Alexandro, the host, has excellent English and responds promptly to any communication. We thought that the apartment was good value. It is on the 5th floor and was very quiet. It is a good size with a separate living/dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bathroom. The balcony is the length of the apartment and has a sea view which receives sun in the afternoon. The bed is super-king size and very comfortable. There are power points either side of the bed and fixed bedside lamps. There is plenty of space for hanging clothes in the wardrobe and three sets of drawers. The sofa is large and comfortable. There are sun beds by the pool which is next to the park. The pool isn’t heated which is usual in Madeira. People did swim in the pool and we realised on our penultimate day that there is a toilet near the pool that you can use. The internet speed is excellent. We brought our fire stick so could watch a greater range of programmes.
Location -
The apartment is just under 2 miles from Funchal centre. The No 4 bus is the closest. The No1 and No 2 will drop you off at the forum shopping centre. The apartment is a short walk from the forum and can be accessed via a side street.
Taxi ride from the airport is 20-30 minutes. Our pre-booked taxi cost 21 euro one way. There are plenty of taxis at the airport if you prefer not to book ahead. Be aware if it is very windy (the airport area can be windy) and your flight is diverted (we had to stay courtesy of our carrier on Porto Santo for one evening) that the taxi gets cancelled and you won’t get a refund. However, the taxi will wait on the same day for delayed fights.
Funchal is hilly. We enjoyed walking down to the beachfront, along the promenade and having a drink.
Supermarket and local shops -
The supermarket is located in the basement of Madeira Forum - 10 minutes walk (via Rua Jose Antonio de Freitas Goncalves). Local people shop there and the meat from the butcher’s counter is excellent. There is a pharmacy, small grocery store and a bakery/café at the bottom of the street - turn right. Travel - The best way to get around is to download the local App taxi service which Alexandro will tell you about. A car into town will be 5-6 euro. Buses cost 2 euro per trip unless you buy a card that you top up. The card is 50 cents and then each journey is 1.35 euro which can be purchased via a machine in one of the bus shelters along the seafront.