For a stay unlike any other in Madeira look no further than the 4-star Monte Mar Palace Hotel (4Q), which offers modern amenities and comfortable surroundings amid the incredible natural beauty of the island’s unspoilt north coast. From its clifftop setting in the quiet village of Ponta Delgada, you can enjoy breathtaking views of the mountainous coastline clad in UNESCO-protected laurel forests.
The hotel was excellent in every way. The staff very friendly, efficient and courteous, the accommodation excellent and the restaurant brilliant.
Monte Mar Palace Hotel,
Sítio do Montado 9240-104,
Ponta Delgada - São Vicente,
Madeira,
Portugal
Introduction
The dramatic north-coast location of the 4-star Monte Mar Palace Hotel (4Q) is perfect for a peaceful holiday.
Accommodation
All 112 air-conditioned bedrooms have a balcony with sea view. Rooms feature a bath with an overhead shower.
Air conditioning Balcony Television Telephone Hairdryer Fridge Safe (extra charge)
Food and Drink
The Monte Mar Palace Hotel offers both international and Portuguese cuisine, served buffet-style, in its restaurant. Another bar offers drinks between May and September, there is a pool bar. The bar will be open from 11am to 11pm serving local alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
Entertainment
You can enjoy the following programme of activities and entertainment during your holiday. Activities may change from time to time and some activities may be at an additional cost.
Live music five nights a week
Table Tennis
Billiards
Squash (extra charge)
Talk on Madeira culture and traditions
The following Saga Host-led walks are available
Lombada walk: Local bus service to Lombada, walk back to hotel
Please note, all walks are subject to availability and the local bus is at own cost.
The road curves down the hillside to Ponta Delgada's small marina which has a cafe. There is a public bus stop outside the hotel where a local bus departs for Funchal twice a day and returns from Funchal to Ponta Delgada once daily (departure times are available in resort). The journey time by local bus from Ponta Delgada to Funchal is approximately three-and-a-half hours. A free courtesy bus runs twice daily, six days a week, to the village of São Vicente. The area is particularly well suited to walkers with tropical plants and flowers everywhere.
Funchal airport is approximately one-and-a-quarter-hour’s’ drive away.
Ponta Delgada
Peace and quiet is the main allure of Ponta Delgada, which juts out over the Atlantic Ocean amid sublime natural scenery. This small village on the northern coast holds an air of cultural sophistication that is truly inviting.
Discover the north of the island on one of the most dramatic scenery tours on offer. Drive along the coastal road taking-in villages like mountainous Boaventura, which is regarded as a sanctuary of nature. Arco de Sao Jorge takes its name from the arc shape mountains that surround it, a graceful town which has a Rose Garden which is open at certain times of the year and boasts the largest collections of roses in Portugal.
Half day
Madeira
Portugal
Europe
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Included on 14 nights itinerary
Included on 21 nights itinerary
Included on 28 nights itinerary
Nuns' Valley
Enjoy a trip through beautiful countryside to the panoramic viewpoint of Eira do Serrado. From here you can see Nuns’ Valley, lying at the bottom of a volcanic crater. The views from here — or simply through the glass wall in the restaurant/shop at the summit — are stunning so have your camera handy. You then travel down into the crater to the village, where there's time to visit a bar to sample the local cherry liqueur and Madeira cake.
Half Day
Madeira
Portugal
Europe
Included on 7 nights itinerary
Included on 14 nights itinerary
Included on 21 nights itinerary
Included on 28 nights itinerary
West Coast Tour
Journey to the west of the island, a tour encompassing waterfalls where the majestic green of the hillsides contrasts with the crystalline blue sea. Your first stop is Chao de Ribeira, a wide valley featuring a rich variety of plants and trees which form part of the glorious Laurissilva Forest, classified as a World Natural Heritage Site. The coastal settlement of Seixal boasts a trout farm and a picturesque waterfall, ‘The Brides Veil.’ Continue through the tunnels to Porto Moniz. This is the most north-western point of the island and also one of the most spectacular with volcanic pools forming a natural lido on the shore.
Half day
Madeira
Portugal
Europe
Included on 14 nights itinerary
Included on 21 nights itinerary
Included on 28 nights itinerary
Optional on 7 nights itinerary
Ribeira Brava and Cabo Girao
Spend a pleasant morning heading towards the picture-postcard village of Ribeira Brava, which translates as ‘Mad River.’ The name comes from a terrible storm 90 years ago which saw a torrent of floodwater wash much of the north of the island down to the south west and into the sea. Discover more about the island culture at Madeira's Ethnographic Museum in the village (entrance not included), and afterwards stroll the cobbled streets to see the church and market. You then travel via the old road to Cabo Girão. Rising to nearly 2,000 feet, it's said to be the second highest sea cliff in the world, so there are spectacular views of the ocean and mountains - don't forget your camera!
Half Day
Cabo Girao
Madeira
Portugal
Europe
Included on 14 nights itinerary
Included on 21 nights itinerary
Included on 28 nights itinerary
Optional on 7 nights itinerary
East Tour
An opportunity to experience traditional Madeira on a beautiful East island excursion.
Travel along roads surrounded in lush vegetation, and stop at several panoramic view points along the way. Follow the coast road to Faial, where lunch is included, before continuing on to Ribeiro Frio which boasts a trout farm hatchery surrounded by a beautiful garden. Continue on to Santana Village which is known for its ‘A’ frame houses and then marvel at Portela’s view point before seeing the eastern tip of the Island at Caniçal.
Full Day
Madeira
Portugal
Europe
Optional on 7 nights itinerary
Optional on 14 nights itinerary
Optional on 21 nights itinerary
Optional on 28 nights itinerary
Monte
Visit pretty Monte, famed for its beautiful church and its wicker toboggan rides down the sloping streets towards Funchal. These snowless toboggans, called carros de cesto, are guided by straw-hatted men and rides are available for approximately €25 (not included) and are payable by participants directly to the drivers. If you'd like to try this novel experience, please note you do so at your own expense and your own risk – Saga cannot take responsibility for your safety.