Carnival Festivities – Madeira Island

from February 15th to the 22nd

The Carnival spirit returns to cheer up Funchal’s downtown between the 15th and the 22nd of February.
For a week, the season’s rhythms, called upon the sounds of marches and philharmonic bands, will turn Funchal into a stage by Excellency, for an annual festivity that links perfection, joy, party, satire and amusement, involving and arousing locals and visitors’ attention.

The great Carnival Parade, which brings together close to a thousand participants in a unique colour that lightens up the main streets of Funchal, will be on the road on the 18th, a Saturday Night.

The holiday programme ends on Shrove Tuesday, on the 21st, with the “Slapstick Parade”, on which hundreds of participants dishallow with their very own dynamic, humour and satire all together. All this carnival merriment finds its way into the Mar Square (Praça do Mar), where, on the pinnacle of the occasion and in a bashing climate, prizes are given to the most creative costumes.

Karneval auf Madeira
15. – 22. Februar

Vom  15. bis 22. Februar ist Funchal in den Händen der Narren.
Mit viel Musik und bunten Kostümen wird der Karnevalsgeist auf die Straßen und Plätze der Stadt gebracht. Das jährliche Karnevalsfest macht Funchal zu einer Bühne in Perfektion, wo Einheimische und Touristen eine Woche lang die Atmosphäre des bunten Treibens verfolgen können.

Bei bekannten  Melodien tanzen und singen verschiedene Gruppen und Orchester auf den  Straßen. Satire, Spaß und Freude stehen im Mittelpunkt. Am Samstagabend  18.02.2012, wird der große Karnevalsumzug, mit über 1000 Teilnehmern, vielen bunten, einzigartigen Festwagen, den Hauptstraßen Funchals, einen ganz besonderen Glanz verleihen.

Festas de Carnaval
15 a 22 de Fevereiro

O espírito de Carnaval volta em força para animar a cidade do Funchal, entre os dias 15 e 22 de Fevereiro.
Durante uma semana, os ritmos próprios da época, evocados ao som das marchas e das bandas filarmónicas, farão, do Funchal, o palco por excelência de uma festa que, anualmente, associa, na perfeição, a alegria, a animação, a sátira e a folia, envolvendo e despertando as atenções de residentes e visitantes.

O grande Cortejo Alegórico, que reúne cerca de mil foliões num colorido único que abrilhanta as principais artérias do Funchal, sai à rua na noite de sábado, dia 18, desfilando desde a Praça da Autonomia, na Avenida do Mar e das Comunidades Madeirenses até ao final da Avenida Francisco Sá Carneiro, concentrando-se na Praça do Mar.

O Programa de Festas culmina na terça-feira de Carnaval, dia 21, com o “Cortejo Trapalhão”, no qual centenas de foliões desfilam com uma dinâmica muito própria, humor e sátira à mistura. Toda esta folia carnavalesca encontra o seu auge na Praça do Mar, local onde, em ambiente de festa, se entregam os prémios aos mais criativos.

Casa Velha do Palheiro – menus for 24th and 25th of December.
10% discount for online bookings…

Billy Casper recently visited Palheiro golf in Madeira as part of his world golf cruise tour.  He was highly complementary about the course and still managed to play a great round of golf!

Billy can be seen in the picture with Michael Otto the sales manager at Palheiro golf.

Casper’s achievements in golf have been considerably chronicled by the media, in books, and in the minds of millions of fans around the world. Since he joined the PGA TOUR in 1956, and in the years that followed on the Senior PGA TOUR, Billy Casper has been known as one of the most accomplished golfers to ever play the game, recently named among the Top 20 players ever by Sports Illustrated magazine.

A two-time U.S. Open Winner (Winged Foot, 1959; Olympic, 1966) and Master Champion (1970), Billy Casper’s record on the PGA TOUR is one of the most prolific. He has an astonishing 51 TOUR wins in his career, a figure surpassed by only a select few. And Billy Casper won at least one tournament in 16 consecutive years (1956-1971).

