Overview
The Luxurious Casa Velha do Palheiro is a celebrated five star country house hotel of exceptional character and year-round appeal. The facilities include heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools, Turkish bath and sauna plus a smart gymnasium which further enhances the wellbeing experience. This 5 Star hotel borders the famous Palheiro Gardens and the Palheiro Golf course – a superb 18-hole, par 72 Championship layout. This package is perfect for those looking to play unlimited golf in Madeira and stay in luxury surroundings.
Courses
Palheiro Golf
Designed by renowned golf architect Cabell B. Robinson and opened in 1993, Palheiro Golf is an 18 hole, PAR 72 parkland course, set within the magnificent, privately owned Palheiro Estate. Teeing off here is to walk through a verdant and tranquil 200-year-old country estate, and an abundance of fragrant, exotic flora lends the course a unique and singular quality. At nearly 500m above sea level, this course also offers dramatic views of Madeira’s mountainous skyline and the vast Atlantic Ocean.
At just under 6.000 m from the back tees this is a relatively short course, but it is by no means a push over. Play calls for a fair degree of accuracy – the contoured fairways and strategically placed bunkers guarding fast, undulating greens mean there’s little room for error. This course demands your full attention from the first drive to the last putt. After your round relax on the club house terrace and enjoy one of the best views Madeira has to offer.
Accommodation
The Casa Velha do Palheiro is a celebrated five star country house hotel of exceptional character and year-round appeal. It was formally a hunting lodge built by the 1st Count of Carvalhal in 1801 as a summer residence.
Marcus Binney wrote in his book The Blandys of Madeira published in 2011: "Casa Velha was Madeira's first country-house hotel, situated 500 metres above sea level and looking on to one of the loveliest gardens on the island. The drive runs through woodland to emerge in a clearing shaded by the magnificent trees which are the hall marks of the Palheiro gardens. The grass circle in front of the gates contains a huge multi trunked Metrosideros or Christmas Day tree from New Zealand. As soon as you step out of the car an atmosphere of friendly informality pervades the scene. The hotel is a member of the Relais & Châteaux establishment and provides 32 rooms and five suites, each one singular in style and personality. The sitting room and bar are comfortable, beautifully furnished and decorated with gilt framed oils, Madeira prints and lithographs. Fresh flowers picked from the garden lend colour and vitality. The hotel's award-winning restaurant is highly regarded, and a deserved gourmet reference point. Guests enjoy the evening atmosphere by candlelight in the elegant dining room. Breakfast is served in the sun filled conservatory.
The Palheiro Spa, a short walk from the reception, features a veritable array of treatments and beauty therapies. The facilities include heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools, Turkish bath and sauna plus a smart gymnasium which further enhances the wellbeing experience. There's an all-weather tennis court next door and the less energetic can play croquet on the lawn below the property. The hotel borders the famous Palheiro Gardens and the Palheiro Golf course – a superb 18-hole, par 72 Championship layout – and offers privileged access to guests staying at Casa Velha. The hotel's Sports Fishing yacht " Balancal" lying in the Funchal marina is available for deep sea fishing and coastal excursions.
