The Chronicle (South Tyneside and Durham)
Magical Madeira
RELAXES INTO ISLAND LIFE ON THIS BEAUTIFUL ARCHIPELAGO
“CLOSE your eyes and allow yourself to be present in the moment.”
It’s not every day you encounter a professional violinist in an ancient wooded hill on an island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, but this is Madeira and they like to do things a little differently here.
She then performed a private concert for us while we sat among the leaves, letting the ethereal music wash over us.
The experience was just one of many we indulged in after checking into Madeira’s Yeotown health retreat.
Dubbed “the island home of complete wellbeing”, it is the sister resort of the North Devon Wellness Retreat set up 13 years ago, offering treatments to improve health and wellbeing for the mind and body.
We had started the day with a spot of gentle yoga in a herbaloil scented room, with open doors letting the ocean breeze flow in.
The staff at the retreat meticulously plan every detail of their guests’ days so they are surrounded by a beautifully stimulating environment.
Think martinis made from freshly picked fruits grown on site and served in brightly coloured Chinese-styled mugs, to stunning flowers draped along a wooden alfresco dining table.
Everything consumed here is prepared by the retreat’s awardwinning chef so, for lunch, we feasted on crisp and spicy cauliflower wings, coconut rice and peanut sauce broccoli.
I spent the afternoon having a full-body Thai massage from the inhouse masseur, stretching out any tensions.
As the sun set, we were enticed by the smells of roasting fish before dining at a rustic outside table while our personal chef served us a barbecue.
It was a first day well spent. For me, the whole point of a holiday is to feel relaxed and refreshed – and to achieve this so soon was certainly a win.
Nicknamed “island of eternal spring”, Madeira is a tonic in itself.
It’s a Portuguese outpost but is closer to Africa than Europe.
Its northern side felt like remote parts of Vietnam, with an abundance of tropical foliage, banana trees and dramatic cliffs.
It boasts some of the most fertile soil in the world due to being a volcanic island, and this is evident in its rainbow of wild and exotic flowers, lush forests and terraces of sugar canes and laurel trees.
The following day we explored the island’s rugged north on an offroading Jeep tour.
As our driver, Pedro, manoeuvred the vehicle through slippery mud tracks that were cut off from the world to everyone but mountain bikers or 4x4 drivers, he pointed to the island’s breathtaking volcanic scenery, proudly telling us “it’s 50 shades of green”.
He knew the island inside out and during our half-day tour showed us everything from a traditional thatched-roof Santana house to the island’s last mill, where residents aged 80-plus still grind wheat.
He also knew the most picturesque view points, where we could catch our breath from the pulseraising ride while taking in the scenery.
“You experience four seasons in one day and five continents in one island,” Pedro said.
And he wasn’t wrong; the mist clinging to the island’s cliffs cleared by lunchtime, and we basked in bright sunshine all afternoon.
Despite being October, temperatures were still in the high 20s.
It rarely dips below 19°C, due to the island’s microclimate, making it the perfect place for a spot of winter sunshine.
While Madeira’s south coast is bustling with grand hotels and Airbnbs, the sparsely populated north is still relatively undiscovered by tourists. You could walk all day along the island’s famous levada trails without seeing another soul.
We ate at Quinta do Furao’s beau