The Madeira Palace Hotel on the west side of Funchal where we were
staying.
Below - The hotel from the Swimming Pool Bar and the pool
itself where music was played through underwater speakers.
The view from our balcony each morning
Reid's Palace Hotel where all the British used to stay. You need
to book for afternoon tea and cakes and it costs £13 each, but every visitor to Madeira
HAS to do it.
Camera de Lobos, a few miles to the West of Funchal. This was a
favourite of Sir Winston Churchill who often went there to paint
To the right, the cliffs of Cabao Girao. The second highest cliffs
in Europe. Not for those who suffer from vertigo.
Below, the little village of Sao Vicente on the North coast. It
was here that we explored some caves formed when the hot larva forced its way through the
limestone rock, then cooled and left behind tunnels.
The wild coastline to the North West of the island
At Porto Moniz the larva flow had cooled down leaving these warm
pools for swimming
Looking down the mountain to Porto Moniz as we were leaving to
drive back to Funchal
Above Funchal, at the top of the cable car are the Monte Palace
Tropical Gardens. Very beautiful but terribly steep slopes and steps. We should have
listened to the advice that you can't take a wheel chair there, but we didn't and were
nearly exhausted by the time we came out.
Outside the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens you can take a sledge
ride. They used to take you right down to the town centre, but now its considered too
dangerous, so they only take you for 2 Km down steep hills on the public roads. We then
walked another 3 Kms down to the water front from there.
Pico do Arieiro. This is the highest point to which you can take a
car and the third highest point on the island. To get to the other two points you have
some stiff walking to do.
"A" Frame houses at Santana to the North East of the
island. A typical design for the region.
The very beautiful peninsular of Sao Lorenco is to the South East
of the island
