“Sitting on the slopes just below the serious mountain ascents, this restored manor gives you sweeping views up toward the peaks and down to the sea. It's quiet, surrounded by working vineyards, and feels like a genuine slice of Madeiran agricultural history.”

“Literally perched at the exact 1,095-metre viewpoint I mentioned in the post. If you want to wake up, pull back the curtains, and look straight down into the cauldron of the Nuns' Valley before the day-trippers arrive, this is your spot. Just brace yourself for the wind when you step outside.”

“Before you fully commit to the twisting mountain roads, this little cluster of guesthouses in Monte is a fantastic staging ground. It's high enough up the slopes to give you that crisp, pine-scented air and a real sense of altitude without being totally cut off from civilisation.”

“Located in the highest village on the island, just over the ridge from the valley. It's a beautifully restored 18th-century estate that leans heavily into the island's moody, forested interior. Pack your layers, because the mountain mist rolls in thick up here.”

“I know, it's down in Funchal. But 'Castanheiro' means chestnut tree, paying direct homage to the absolute obsession with chestnuts I found up in the valley. It's a brilliantly designed historic building to retreat to when the freezing mountain winds get too intense.”

“A classic, no-nonsense stone lodge tucked into the central mountain passes. It's isolated, surrounded by those massive, plunging green peaks, and serves as the perfect gritty basecamp if you're hitting the mountain trails early before the unpredictable weather shifts.”