Palheiro Cavalinho - A very beautiful and quiet place.

We stayed for a week in January so the days are quite short. In common with many Madeira properties the inside lighting is not very bright so it was difficult to read after dusk - if you are going in summer with longer days this will be less of an issue. Also in common with a lot of Madeira properties it is down a steep and narrow road so might not be the best option if you are a nervous driver in a little hire car - if you are a confident driver it is fine. We were after a pet-free holiday let for allergy reasons and this property came up on the list of pet-free properties. The problem we had was that there were 7 cats next door and judging how they streamed into the house as you opened the door, they were used to being encouraged by previous guests and judging by the size of mummy cat there were more on the way. If you like cats you will love it, if you don't, you won't!! We had a couple of minor issues of no internet or TV and the gas ran out for the hot water but these were put right very quickly by the owner neighbours who were great. The whole place was really clean and tidy and pleasant to stay in. The end room has an original open fire place/come charcoal barbecue so you can grill your own meat and fish and you can eat in the same room though can be a bit smoky until the fire gets going properly. The old stone property has been sympathetically restored, is in a quiet rural location, has a nearby petrol station, supermarket and cafes and has a stunning vista overlooking the sea and sitting out watching the sun going down was sublime - even in January!!