Description
This cliff top hotel is only 2 minutes’ walk away from Praia Formosa, Funchal’s largest beach. The hotel enjoys panoramic vires of the Cabo Girão hillside and is a ten-minute drive from Funchal’s city centre.
The multi-level pink building with its terracotta roofs is an attractive, colourful addition to the coastline. Rooms are simply decorated with muted colours with sea, pool or mountain views. Some superior rooms have balconies.
You can cool off in one of the two large outdoor pools, and there is a separate smaller pool for children. The pool area offers plenty of space and loungers for sunbathing, and you can keep hydrated at the Sunset Bar which has its very own swim up counter.
This is a great option for families as there are plenty of activities to keep children entertained such as the seasonal Kids Club and playground. Big kids will also find plenty of activities with the on-site tennis court, mini-golf and pool tables. Wind down in the hotel’s Spa and health centre with a session in the gym, a relaxing massage or beauty treatment, or a calm swim in the indoor pool.
As you would expect of any good quality hotel, there are plenty of dining options to satisfy any palate. The Botanic restaurant, with its fabulous palm-tree lined outdoor space, serves up typical Madeiran cuisine to give you a true flavour of the island. The São Lourenço Garden Terrace is where most meals are served and guests can enjoy international food and themed buffets. Its high position and large windows provide plenty of light, making for a bright and airy space. Take your taste buds for a journey to the East with the Royal’s Bamboo restaurant which serves up Asian cuisine in a warm atmosphere with garden views. You will even find a little bit of Italy in the guise of the Campo de Fiori restaurant which offers up traditional Italian fare.
Lighter meals can be enjoyed at the poolside Sunset Bar which is pen throughout the day and offers excellent views of the sunset at dusk. For an evening drink accompanied by nightly live entertainment, look no further than the Primavera Bar & Lounge which offers a varied music and performance programme.
The Pestana Royal All-Inclusive has private parking and is only a 25-minute drive from the airport.
**Please note, this hotel only accepts stays of 4 nights or more**
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.
