PRICE:
Frommer's Very Highly Recommended

The core of this hotel, in the hills above Funchal, dates from 1844, when it was built as a private villa. Its owner has added two outlying annexes in the Portuguese colonial style. The complex is now a government-rated five-star hotel. A verdant garden surrounds the annexes, which hold comfortable guest rooms. Rooms are slightly larger in the annex, constructed in 1991. Furnishings include high-quality mahogany reproductions and a scattering of English and Portuguese antiques. The bathrooms have combined showers and tubs, and deluxe toiletries. A well-staffed formal restaurant, Casa Mãe, is in the original villa. The more relaxed Avistas Navios offers sweeping views and regional and international cuisine.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's Portugal, 20th Edition, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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