Calheta Vacation Rental villa: Prazeres

My girlfriend and I stayed a week in July at Casa Azul. It was a perfect place to stay to enjoy Madeira.

The house is large, spacious and comfortable, with all the bits and bobs you'd could want, from the coffee maker and corkscrew to the wireless internet access and satellite TV. The pool is a good size, about 3m by 7m, enough room to swim up and down or get a couple of lilos (provided) in and lounge around. The sun was on the pool for the morning and afternoon, then on the side of the house where the large outside table and barbeque were during the afternoon and early evening.

The house location in Prazeres is great, nice and quiet in a small village but easily accessible from the main road around the island. There's a lovely levada nearby for easy walking, and the road past the levada goes on up onto the high plain of the Paúl da Serra (hint: if it's cloudy down by the coast or in Prazeres, the plain is often high above them and you can enjoy the sunshine and views up there). The walk down to Paúl do Mar also shouldn't be missed!

The location of Prazeres means it is easy in a car to visit the far west and north west of Madeira. It takes less than half an hour to get to Funchal via the main road. There is ample space to park right outside the house and there is a supermarket about 10 minutes drive away on the seafront at Calheta. I would recommend hiring a car to make the most of the location and the island.

The description of Casa Azul on the website was accurate, and Paul (the owner) was very helpful and quick to reply to emails and phone calls. He has someone available locally to help with any problems if they arise.

Although there were only two of us, the house can sleep more. There are two double bedrooms (one ensuite), plus one has an extra sofabed and one a single fold-down. The dining table and outside table will easily fit six people and there's adequate crockery/glassware/towels etc. for that many.

All in all, I'd recommend this property - it was clean, comfortable and well maintained, the owner was helpful, and Madeira is beautiful. Prazeres is a bit further away from the main tourist spot of Funchal than many places on the island, but that's a good thing in our books (although Funchal is certainly worth visiting). You won't feel surrounded by tourists; you can just enjoy your time soaking up the sights and atmosphere of Madeira.

Enjoy. Até logo!