Estalagem da Ponta do Sol

Rooms

Like the rest of the hotel, the spacious bedrooms have clean and sleek lines, but the real emphasis is on looking out: all have sun terraces or balconies, and amazing views over the sea or up to the mountains.

Interiors are nearly identical, so it's the view which determines the room category. Garden View rooms look out on to the manicured lawns of the hotel or the banana plantations of the mountain opposite and the village of Ponta do Sol. Sea View rooms seem to jut out above the cliffs with views of the rocks below and the ocean stretching as far as you can see. It's worth paying the extra, in our opinion.

All rooms have air-con, big cable TVs, mini-fridge, kettle, pool towels, robes and slippers. Floor-to-ceiling windows flood light through white curtains onto comfy (if a little firm) kingsize or closely paired twin beds. We've read that the acoustics between some rooms could be better, but we heard not a sound from our neighbours.

The bathrooms are clean and compact, with smooth slate floors and rain showers, plus tubs in a few. We liked the waste-saving wall-mounted gel and shampoo dispenser, but less so the slow-draining shower tray which risked flooding our floor.

Features include:

• Hairdryer
• Minibar
• Safe box
• WiFi

Eating

Set in a prime position for watching the sunset, the glass-walled restaurant and serves up delicious, fresh Modern European food with a Madeiran twist: a welcome change from the rustic restaurants nearby. There are several delicious vegetarian options, as well as local meats and fish (try the hearty seafood and scabbard fish stew or the baked amberjack if you can). Portions are prettily presented, not too large, and washed down with fine mainland Portuguese wines by the glass or bottle. We ended up happily dining in every night of our 3-day stay; and found it fairly priced, too.

Breakfast , served in the restaurant and attached terrace, is a fabulous buffet, with homemade cakes and pastries (think pasteis de Belem, pecan loaf, cheesecakes), heaped piles of fresh fruit and granolas, cold cuts and creamy island cheeses, and a compact cooked menu of eggs and the like. You won't go hungry.

If you're around for lunch, there are lighter dishes such as goat's cheese vol-au-vents, or cold melon soup. Or it’s a short walk down to Ponta do Sol, the pick of whose eateries are the co-owned (and neighbouring) Old Pharmacy and Steak & Sun, on a pedestrian lane just in from the seafront.

Features include:

• Bar
• Breakfast
• Restaurant
• Restaurants nearby
• Vegetarian options

Activities

• Float in the infinity pool over the cliffs - exquisite
  
• Swim in the waters off Ponto da Sol's protected pebble beach
  
• The hotel arranges free mountain- and levada walks , (Mon-Fri, weather permitting), with drop off and pick up too. Levadas are irrigation channels that usefully provide a wonderful network of walking trails throughout the island
  
• Or take a 4-hour cruise in the hotel’s catamaran to see dolphins, seals and turtles. They also arrange trips to the Desert Isles: marine reserves off the southeast coast
  
• Chill out in the mini-spa: there’s a steam room, sauna, 2 treatment rooms, and a stunning chromotherapy bath overlooking the cliff
  
• It's only 20 mins to the pretty cobbled lanes, artsy bistros and famous Botanic Gardens of historic Funchal, with a hotel shuttle running most days
  
• The diving and snorkelling off this coast is superb
  
• Catch the shuttle to their private beach, Faja dos Padres. It’s a volcanic black sand beach and even has its own restaurant
  
• The shuttle also ferries guests to Calheta Beach, the art centre of Ribiera Brava and Palheiro Golf Club
  
• Jump in the car and explore all the fishing villages on this southern end of the island

Activities on site or nearby include:

• Birdwatching
• Boat trips
• Cycling
• Fishing
• Golf
• Hiking
• Nightlife
• Pool table
• Sailing
• Scuba diving
• Snorkelling
• Surfing
• Swimming
• Well being
• Wildlife
• Windsurfing

Kids

It’s not that great a place for little kids – too many steps with a buggy and the atmosphere is a bit too serene. Having said that, those aged up to 4 are free and babysitting can be arranged. There are extra beds but no baby cots so you'll need to bring your own.

Best for:

Babies (0-1 years), Children (4-12 years), Teens (over 12)

Distances:

• Airport: 25 minutes
• Shops: 5 minutes

For more family-friendly places, see our Kids Collection

Location

Estalagem da Ponta do Sol is in the village of Ponta do Sol, on Madeira's south coast, about a 30-minute drive from the town of Funchal.

By Air
Funchal airport has plenty of scheduled, budget and charter flights from airports across the UK and Europe.

From the Airport
It's 40km (about 45 minutes' drive) from the airport to the hotel. The hotel can arrange airport transfers for you (sometimes these are complimentary for longer stays), and this is a hotel where you could survive without a car, using their free shuttles. But if you want to explore at will, or beyond the south coast and nearby mountains, then hiring a car is very reasonable: just keep alert on the steep and often twisty Madeiran lanes.

Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.