See the beautiful gardens of Madeira with Adam Frost

Itinerary

1. Day

   1

   Arrive in Funchal

   Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

   

   Fly to Funchal and transfer to the centrally-located four-star Enotel Quinta do Sol, your hotel for seven nights.

   Meals - Dinner
2. Day

   2

   Monte Gardens, Quinta do Lago, Evening Talk

   Monte Palace Tropical Garden, Portugal

   

   This morning, accompanied by Adam, you will visit Monte, up high in the hills on the outskirts of Funchal, where we will visit Monte Palace Tropical Garden. These oriental gardens are exquisite, complete with Asian-style bridges, arches and a pond filled with koi carp; they also house a historic tile collection gathered from Portuguese palaces, churches and private residences.

   Later we return to Funchal by coach, or you may wish to take the cable car for a dramatic 15-minute descent to the capital. If you're feeling really adventurous, you could take the famous Monte toboggan ride. This involves descending the narrow streets in a cushioned wicker basket mounted on wooden runners, steered from the rear by skilled drivers - Ernest Hemingway described the experience as exhilarating. This afternoon, we visit Jardin do Lago, a luxurious, privately owned botanical garden. Accompanied by Adam, you will be able to take in the lush gardens and more than 500 different species of plants which are unique in variety and natural beauty.

   This evening, before dinner, there will be a talk led by Adam. After this talk, there will be the opportunity to ask questions.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
3. Day

   3

   Palheiro Gardens & afternoon tea at Reid’s

   Quinta do Palheiro gardens, Portugal
   Afternoon tea included

   

   We visit the Palheiro Gardens, world famous for its variety of flora and its beautiful setting in the hills overlooking Funchal. Palheiro was laid out in the early 19th century by a French landscape architect for the Count of Carvalhal before being acquired in the early 20th century by the Blandy family, famous wine producers. Over the next decades, the gardens were populated with thousands of plants from around the world, from North American sequoia trees to South African Proteas, all flourishing in Madeira's rich soils and clement weather. This is a blissful place to explore at your leisure, taking in all the colours and fragrances, with a chance to linger when a particular specimen catches your eye.

   This afternoon, we visit the famous Reid's Palace for afternoon tea with Adam. Situated in the cocktail bar of Reid's Palace, you will get to sample delicate finger sandwiches, freshly baked scones and homemade pastries, all accompanied by your choice from a selection of 24 teas or an indulgent glass of champagne.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
4. Day

   4

   Funchal & Botanical Gardens

   Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

   

   After breakfast, a local guide takes us on a walking tour of the historic centre of Funchal, often called 'little Lisbon' as it overlooks a spectacular harbour and boasts grand 18th-century buildings with shaded courtyards. Narrow streets wind through its centre, broadening out onto lively squares and tree-lined walkways.

   Inspiring sights include the Igreja do Colégio, a church with a plain exterior that belies its sumptuous Baroque interior, and the 15th-century Sé Cathedral, one of the few buildings dating from colonial times. It is the island's main religious building and features the original 16th-century altar, imposing arches and ornate gold-framed paintings; its ceiling, made from local wood, is one of Portugal's most beautiful. Devotees of modern architecture will love the Art Deco Mercado dos Lavradores or farmers' market, a hive of activity as shoppers fill their baskets with the island's sun-ripened produce. Look out for the patterned pavements, typically Portuguese and painstakingly pieced by hand, and for the colourful street art on the doors of buildings.

   A treat is in store as we pause for a tasting of the island's best-known export - Madeira wine. The process of heating the wine originated by accident when 16th-century sailors discovered that wines picked up in Madeira tasted richer after the casks had been heated and cooled during passage through the Tropics. Today, the styles of this fortified wine range from dry to lusciously sweet. In between is medium Verdelho, the variety the British traditionally serve with the crumbly sponge cake named after the wine.

