Dancing In Madeira At The Hotel Vila Gale Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz

"Known as the 'floating garden' or 'garden isle' and blessed with both unforgettably dramatic scenery and a moderate sub-tropical climate, Madeira is a wonderful destination to visit at almost any time of year"

Jonathan Plumridge,

Managing Director

Hotel description

Vila Gale Santa Cruz ****

4-star | Santa Cruz

The beautifully conceived Hotel Vila Galé Santa Cruz sits right at the heart of the endearingly Madeiran historic coastal community of Santa Cruz. Given its size, its architectural harmony with its historic small town setting is striking and seems to derive principally from the skill of its architect hotelier owner, who was also involved in the general architectural uplift and relandscaping of the area that surrounds it. Embracing and sheltering an expansive pool area that looks directly out to sea and the Deserted Isles (Ilhas Desertas) that lie just off the Madeiran coast, the vast windows and open plan public areas of the hotel allow huge amounts of natural light to vivify its interior, which though largely modern in terms of styling in no sense lacks the warmth associated with more traditional hotel interior designs. In addition to spacious well-lit public areas the hotel also features a delightful spa facility offering attractive sea views from its fairly sizeable indoor pool, direct access both to the historic centre of Santa Cruz and its fairly recently reconstructed seafront promenade, and a scheduled hotel shuttle-bus service to and from the centre of the Madeiran capital, Funchal.

Rooms: 258 elegant bedrooms with balconies, satellite TV, DVD & CD players in rooms, bathrooms with bath/shower & hairdryer

Other Facilities: Half board buffet meals with show cooking, large outdoor pool with wonderful sea views, atmospheric ‘Soul & Blues’ bar, a spacious ballroom with natural light, large sofa strewn lobby lounge, relaxing spa facility (extra charges apply), complimentary shuttle bus to central Funchal.

Wi-Fi: Free of charge in both the hotel's public areas and bedrooms

Madeira

Awash with colours as vibrant as her scenery is dramatic, the enchanting Portuguese island of Madeira is located 360 miles from the coast of north-west Africa and 535 miles from Lisbon. An island blanketed with flowers with rugged mountains tumbling down into blue waters, this ‘floating garden’ of 30 miles in length, 13 miles in breadth at its widest point, and with a coastline of just under 90 miles, is affectionately and admiringly referred to as ‘the Pearl of the Atlantic’. Blessed with a moderate sub-tropical climate, Madeira is a wonderful destination to visit at almost any time of the year.

Santa Cruz

Santa Cruz was only the second community in Madeira to establish itself, after its neighbour Machico, where Portuguese mariners first landed in the 15th century. Its oldest buildings, its beautiful parish church and equally impressive town hall, both date from the 16th century and flank the community's highly picturesque main square. Also to be found in the square are a small but highly colourful park featuring local subtropical plants, and a couple of enticingly attractive cafés cum restaurants with highly popular permanently occupied seating in the pretty square itself. Beyond the square lie delightful cobbled lanes, a second pedestrianised square, a variety of typical local shops, a number of small bars and restaurants, an interesting covered fish market, and an alluring sea front promenade with a second attractive park containing a scenically set children's play area to its rear.

Optional Excursion Possibilities

The Scenic East – Climb to the summit of the island’s second tallest mountain, Pico do Arieiro, to enjoy magnificent views before heading into the ancient Laurisilva forests surrounding the trout farms of Ribeiro Frio. Next stop in the verdant agricultural village of Santana to view its pretty selection of traditional Madeiran cottages before stopping at the scenic unspoilt peninsula of Ponte São Lourenço and the wicker-working community of Camacha.

The Wild West – This itinerary takes in much of the island’s wildest, most dramatic scenery, including visits to the tallest sea cliffs in Europe at Cape Girão, the moor-like mountain marshlands of Paúl da Serra, and the weather beaten cliffs and bays of the island’s North West. There are also stops at the coastal communities of Camara de Lobos, Porto Moniz, and Ribeira Brava.

Levada Walking Programme – Select from a choice of guided levada walks in scenically contrasting areas of the island. There are options for most levels of fitness and detailed advice will be offered to enable you to select appropriate itineraries.