We enjoyed our time at this villa. It is a beautifully laid out villa. Lots of space and the pool that leads directly from the living area is lovely. We paid extra to have the pool heated to the maximum temperature. It was still fairly cold but better than it would have been. It was a beautiful view of the sea from the villa. Very peaceful. We stayed at the end of September and although the sun rose at around 8am, the sun didn't make it's way round to our side of the cliff face until around 10am. This wasn't a problem for us though as it was still warm. 1 beach towel each is provided. There is also air con in the main living area and also the bedrooms. There are 4 sunbeds. Although we very much enjoyed our stay we probably would not return to the villa due to the road you need to drive to get to it. The listing does mention a narrow steep 'driveway' to reach the villa. But it's more than a driveway. Its a fairly long and treacherous road to get to the villa. 3 out of 4 of us are experienced and confident drivers and this road was very worrying for us to drive. It is extremely steep and you have a sheer drop into the water on one side of you for at least 70-80% of the time. The road is very narrow and I damaged my car as at times there is barely room on the road for one car. We came across a car once whilst we were driving back to the villa but luckily he reversed into one of the passing areas for us (there are not many of these. Only 2 or 3). Bruno, who met us to direct us to the villa did not seem bothered by this road and said that we would get used to it but then again he drives it all the time and is used to roads like that. We do not have road like that in England. It did prevent us from venturing out as much as we would have as we did not like using the road and we never went out for dinner in the evening as it was bad enough driving that road in the daytime, let alone once it got dark. I am not sure if a taxi would come down there, we never enquired. The nearest supermarket was in Calheta which was a short 5 minute drive away. Also a few restaurants along the marina. Just for reference, if you wanted to get a taxi from the villa to Funchal, Bruno said it would cost around 70euros each way. When we arrived, they had left us some bread, milk, butter and some sparkling wine which was nice. We enjoyed that after driving the scary road! My advice would be to get a lot of shopping when you first arrive, so that you dont have to go out again the same day you arrive if you dont want to. There wasn't many cleaning supplies there so we had to buy washing up liquid and anti-bacterial spray. They did leave us a few dish washer tablets but we had also taken our own so we didn't have to buy them. A lovely peaceful stay but the road would prevent us from returning :(
Exceptional Villa and great host
All are the best.
The house is fairly new, and well fitted out. It's spacious, and has a nice contemporary feel without being clinical. A great feature is being able to step straight into the pool from the living room! There's a garden at the front with uninterrupted views of the sea (great sunsets), and it feels really secluded, although there are a few neighbouring properties. It's located near the bottom of cliffs, though still about 30 metres above the stony beach, but it's a dead end, so there's no passing traffic near the house, and the road higher up the cliff is hardly used (like a lot of Madeiran coastal roads it's become largely redundant since the motorways were built inland). There are supermarkets and restaurants in easy driving distance in Calheta and Ribeira Brava, and Funchal's only 49 minutes drive away. Plenty of places to visit nearby as well - we'd highly recommend the modern art gallery in Calheta (Casa das Mudas), for the building and location alone, and the town of Ponta Do Sol just down the coast with it's lovely miniature seafront. We really loved this house, and would wholeheartedly recommend it. There were 2 things which we thought it's worth being aware of: the house is only reachable by a very steep and narrow concrete road, which even the more experienced drivers amongst us found daunting the first time! It helped that the owners sent someone to meet us nearby and lead the way on our first descent, but we soon got used to it. The other is that the owner is building a new property nearby and we could hear the noise of construction during the daytime. I didn't find it too obtrusive, but my wife's a bit more sensitive to noise than me and found it distracting. It may well be finished by now, but perhaps enquire before booking. The owner did compensate us with a complementary meal in his extremely good restaurant in Camara do Lobos though!
We arrived with a 10 hours delay at midnight - but the welcome was fantastic! Mr. Bruno was very kind - a cool sparkling wine was waiting for us in the fridge (and some toast, marmelade and coffee for a first breakfast - so we needn't leave the house very early the next morning). The pool was pre-heated so we could take a first dive before breakfast. The views from the terrace and the bedrooms are fantastic - we had a few wonderful sunfalls. We used the indoor-barbecue regularly for fish and other seafood bought in the local (and very well assorted) supermarket in Caleta. The whole area is very calm and quiet. As we had to change our rent-a-car the guy in charge asked why we needed a car - since we were residing in paradise. He was perfectly right!! If you want to spend unforgettable holidays on this beautiful island (with or without children), this is the place to be!