   This afternoon, you will visit the Botanical Gardens and it's beautiful setting in the hills overlooking Funchal. You will be able to pass the afternoon walking through the spectacularly manicured gardens.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
5. Day

   5

   Eastern Madeira

   Ribeiro Frio National Park, Portugal

   

   Today we explore the eastern seaboard, passing diverse landscapes from craggy coastlines to ancient forests. Ponta do Rosto is Madeira's easternmost point, on a sliver of land jutting out into the Atlantic, and offers dazzling panoramas. On clear days the island of Porto Santo shimmers in the distance. Following the northern coast, we call at sleepy Porto da Cruz, named after a large cross displayed to identify it to passing sailors. Dominated by the sheer-sided Penha d'Aguia or Eagle Rock, this 16th-century parish is renowned for producing sugar cane spirit and a dry red wine made from the Americana grape.

   We leave the village and track the coastline, where, incredibly, every patch of land is farmed to provide food for its isolated communities. There's further proof of Madeirans' capacity for self-sufficiency in Santana, a town notable for its A-frame thatched houses. Made from stone, wood and anything else to hand, they have brightly painted doors and windows and each sits on its own plot of land used to grow food. As you enjoy a stroll around these well-preserved 16th-century dwellings, you get a sense of what it was like to live here when villagers relied solely on their own toil for survival.

   We head towards the mountainous interior and one of the highlights of the tour - the UNESCO-listed Ribeiro Frio National Park. Around 90 per cent of the park is covered by ancient Laurisilva or laurel trees, and the area features many endemic flora and fauna, such as ferns and the trocaz pigeon. The region also plays a vital role in Madeira's ecosystem, as moisture captured by the trees feeds into a 1,355-mile network of channels that distribute water across the island for drinking, agriculture and hydroelectric power.

   Ascending slopes cloaked in fragrant eucalyptus and swirling mists, we emerge at Pico do Arieiro, Madeira's third-highest mountain at 5,930 feet. Here, above the treeline and sometimes even higher than the clouds, the vistas are some of the most memorable you'll ever see. You may even spot the Valley of the Nuns way below. On clear days almost all of Madeira is visible, including its highest summit - the 6,100-foot Pico Ruivo.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
6. Day

   6

   Day at leisure

   Funchal, Madeira, Portugal

   

   Today you have a free day to enjoy Madeira at your own leisure.

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
7. Day

   7

   Curral das Freiras & Câmara dos Lobos

   Curral das Freiras, Portugal

   

   Our morning begins with a short drive north to Madeira's dramatic interior and the Curral das Freiras or Valley of the Nuns.

   To appreciate the solitude of this place, we drive to Eira do Serrado, over 3,500 feet above sea level, part of a natural cauldron of jagged peaks and chasms, with time to soak up the glorious views down to the village of Curral das Freiras itself. Descending to the village, you can see why in 1566 the nuns of Funchal's Santa Clara convent relocated to this almost inaccessible valley to flee a pirate attack. Today it is also known for the sweet chestnuts cultivated on its terraced hillsides - you'll enjoy sampling these tasty treats. It even hosts an annual festival celebrating this versatile nut, which is used in products from cakes to soups to liqueurs.

   After lunch, we head to Câmara de Lobos, a fishing village built around a bay with Europe's highest cliffs forming a breathtaking backdrop. Inspired by its location, the colourful boats and whitewashed buildings with distinctive terracotta roofs, Winston Churchill stayed here to paint the harbour during his visit to Madeira in 1950.

   Câmara de Lobos is still a working port, with boats pulled up onto the beach after night fishing for the local black scabbard fish known as espada. It's a charming village to saunter, exploring the cobbled streets and visiting the simple Saint Anthony's Chapel, where fishermen's wives traditionally said prayers for the safe return of their menfolk. Or you can relax in a harbour café with a glass of poncha, an elixir of sugar cane spirit, honey and lemon juice enjoyed by the fishermen returning to land their catch in the morning - and said to cure the common cold!

   Meals - Breakfast, Dinner
8. Day

   8

   Return home

   Funchal airport, Portugal
   Meals - Breakfast