Add to that nine wins on the Senior TOUR, including the U.S. Senior Open (Hazeltine, 1983), and membership on eight Ryder Cup teams – winning more points (23.5) than any other American player. He won the Vardon Trophy five times, a record matched only by Tiger Woods and Lee Trevino. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1978 and the PGA Hall of Fame in 1982.

While his playing accomplishments clearly make him one of the greatest golfers ever, his commitment to family make him a role model to all. Married to wife Shirley for 50-plus years, Billy and she raised 11 children, five of whom were adopted into their home. Add 40+ grandchildren and great-grandchildren – with more on the way – it is easy to see that the Caspers’ are proud of their family.

Today, Billy Casper lives outside Salt Lake City, Utah surrounded by his family, and regularly tours the country and the world visiting with fans of the game. He competes in several tournaments each year, visits BCG-managed courses throughout the country, and is a member of the Grand Champions TOUR. His charitable contributions are numerous, with a distinct focus on investing in the future of America – our children.

In Billy’s words…

“My focus has always been on the youth of America. I believe that these youngsters, the future of our great country, are our most precious commodities. The proceeds from my charitable work help support youth many wonderful programs. All our benefactors are terrific organizations dedicated to broadening our children’s views, and teaching them invaluable life skills necessary to compete in an ever-changing world.”

Visit Palheiro Golf on Madeira island.

Gardens of Madeira Island – Gardens of Quinta do Palheiro Ferreiro

Palheiro Gardens lie adjacent to Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro in the grounds of the Palheiro Estate.

By the gatehouse, take the main drive, lined with plane trees and huge camellias. On the left is a mass of mimosa acacia that flower in early spring.

The ground here is also carpeted with agapanthus, arum lilies and belladonna lilies that bloom according to season.

To the left of the car park are several Corymbia ficifolia – red flowering gum trees – and from China, a Paulownia tomentosa (empress tree). There is an impressive metrosideros on your right, and various magnolias.

Around the house (which is not open to the public, nor is it part of the gardens) are several Araucarias (pine), palms, Magnolia grandiflora and a fine old “tulip tree” – Liriodendron tulipifera – from North America whose autumn hue is a clear bright yellow. Neighbouring this is a huge Sequoia sempervirens – a California redwood.

Continue down a narrow path that snakes in between a line of box hedges and a generous plantation of Cryptomeria japonica, turn right over the ornamental bridge and you arrive in the main gardens.

Pause for a while and note the Sunken Garden to the left, which hosts a number of brightly coloured flora, especially tangerine-hued Gazanias and multi-coloured Lampranthus. Thriving too are freesias, banks of rose-tinted Ixias, pink nerines and scarlet tritonias.

Tucked into the surrounding rockeries you will find perennials like agaves, succulents such as aloes, and many other bulbous, ornamental plants.

Look out for the grass tree – a uniquely Australian plant that develops a thick, fire-resistant trunk and is reputed to live for hundreds of years.

At the bottom of the garden below the magnolias are a number of different banksias, Australian wildflowers that belong to the plant family Proteaceae that are characterised by their barrel-like heads and flower spikes – a rich source of pollen.

Here too can be found fine examples of the rare and endangered Camellia granthamiana – Grantham’s camellia, from Hong Kong.

Close by is the rose garden, a delightful collection of traditional and English Rose varieties of all shades, tints and perfume.

In the centre lawn to the right of the main esplanade is an atlas cedar of gigantic proportions, its silver-blue needles defining it as belonging to Cedrus atlantica ‘Glauca’ (blue Atlas cedar).

An example of the very rare Saurauia nepalensis, a native of Burma, distinguished by its red and pink flowers and berry fruit crop, is close by.

Backtracking slightly from the well-manicured lawns, visitors will notice the tiny chapel of St John. Built by the 1st Count of Carvalhal, the original owner of the Palheiro Estate, the building is in typical Baroque style and features Venetian-style windows. A plasterwork ceiling depicting Christ being baptised by John the Baptist heightens the simple interior design. To the north of the building is a cluster of proteas, among them beautiful crimson waratah (Telopea speciosissima), the official emblem of New South Wales, in Australia.

