. Diese Zauberhafte Insel hat uns einen her lichen Urlaub beschert, sodas wir uns eines Tages bestimmt wieder sehen werden. Obrigado