Casa Branca, in the Heart of Arco da Calheta

Clean, nice, great host

No AC - hot at night

Appartement très lumineux avec vue sur mer, spacieux et propre. Trois grandes chambres et deux salles de bain pour une famille à 4 avec deux grands ados, c'est top ! L'emplacement est idéal pour découvrir le nord de l'île.

Upon arrival at night, the house was difficult to find. The lady who welcomed us was kind and helpful, as was the host. We were even greeted with a welcome drink (Madeira wine) and cake (Madeira Honey cake - Bolo de Mel). While I know Madeira is the "island of eternal spring," it was quite chilly and fresh in the mornings and evenings. The surroundings are accessible, and there is parking right in front of the house. It is relatively quiet and clean. And yes - the island is very mountainous, so the streets are at quite sharp angles (Sharp angles' is a great way to describe those insane climbs – driving in Madeira is a true adrenaline test!).

I know it wasn’t listed as an amenity, but there was no shower gel. It would be such a simple thing to provide. I bought some and left it there. Also, there are no extension cords and very few power outlets. The stovetop is very weak, making it impossible to cook quickly (it took over 15 minutes just to make one pancake).

Lovely apartment, everything we needed plus extra touches of coffee, tea, cookies. The host was super nice & considerate.

Beds were a touch too firm for us. Linens, towels, etc were great.