MADEIRA, PORTUGAL
Madeira, Portugal - Luxury Travel Magazine
 | |||||
Sweet Madeira | |||||
| By: Jeanine Barone, Issue 41 – Summer 2010 | |||||
| (Madeira, Portugal) | |||||
| WITH VOLCANIC PEAKS, EXOTIC FLOWERS AND A WILD VIRGIN FOREST DATING BACK MILLIONS OF YEARS, THE PORTUGUESE ISLAND OF MADEIRA HAS MUCH TO DISCOVER AND THE CHOUPANA HILLS RESORT AND SPA IS AN IDEAL HOME-BASE FOR EXPLORATION WRITES JEANINE BARONE. | |||||
| Hemmed in by lofty walls that sweep by in a blur, we careened down the steep cobblestone streets, weaving past parked cars and around hairpin turns in a twoperson wicker sofa set atop wooden runners. While the children in the carriages behind us wailed in glee, I held my breath as the “drivers,” two men dressed in traditional garb (pure white shirts and trousers and sporty straw boaters), steered and braked using their feet. This descent along a mountain slope originated in the 19th century when horses pulled these wicker carriages accommodating both passengers and produce. Now it’s been transformed into a popular one-mile residential rollercoaster ride on Madeira, an island bursting with activities and authenticity. This Portuguese isle, sitting some 600 miles from Lisbon, offers surprises aplenty for families who alight on her rocky shores. With volcanic peaks, exotic flowers and a wild virgin forest dating back millions of years, Madeira has oh, so much more than the fortified wines for which it’s renowned. In fact, this island Eden is an homage to all things botanical. Considering it’s blessed with yearround subtropical weather, families may find their most difficult decision to be budgeting enough time on this island for all the green activities. The Choupana Hills Resort and Spa is an ideal home-base for exploration. High on the hills above Funchal the capital city, this hotel is a Zen-inspired oasis that conjures up calm. Dozens of stilted bungalows (constructed of teak and basalt stone with walls of glass) dot the property that’s lush with orchids, palms, eucalyptus and other exotic plants. These tropical gardens with their myriad paths are perfect for children to explore. One great option is the family bungalow, which allows parents and kids to enjoy independence in their own deluxe double rooms – with individual televisions, bathrooms and seafacing verandahs – connected by a short internal hallway. All guests have the choice of two spacious, heated pools: the indoor pool is decked out with an immense glass wall that overlooks the outdoor pool. But it’s the spa where most guests eventually gravitate. The hotel offers mothers-to-be a specialised massage, while others may opt for one of the body cleansing rituals using exotic limes to tone, ginger for its cleansing properties and salt as an exfoliant. Afterward, visit the hotel’s restaurant where Chef Momo Abbane presides over a relatively new fusion Mediterranean menu that includes dishes such as Atlantic tuna with wasabi puree – relying, as much as possible, on local produce. And parents needn’t dismay that their kids will turn up their noses at this sophisticated fare. Xopana, the hotel’s restaurant, offers a special kids’ menu. Choupana provides a regular shuttle service to Funchal where families can pile into a cable car that sweeps above the red-tile roofed houses, leafy foliage, banana fields and cliffs to a 550-metre summit. There, the Monte Palace Tropical Garden will delight children of all ages, thanks to its Asian-style bridges, ponds stocked with koi, and a maze of paths lined by an array of curiosities, such as tall ceramic vases, coats of arms and stone window frames. Not far away, the Madeira Botanical Garden is a confection of cacti, palms, aromatics and other botanicals. Before checking out the multitiered property, many kids are captivated by the small National History Museum near the entrance, which is stocked with fossils, birds’ nests and old specimen bottles. Admission to the gardens includes access to Parrot Park where some children may choose to chase the roaming peacocks while most are captivated by the squealing species of parakeets, macaws and cockatoos that call this garden home. As for ocean life, the creatures that populate the seas surrounding the archipelago are the inhabitants of the Madeira Aquarium in Porto Moiz, a small coastal village on the island’s northwest tip. Here, families can gaze at the moray eels, eagle rays, octopus, spiny starfish, purple sea stars and other specimens in the myriad tanks. Those who’d rather be a participant than a spectator can swim in the nearby natural rock pools connected by a network of concrete paths. The volcanic rocks shelter the warmish water from the turbulent seas, but not from the welcome spray of the crashing waves. Even shopping can be an outdoor adventure in Madeira, at the vibrant covered market in Funchal. The section with blooming flowers is a cornucopia of scents and colors, and families can wander among the dozens of fruit and vegetable vendors tasting sweet mini bananas, custard fruit and passion fruit. But the show-stopper for kids is exploring the fish market where, among the slabs of raw tuna and dried cod, you will find the island’s delicacy: the ugly black scabbard fish. With bulbous eyes and sharp jagged teeth, this monstrous specimen appears quite fearsome. Madeira’s authenticity extends to its preservation of its unique landscape, as well. In Ribeiro Frio, a small mountain village a short drive from Funchal, is a prime example of the island’s native woodland, the laurisilva forest that’s so precious it’s designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. (The tree heathers, mahogany, laurel and other species that cloak the slopes are the largest preserved remnants of the primeval wood that coated large parts of southern Europe until the Ice Age.) Here, kids will find a small fish farm where rainbow trout swim in stone containers along paths lined with blooming flowers. Across the road is snuggled a peaceful picnic spot beside the river for which the area is named. But the highlight of any visit is the 30-minute round-trip walk along a level path that borders a narrow levada, or irrigation channel, one of dozens of aqueducts for which Madeira is famous. Though most are quite vertiginous, this path, the Levada dos Balcoes, is perfect for the whole family. Coursing through the woods where there may be some bird watching opportunities, the path reveals its signature feature at the terminus – a wood-fence-rimmed balcony with dizzying views of the island’s high peaks and deep valleys hundreds of metres below. Most families who visit an island haven expect some beach time. While Madeira lacks a swimmable sandy shoreline, there’s an easy remedy for this weakness. Porto Santo, an isle that’s part of the Madeira archipelago, is a mere 15-minute flight away. With its calm seas and with its south shore ribboned with a six-mile stretch of golden sandy beaches, Porto Santo makes for a perfect day trip of snorkeling, swimming and sunning. Families may look curiously at the locals who partly bury themselves in the sand. But, after learning that the grains are said to harbour miraculous healing properties for bones and joints, they may want to join right in. | |||||
|
