Soak in the view—or simply soak in the sun—by the pool at the Savoy Palace hotel in Madeira’s capital city, Funchal.
Helena Borges is the fourth-generation owner of H.M. Borges, where fortified wines age for decades in French oak barrels.
Vintage Boal wines at H.M. Borges.
Stratton pauses to admire a bird while hiking along a levada—a canal used to divert water to farms below—in Madeira’s mountainous forests.
Pedro Albuquerque, a guide with BraveLanders 4x4 tours, beside his Land Rover.
Beaches are rare and precious in steep, rugged Madeira.
The north coast features 30 miles of cliffs, waterfalls, and azure water.
Monte Palace Tropical Garden is a botanical wonderland in Funchal.
A typical evening at Maktub Pub in Paúl do Mar, a favorite for surfers; the eatery’s simple menu of beverages; and ceviche prepared table side.
Many rooms at Socalco Nature Hotel feature private patios.
Grilled limpets.
Weekends are for espetada—steak grilled on a laurel skewer over an open fire.
António Oliveria opened his winery, Quinta Do Barbusano, in 2006 to showcase Madeira’s fresh table wines.
Scabbardfish, bountiful in local waters, served at Avista, a waterfront restaurant in Funchal.
A roadside espetada picnic.
Roasted chestnuts for sale on the street in Funchal.
Engenhos do Norte (North Mills Distillery) produces their rum in a 1927 factory and mill.
A room with a view at Socalco Nature Hotel in Calheta on the west coast.
Santana, a small town on the north coast, is renowned for its thatched-roof A-frames.
Color abounds on the island, from the lush forests to the pastel paint colors seen along the sunny southern coast.
Dramatic views along Madeira’s east end and its famous cliffside trails.
Saccharum Resort & Spa, another Savoy Signature property, overlooks the coast near Calheta.
Experiencing Funchal via a cable car that travels nearly two miles as it ascends the city’s steep mountainside.
BraveLanders 4x4 tours explore the mostly undeveloped island.
Madeira island has long been connected to Charleston via seagoing trade routes and its fortified wines
