Hotels

Madeira is famed for the quality of its hotels. The majority have top-notch facilities, from soothing spas to fitness centers to indoor and outdoor swimming pools. In Funchal, options range from majestic old hotels on lavish estates to ultramodern high-rises with terraces that lap the sea. Simpler options also abound, including quiet pensões (pensions) and little albergarias (inns). In the countryside, consider also staying on a farm or rural bed-and-breakfast, usually in a remote part of the island. Known as Casas Rural (www.madeira-rural.com), these really only make sense if you’re traveling by car.

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