To visit the Jardim da Senhora, or ‘Lady’s Garden’, return along the wide esplanade past more camellias until arriving at the herbaceous border. Note the delphiniums and daylilies. Look out also for the daturas with their trumpet-shaped flowers of white, orange, amber and yellow. Equally eye-catching are the sprekellia (sometimes known as “Aztec lilies”).

The Lady’s Garden is set out in a more formal pattern with neat box-edged hedges, though rapid growth in this sub-tropical climate means it’s almost impossible to preserve too much of a prescribed design.

Look out for the Cantua buxifolia, the national flower of Peru, and lagerstroemias, clianthus and banksias, among other flora. Towering over the habitat is a splendid Araucaria angustifolia – a candelabra tree from Brazil. Also worth pointing out is Hymenosporum flavum, native to the rainforests of Australia.

This is a good opportunity to partake in a little light refreshment at the Tea House and perhaps recount your steps before exploring the rest of the gardens.

Actually, from your table you’ll most likely see Casa Velha, the “Old House” built in 1804 by the 1st Count of Carvalhal and now a luxury five-star country house hotel, Casa Velha do Palheiro.

Casa Velha’s private grounds, accessible only to hotel guests, features a formal terraced lawn that includes a pond bordered by ornate iron railings. Within the vicinity are several fine conifers, eucalyptus and magnolia. A huge, sprawling metrosideros, a Christmas Day Tree from New Zealand, leans over the terrace.

An area of the gardens often overlooked by visitors is Ribeiro do Inferno, the unusually named “Hell’s Valley”.

The valley is located beyond the main garden; a sign-posted path takes you past a terraced plantation of wonderful camellias to an area of wild, native woodland and knotted bamboo. The undergrowth here is predominantly made up of sturdy acanthus and tree fern – dicksonia and cyathea.

During damp, misty weather, paths here can become slippery and in some places unstable. On days like these, less sure-footed visitors are advised to explore the valley during another occasion.

Having completed the tour, you can leave by following Camellia Avenue past more proteas, species like leucadendron and leucaspermum, and Protea cynaroides – the king protea noted for its large flowering head.

Much of the flora at Palheiro Gardens is rare, and some species are endangered. The visiting public is therefore playing a key role in the conservation and sustainability of the gardens so that future generations may continue to enjoy this celebrated botanical wonderland.

Madeira Hotel – Quinta Casa Velha do Palheiro – Luxury Golf Resort

An elegant 3 bedroom villa in a quiet cul de sac in Palheiro Village.

Master bedroom with ensuite shower room.

2 twin bedrooms sharing a bathroom with bath and shower.

Open plan living space downstairs with generous windows and access to the terrace where there is seating for al fresco dining.

The living room is equipped with TV and DVD.

The kitchen is full equipped with coffee maker, kettle, toaster, microwave, and blender.  There is also a dining area.

For more information please visit: http://www.palheirorentals.com

The beautiful hillside location of Palheiro Estate makes it ideal for discerning property owners: quiet and peaceful with ocean views, yet within easy reach of Funchal city centre and the international airport. All property owners enjoy special concessions at the various facilities around Palheiro Estate, including the Casa Velha do Palheiro hotel, the Palheiro Spa, the 18-hole Cabell Robinson golf course and use of the M.Y. Balancal motor yacht.

8th December to 6th January 2012 – Christmas Lights, Decorations and Exhibitions

31st December – New Year’s Eve Firework Display

Beginning on the 8th of December, the preparations for Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations will commence.

The main streets of downtown Funchal will be decorated with colourful lights, composing the most varied designs evocative of the Christmas season on the island. Take the opportunity to come shopping for Christmas or simply stroll in the small and typical streets which invite to a union and harmony spirit, with us and with others.

Book your Special packages for Christmas and New Year with  us  JOIN  on this special time of year!

Madeira island luxury Apartments and Villas. Palheiro Estate offers quality Real Estate opportunities for discerning property owners.