Wunderschöne, geschmackvolle, großzügige Ferienvilla in Traumlage. Ein toller Platz, um die Seele baumeln zu lassen. Hervorragende Betreuung, sehr netter Vermieter und Hausverwalter, der sich um alles kümmert. Einziges Manko: Enge, steile Anfahrt von der Küstenstraße zum Haus, nur für geübte Fahrer.
We have just returned from an amazing holiday at Villa Do Mar III. The pictures of the villa found on the website do not do it justice…it is even better than it looks. People go on about the road down, yes it's daunting at first, but you soon get used to it, and what's waiting for you at the bottom is well worth the ride down. The villa is superb, the pool amazing and the views spectacular. The kitchen is well stocked with equipment and on arrival the owner supplies some basic rations and a bottle of wine…..much appreciated. Also offered is a complimentary meal at the owners seafood restaurant in Camara de Lobos, which is fabulous. At night, sitting out at the "Lookout" with a bottle of wine watching the sunset is surreal….and actually where I proposed to my girlfriend (she said yes). All in all, a fantastic place that we will definitely return to! Top-Tip: Get a hire car!!!!
We have just returned from an amazing holiday at Villa Do Mar III. The pictures of the villa found on the website do not do it justice…it is even better than it looks. People go on about the road down, yes it's daunting at first, but you soon get used to it, and what's waiting for you at the bottom is well worth the ride down. The villa is superb, the pool amazing and the views spectacular. The kitchen is well stocked with equipment and on arrival the owner supplies some basic rations and a bottle of wine…..much appreciated. Also offered is a complimentary meal at the owners seafood restaurant in Camara de Lobos, which is fabulous. At night, sitting out at the "Lookout" with a bottle of wine watching the sunset is surreal….and actually where I proposed to my girlfriend (she said yes). All in all, a fantastic place that we will definitely return to! Top-Tip: Get a hire car!!!!
The villa was really gorgeous. The only thing that marred our stay was the weather - it rained every day but one! However, we still managed to make good use of the pool and enjoyed exploring western Madeira. The complimentary fish supper at the owner's restaurant was also a lovely and unexpected surprise, as were the fresh mangoes and other fruit left for us!
We stayed at this villa June/July for two weeks, the villa exceeded our expectations. It was a little taste of paradise, the pool was amazing and the view breathtaking. Any little hitches or teething problems were quickly dealt with in such a professional and friendly manner. I cannot recommend this villa enough and in fact the whole Island of Madeira is a must for all travellers. I would just also like to say a huge thank you for making my birthday so memorable with a beautiful meal at the villa do carne, thanks to everyone involved. I would certainly like to return to this villa in the future and will also encourage all my friends and family to book also. First class!!!
We have just returned from a 2 week stay in this beautiful villa. The pictures do not lie it is absolutely stunning, very clean with excellent amenities, the pool was amazing as were the surroundings. I would like to thank Sr Acacio for making our stay so special and for all the help he gave us enabling us to really enjoy our stay, also for the lovely night in Vila da Carne. Big Thank you also to Morrissio our taxi driver/ tour guide. Although the access road is pretty scary work is due to start very soon on amending this problem. I would recommend this Villa and would love to return to it. Madeira and its people are very special.
Sehr freundlicher Empfang - Gepflegtes, schönes Haus - Herrliche, ruhige Lage inmitten von Bananenbäumen - Einzig die steile und schmale Zufahrt ohne Ausweichstellen war gewöhnungsbedürftig - Wir würden jederzeit wieder kommen
Wow, perfect place to be! Better than the pics on internet tell! The property was cleaned very well. Hightly recommended location!
We hoped that the villa would be as beautiful as the pictures show, but is was better! Although the access road is really special - we loved our stay in this villa (especially the pool which we used every day). We made every day trips around the isle and were altough impressed by the friendly people. Our plan is to come back one day!