At 500 kilometers from the Moroccan coast and 1,000 kilometers from the European continent, a 90-minute flight from Lisbon, the archipelago of Madeira stands in the Atlantic Ocean, a unique Portuguese enclave that offers many attractions to tourists, including quality golf. The archipelago is made up of the populated islands of Madeira and Porto Santo and the uninhabited Wild Islands (Selvagens) and Desertas (Desertas). Madeira, whose name (wood) comes from its large number of trees, is the largest island and the one that concentrates almost the entire population of the archipelago, about 250,000 people (Porto Santo has only a few thousand), half of whom live in the capital, Funchal.
The island, which measures 57 kilometers long by 22 kilometers wide and enjoys a moderate climate (averages 23 degrees in summer and 17 in winter) has a harsh orography, with steep cliffs hundreds of meters high and peaks that reach up to 1,800 meters. In fact, Madeira has the second highest insular mountain in Europe, only surpassed by Mount Teide. This abrupt physiognomy has forced the construction of more than 150 tunnels to facilitate road communications. As soon as you reach the island by air (cruise ships also arrive), you can appreciate Madeira’s orographic complexity in the airstrip, whose extension of the original one is an impressive work of engineering on gigantic pillars that extend the hill for more than half a kilometer. Under this immense ‘aerial’ section, taking advantage of the cover and the space between the great columns, several multi-sports facilities have been built.
Due to its abrupt physiognomy, there are no natural beaches in Madeira (there are several artificial ones, with sand brought from Morocco), but there are several large pools of public access at certain points along the coast. Where there is a magnificent natural beach of fine sand nine kilometers long is in Porto Santo, also known precisely for this reason as the golden island. Porto Santo is located 40 kilometers from Madeira, a distance bridged in 15 minutes by plane or two and a half hours by fast ferry.
Madeira’s accommodation offer is very wide, with hotels of all categories comprising some 30,000 beds in total. There are numerous five-star establishments, mostly concentrated in and around Funchal. There is also a wide range of restaurants serving a wide range of international dishes. The local cuisine is dominated by fish and seafood. Sport fishing by boat is another of the island’s attractions, especially for blue marlin. Scuba diving and all kinds of nautical sports find in Madeira an ideal setting.
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Honor to its name
Madeira, discovered in 1418 by Portuguese sailors, lives up to its name: huge tracts of woodland stretch the length of the island. It is not surprising that hiking is one of the main tourist attractions. In the middle of the laurel forest, with specimens hundreds of years old, there are trails and paths that extend for more than 1,400 kilometers of ‘levadas’ (ditches) and allow you to appreciate all the splendor and the beautiful landscapes of the island.
Apart from the huge forests, dominated by imposing pine trees, Madeira stands out for its colorful gardens, which combine native species with others from the most remote parts of the world.
Golf has become in recent years a strong attraction for tourists visiting Madeira, which exceeds one million a year, with a predominance of mainland Portuguese, British, German and Nordic tourists. The archipelago has three golf courses, all of them open to the public: two in Madeira and one in Porto Santo. A fourth course is planned, at Ponta do Pargo, in the northwest of Madeira Island, which is apparently finally going to be built after its construction had been paralyzed for several years.
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Santo da Serra Golf Club
The 27-hole Club de Golf do Santo da Serra, considered one of the most spectacular in Europe thanks to its unparalleled views from the mountains over the sea, stands out for its curriculum. This course was the permanent venue for the Madeira Island Open, an official tournament of the European Tour. which was disputed from 1993 to 2015 and was won three times by Spaniards (Santiago Luna, Pedro Linhart and Diego Borrego).
Designed by Robert Trent Jones and inaugurated in 1991, the course is located a short distance from Funchal, in the town of Santo da Serra and less than 15 minutes from the airport. The main course, a par 72 of 6,039 meters, is characterized by generous fairways, manicured greens and a wide variety of tees. The views of the coast and the sea from this course are spectacularly beautiful.
Next to the course is the Estalagem (charming hotel) Serra Golf, whose facilities include a beautiful mansion from the beginning of the last century that was previously used as a golf clubhouse and also as a ‘casa de chá’ (tea room). Eight years ago it was converted into a hotel and a more modern wing, with most of the rooms, was added to the original house, with which it is connected by a large gallery. The atmosphere is cozy and relaxed, which contributes to the beautiful natural environment that frames it and the pleasant treatment of the staff. In the old house, whose facade is pale blue, there is a nice living room with a fireplace and chester sofas, as well as the hotel’s cozy dining room.
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Palheiro Golf
Palheiro Golf is the second golf course on Madeira Island. Designed by the American Cabell Robinson and inaugurated in 1993, it is located 500 meters above the bay of Funchal, next to the exotic gardens of Quinta do Palheiro. The 18-hole, par 72, 6,015-meter course has a very lively layout that runs between hills and valleys, some of which are very deep. Annexed to the course is the charming Casa Velha do Palheiro hotel, a five-star hotel (member of the Relais & Chateaux association of charming hotels) that two centuries ago was the country house of the Count of Carvalhal. The property was acquired in 1885 by an English family, and 20 years ago its descendants, after a thorough renovation of the old house, opened it as a hotel of the highest standard, with elegant facilities characterized by a comfortable British style.
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Porto Santo Golf
The third and youngest course in the archipelago is Porto Santo Golf, located on the island of the same name. Inaugurated in 2004, it consists of an 18-hole par 72 layout and another 9-hole short course. Another prestigious name stamped his signature on the design of this course: Severiano Ballesteros. The course features several lakes that come into play and there are also spectacular holes on the edge of cliffs. The views are spectacular at all times.
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