The Hotel

This stylish 5-star hotel has a spectacular cliff side location near the city of Funchal. Looking out onto the vast Atlantic Ocean and onto the gardens and bay below, it enjoys exceptional views and is only 25 minutes from the airport. With two large outdoor saltwater swimming pools, direct access to the Atlantic and a diving centre, you will never be short of water-based activities. Children can enjoy plenty of fun activities including mini-golf, a games room, and a playground; meanwhile adults can keep up their game on the hotel’s tennis courts. For those looking for more relaxing activities, the hotel has its own spa featuring a 25 foot indoor swimming pool, a jacuzzi, Turkish bath and Magic Spa treatments and massages. Rooms are elegantly furnished with neutral colours and each has an LCD TV, WiFi, air conditioning and a balcony, and benefit from sea, mountain or pool views. 

The Pestana Carlton’s is proud of the variety and number of culinary options on offer to its guests with four on-site restaurants. The Os Arcos restaurant, which hosts the buffet breakfast, offers diverse buffet services and seasonal show cooking displays. The Pub offers a truly British experience with pub snacks and sports available, or for other lighter meals you can seek out the Garden Pool Restaurant & Bar which also offers juices, smoothies and, in summer months, a la carte evening menus featuring Mediterranean cuisine.  Step back in time at the Taverna Grill where you are greeted by a suit of armour and a restaurant decked out medieval-style décor. Enjoy cocktails and live music in the Taverna bar (seasonal) or cool down with a drink and an ice cream at the seasonal Atlântico Pool Bar and take in the splendid sea views. The Pestana Carlton has everything you might need during your stay, on the first floor you will find shops selling everything from swimsuits to packets of biscuits, an on-site hairdresser, a nail salon, and even some reading materials – books left behind by former guests.

Relax in the charming, green city of Funchal on the island of Madeira. Surrounded by mountains, this vibrant city faces the depths of the blue Atlantic and boasts a mild climate all year round. Funchal is Madeira’s oldest city and where the island’s first settlement was established. Exploring the old town you can spot testaments to its history through some of the remaining 15th century buildings such as the Corpo Santo Chapel. The Rua de Santa Maria is one of the city’s oldest streets and you will spot some old family-run businesses. Its prime position in the Atlantic means that Madeira has often been used as a stopover for ships traversing the Atlantic, and as its main port city, Funchal became a key trading point. The city has come on a long way from its roots as a fennel-growing pirate haven and has evolved into a world class destination renowned for its modern and lively atmosphere with many great restaurants, hotels and entertainment venues, not to mention the natural beauty surrounding the city. It is one of the main ports of call for cruise liners and many cruise ships berth in Funchal on their maiden voyage. Seeing multiple cruise ships in port is quite a usual sight in this city and the cafes, restaurants and historic centre are just moments away from the port.

The nightlife scene has much to offer visitors with bars and clubs open until the early hours and the popular Madeira Casino offering nightly entertainment. Alongside the popular cosmopolitan areas like Funchal, Madeira is a rich, beautiful island with experiences to cater to many tastes. With nearly two thirds of the island’s surface classified as a nature reserve, there is no shortage of beautiful natural scenery. One of the most popular activities is hiking along the Levadas and mountains; these routes follow the 16th century ‘Levadas’ which are open air canals used to carry water from the dense forests and waterfalls to the island’s towns and cities. These hikes take you through some of the greenest parts of the island and you can marvel at the luscious laurel forests and picturesque waterfalls.

For those looking for adventurous breaks, Madeira has a wealth of activities including diving, surfing, swimming with dolphins, boat trips, mountain-biking, canyoning and even coastal paragliding. Many of the island’s hotels have swimming pools so you are never far from somewhere to cool off. Like many archipelagos, Madeira has a number of fascinating customs and delicacies that are unique to the island. The toboggan rides through the city of Funchal, where people barrel down steep hills in large wicker baskets aided by ‘drivers’ in boater hats, is an intriguing sight to behold and an exhilarating experience.

As an island nation, seafood plays a huge role in Madeira’s gastronomy, but its mild year-round climate creates the perfect conditions to grow delicious produce such as bananas, pineapples and sugar cane. One of the island’s traditional drinks is ‘Poncha’ made with brandy cane sugar, lemons and honey and no trip would be complete without sampling some traditional Madeira wine. 

It typically takes 4 hours (direct) or between 5-6 hours (connecting) to fly to Madeira from the UK. Some airlines (such as British Airways, Easyjet and Jet2) offer direct flights to the island, while others connect via Lisbon.