The beautiful hillside location of Palheiro Estate makes it ideal for discerning property owners: quiet and peaceful with ocean views, yet within easy reach of Funchal city centre and the international airport. All property owners enjoy special concessions at the various facilities around Palheiro Estate, including the Casa Velha do Palheiro hotel, the Palheiro Spa, the 18-hole Cabell Robinson golf course and use of the M.Y. Balancal motor yacht.

The choice of real estate includes large, individual villa plots close to the golf course and clubhouse, or Palheiro Village, a small, luxury development of apartments and villas.

The most attractive resort on the island is Palheiro Estate, owned by the Blandy family since 1885, which comprises the five-star Casa Velha do Palheiro country house hotel, a Cabell Robinson 18-hole golf course and Palheiro Village, a development of luxury apartments and villas. Its gardens, which receive 50,000 annual visitors, are renowned because they include plants that have been introduced from all over the world.

Palheiro Clubhouse Restaurant

The Palheiro Golf Clubhouse Restaurant offers a refined menu of traditional Portuguese and southern European dishes, served with a contemporary twist and spiced with flavours from the orient.

The restaurant, managed by the nearby Madeira Island Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro, is situated within the golf course clubhouse and enjoys a reputation as a noted fine dining venue.

Golfers can enjoy pre- or post-round drinks and snacks in stylish surroundings and later order anything from a nourishing Club Sandwich to a delicious three-course à la carte lunch or early dinner.

The restaurant also welcomes non-golfers to its tables.

The panoramic veranda affords some of the most breathtaking views in Madeira, and is a favourite spot for an evening cocktail over a beautiful sunset.

Madeira Hotel – Quinta Casa Velha do Palheiro – Luxury Golf Resort

Visit the website here: www.casa-velha.com

Christmas & New Year Specials – Madeira Hotel – Quinta Casa Velha do Palheiro – Luxury Golf Resort

Special packages for Christmas and New Year

Special Christmas Package

Accommodation in a Standard room, including breakfast
Special welcome gift upon arrival
Upgrade to a Superior room (subject to availability upon arrival)
Special Christmas dinners on 24th and 25th December
Free participation in hotel Christmas activities programme
1 Afternoon Tea per person at Casa Velha do Palheiro
1 Spa Treatment per person at Palheiro Spa (30min.)
Free access to Palheiro Gardens (on weekdays)
Free access to wet areas at Palheiro Spa

4 nights package – € 550,00 per person in double room
7 nights package – € 790,00 per person in double room
Valid until 26th December 2011

Special New Year Package

Accommodation in a Standard room, including breakfast
Special welcome gift upon arrival
Upgrade to a Superior room (subject to availability upon arrival)
Special New Years Eve dinner on 31st December
Free transportation to Clubhouse for the Fireworks display
Free participation in hotel Christmas activities programme
1 Afternoon Tea per person at Casa Velha do Palheiro
1 Spa Treatment per person at Palheiro Spa (30min.)
Free access to Palheiro Gardens (on weekdays)
Free access to wet areas at Palheiro Spa

4 nights package – € 650,00 per person in double room
7 nights package – € 950,00 per person in double room
As from 26th December 2011

Palheiro Estate offers a myriad of different opportunities to celebrate that special occasion.
Unforgettable scenery and discreet service will make your event unique.
At Palheiro Estate we will tailor make the perfect package for that unforgettable event.

Some suggestions:

• Celebrate your wedding in the award winning Palheiro Gardens.
• Christenings or baptisms using our 200 year old Chapel.
• Renew your vows or blessings  in the stunning Palheiro gardens.
• Important family occasions such as birthdays, reunions based at the Casa Velha do Palheiro a 200 year old hunting lodge now a Relais and Chateaux country house hotel with 37 rooms.  Exqusite food and service.  A cocktail on the croquet lawn perhaps….
• Hen parties – lazy days pampering yourself and your friends at the Palheiro spa in preparation for the big day.
• Private Dinners at the Palheiro golf clubhouse with the amazing panoramic back drop of Funchal.
• Cocktails on board the Motor Yacht Balancal whilst watching the dolphins.For more information please contact us here.