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Funchal Cable
car- the cable car leaves Funchal and is located next to the bus
station. It terminates at one of the entrances to Jardins Tropicais do
Monte. You can come back down by toboggan. The toboggans are basically
large wicker baskets attached to wooden runners. I think you will find
it a memorable trip.
Why not take a trip on a
replica of Cristovão Colombo ship, departing from the port of Funchal.
Canico de Baixo,
Lido Galo Mar and Praia dos Magos are all about 5 minutes away and
are excellent places for swimming.
Camache is about 10minutes away and is the centre of the wicker
industry and is home to one of Madeira’s largest handicraft centres.
Santa Cruz is also about 10minutes drive away and on the way
the airport. It is a very appealing place and well worth a visit for a
coffee, lunch or an ice cream and look at the sea. It has a lovely
palm- lined sea front and a small market. For the swimmer there are
off shore diving platforms you can swim out to. There is also a lido
here with a sea water pool and a separate children’s pool as well as
sun-loungers and umbrellas. A lovely place to relax for a day.
Machico is about 15 minutes away from Garajau and is seeped in
history and was the former capital of the island. They are now
developing a marina there. Well worth a visit for a lazy lunch in the
square and a bit of people watching. You can also sit on the sea wall
and admire the views out to sea. When the tide is out there is a
narrow beach.
Calheta Its
well worth a trip down to the beach at Calheta. It has a lovely
man-made sandy beach with loungers and is wonderful for swimming.
 Levada
walks - Walking is a popular leisure pursuit in Madeira and most
people enjoy walking along the Levadas, which are irrigation channels
collecting the water off the mountains. There are walks for the
complete beginner up to the most competent walker and offer wonderful
scenery along the way.
GOLF
As from June 09 we
are able to offer 30% discount at Palheiro golf course to all our
guests staying at Magnolia House. Palheiro golf course is only
10 minutes drive from the house. There is another course at
Santo da Serra nearby, where weekly deals are available. There
are also plans for a 3rd golf course designed by Nick Faldo.
PORTO SANTO
If you are planning a longer visit, a weekend trip to Porto Santo
is very worthwhile. It is only 2 hours by ferry and you can have
a game on the Seve Ballestros course, where the Madeira Open is held.
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Garajau:
From the main strip of shops, a road winds down the cliff face,
passing some new modern, pristine villas to a statue of Christ. This
statue is a smaller version of the one in Rio de Janero.
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Above:
Funchal |
CAR
HIRE
There are many car hire firms in Madeira. There is one 2 minutes
from Magnolia house in Garajau. We ourselves always book
on the internet prior to our visit and pick the car up at the
airport. Car hire is around 250euros a week so its worth
shopping around for a better deal. |
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