Madeira, Portugal - 6 nights
Available year round

Discover how Madeira’s unique climate and soil contribute to the unrivalled distinctiveness of Madeira Wine. You will be pleasantly surprised by the beauty of the hand-grown vines, planted in small plots of land on terraces supported by stone walls along the slopes of the mountains. Spend six nights on a beautiful island learning how to cook with this precious wine, take guided walks and excursions and immerse yourself in this magical place!

The production process and the grape varieties used have made Madeira wine unique. Chosen to celebrate the independence of the United States on July 4, 1776, praised by Shakespeare in his plays and admired by monarchs, princes, generals and explorers, Madeira wine is certainly a treasure, not only because of its unique quality, but also because of the fascinating methods involved in its production, such as the growing of the grapes, the harvesting of the vines and the transformation of the grapes into wine at the wine cellars.

You will have the unique opportunity to learn about this special wine and will return home with recipes that can be easily replicated at home for family and friends.

ITINERARY

DAY ONE - Monday

Upon your arrival you will be transferred to the Cooking School – Manour House, by private bus. Enjoy free time before a welcome reception tour to the house with dinner. Located on top of a green hill in the northern side of the island, in Porto da Cruz, this rural manor house dates back to the 17th century, and is classified as a building with great local value. For centuries it belonged to the illustrious Leal family, whose members were Counsellor and Governor Viscounts. It is surrounded by water courses (levadas), footpaths and breathtaking landscapes, sea, valleys and mountains. Here you can experience the culture, history and the fragrance of wild flowers.

An interesting feature of the old mansion is the 17th century kitchen where meals are prepared and served with a view over and across the village to the sea. The traditional Madeiran kitchen is unique in that it is also complemented with many rare and traditional kitchen utensils and cutlery - including a rare and unique hand winding butter-maker and early sea-farer or discovery china, amongst other things.  

DAY TWO - Tuesday

After breakfast, our journey begins with the invitation of Chef Susana to visit the local market in Funchal – Mercado dos Lavradores. The municipal market, known as the Farmers’ Market, which is very near the old Santa Maria neighbourhood.

A fantastic market tour full of colours and redolent with the perfume of beautiful flowers. Birds of paradise, orchids, king proteas, roses, anthuriums and camellias are displayed and sold by the sprightly flower sellers wearing brightly coloured regional costumes. On the upper floor there are tropical fruits, exotic vegetables and spices, while fish and meat are on sale on the lower floor.

After lunch, you will return to the Manour House for your first cooking lesson with Madeira Wine where you will prepare your delicious dinner.

DAY THREE - Wednesday

Breakfast. Today your second lesson will begin with an introduction to Madeira Wine. With a wine expert, you will learn about:

The grape varieties which are most used in the production of Madeira Wine are Sercial, Verdelho, Boal, Malvasia and Tinta Negra

Types of Madeira Wine / The Year of Harvest and the indication of its age

The production process / Degree of Richness / Colour / History/ Serving

It is appreciated all over the world and has more than five centuries of history. Just think about the Madeirans’ constructive spirit over the centuries, visible in the hand-tilled vineyards on small plots of land called poios (terraces), sometimes clinging to the mountain sides. There are more than 30 Madeira wine grape varieties, though the best are Sercial, Boal, Verdelho and Malvasia. Conneisseurs of this ‘art’ should come to Madeira in September to see and participate in the Madeira grape harvest and its festival, a tribute to this age-old product that is recognized worldwide. Lunch in Funchal at Café do Museu.

After lunch you will take a guided tour to the Wine Museum, which was and continues to be representative of the tradition, history and culture of the people of Madeira and of the island itself. This is a building with original and unique architecture, the result of the symbiosis of the characteristics of the traditional architectural style of island buildings in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, known as a "tower-house". The building was classified to be of "Local Value" as a building of Cultural Heritage. The Museum’s collection contains artifacts used in the planting and treatment of vines, such as agricultural implements including among others: the spade, pruning hook, gypsum machine and bellows. Also on display at the Museum are instruments which narrate the Grape Harvest ritual, such as wickerwork baskets, traditional wine press, mechanical wine press, measuring instruments, barrel and "borracho" or "Wine skin" (made from goat’s skin) wickerwork baskets, traditional wine press, mechanical wine press, measuring instruments, barrel and "borracho" or "Wine skin" (made from goat’s skin). The region’s vine and wine activity is also portrayed through a nineteenth century bottling line, constituted by machines to fill, cork, fit caps and label and Laboratory equipment. Cooperage materials, such as barrels, vats and funnels are also part of the collection. On display and complementing the exhibition is a collection of photographs portraying the Region’s vine and wine sector’s activity over the years. Monasteries, convents and churches, palaces and manor-houses, or even military fortifications, are just some of the historic monuments that you'll enjoy visiting the archipelago.

Return to the Manour House for your second Cooking Lesson you will prepare your dinner with the Chef Susana.

DAY FOUR - Thursday

Today the focus of our last cooking lesson is on the traditional recipes and flavours of Madeira. Here you will find typical regional dishes made from the highest quality ingredients. Thanks to its close contact with the sea, Madeira offers excellent seafood and fresh fish dishes. Limpets, octopus, shrimp, tuna steaks and scabbard fish fillets are just some of the local delicacies. You must try traditional regional dishes like tuna steak and fried cornbread or the delicious grilled beef on a laurel spit accompanied with sweet potatoes bread "bolo do caco". Other traditional foods are home-made couscous, home baked sweet potato bread and marinated pork. Fruit lovers will really think they are in heaven! Tropical fruits like mangoes, bananas, avocadoes, custard apples and passion fruits are abundant and their exotic flavours are the perfect end to a meal, either fresh or in a pudding, mousse or ice cream. For the sweeter tooth, there is a rich variety of sweets. The most traditional are honey cake and honey corn cakes made with the richest ingredients such as spices and sugarcane honey. Cheesecakes and fennel candy are also highly appreciated. There is also a wide selection of drinks.

Exotic fruit juices such as passion fruit, papaya, guava. The celebrated "poncha" made with sugarcane rum, honey and lemon and the famous Madeira wines, which can be served as aperitifs or savoured with a coffee, are also an excellent choice. After enjoying lunch you have prepare, this afternoon we will do a guided tour to Funchal. A walk through the city’s quiet streets along the beautifully-patterned stone pavements, visit the magnificent gardens, go shopping, or simply savour some unique moments sitting on the terraces of the city’s charming cafés. Buy one of Madeira’s exquisite embroidered articles, which range from small handkerchiefs to the traditional and beautiful tablecloths, all of them genuine works of art.

Dinner at a gourmet restaurant with a covered and open terrace offers you the atmosphere of the mild Madeiran evening with an outstanding view over Funchal.

DAY FIVE - Friday

A romantic visit to the hilltop village in Madeira. After breakfast departure to Monte, is small village perched up in the hills overlooking Funchal, 6 km away from the centre of the capital, was formerly a health resort for Europe's high society. There are several words synonymous to Monte and ‘toboggan ride’ is surely one of them! Originally a fast means of transport down to Funchal for people living in Monte, these toboggan sledges appeared around 1850. Still in use today, they attract thousands of tourists every year who want to make this exciting experience of sliding at high speed on narrow, winding streets down to Funchal. These two-seater wicker sledges glide on wooden runners, pushed and steered by two men traditionally dressed in white cotton clothes and a straw hat, using their rubber-soled boots as brakes. The downhill journey to Funchal is made in about 10 minutes on a total course of 2 km, reaching at times a speed of 48 km/hour. Adventurous, yet safe, an ‘old-fashioned’ toboggan ride to make your way down from Monte. Don’t miss out on it!

Magical guided walks! Lunch at a historical Manour- House, beautifully located in the hills above Funchal, this 17th century Quinta with panoramic tropical gardens and centuries old trees and plants. To learn a little more about the history of the emperor’s Charles I, go along to the Quinta that bears his name and stop to have tea in the beautiful Malakof Garden while basking in the tranquillity and beauty. From the strikingly beautiful Malakof Tower you will get a fine view of the landscape from Monte to Funchal. The Madeira Botanical Gardens have become Madeira Island's most treasured and certainly most famous attraction. Within an area of 80,000 square metres you will encounter a truly fascinating collection of more than 2500 plant species. Dinner in Funchal.

DAY SIX - Saturday

Breakfast and departure to Camara de Lobos. This city is about 7 km from Funchal and is an important fishing center in the archipelago. When João Gonçalves Zarco, the first donee of Funchal, sailed into the cove at Câmara de Lobos in 1419, he gave it this name because he found a large number of sea lions (lobos marinhos) there. On his first trip to Madeira in 1950, Winston Churchill, one of the island’s most famous and distinguished visitors, was enchanted by this picturesque bay. The scenery, scattered with skiffs, nets and dried bonito, is typical of the fishermen’s daily life.

The village of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos is the largest area of Madeira wine vineyards. It is also here that the entertaining live grape harvests take place in September as part of the Madeira Wine Festival. This festival is held when the grape harvest begins all over the island. It recreates ancestral Madeiran habits dating back to the time of the first settlers. Don’t leave without trying the local speciality, chestnut liqueur, not to mention the chestnut bread, cake and soup.

Farewell dinner at Adega da Quinta, serving Madeira´s typical country food. It´s in the perfect position for stunning views over the coast. Close by is the original wine cellar with barrels of Madeira Wine, "ginga" and local brandy in a restored stone house.

DAY SEVEN - Sunday

After breakfast, private transfer back to the airport.

GROUP SIZE

A minimum of 3 particpants is required to run this tour and the tour is limited to a maximum of 6 participants.

(The number of participants refers to how many persons are required to run the tour,  not to how many persons you must have in your  party. Please inquire.)

HOW TO ARRIVE

Closest airport is the International Airport of Funchal (FNC) and is 12 minutes from the location of the Manour House: Porto da Cruz and 30 Minutes from Funchal 

*These details are provided as additional information. Please check below to see if transfers are included in this tour.

For further inquiries or to register, click here.

Click here to return to top of page.

CANCELLATION POLICY

Please contact us for cancellation policy information. Travel insurance is highly recommended.

CLIENT REMARKS

References furnished upon request

Click here to return to top of page.

MAP*

This exciting region is depicted below. You can also access Google MapsTM by clicking HERE. 

*In some cases mapping may give clients a general sense of location due to changes in venue. Please inquire about specific location.

Click here to return to top of page.