Calheta Beach Hotel
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Calheta Beach Hotel & Apartments
Madeira and Porto Santo › South-West Madeira › Calheta
This well-run hotel stands next to the island's only pale-sand beach and offers comfortable accommodation for couples and families alike, including a number of spacious apartments.
- 4-star Hotel with 104 rooms and apartments
- Bed & Breakfast or Half Board
- Heated indoor and outdoor swimming pools
- Air-conditioning
- Transfers included, or reduced car hire rates
Standing just outside the small village of Calheta on the warm south coast, this well-run hotel commands a unique position right by the sea, next to the island's only proper pale sand beach. Extended in 2004 by the local council with sand especially imported from Morocco, and protected by a breakwater, this beach offers access to the sea even for children and less confident swimmers, and with densely cloaked slopes soaring to imposing heights right behind the hotel, this is the perfect situation for those who love the mountains and the sea in equal measures.
The hotel's location and its superb range of facilities make it equally suited for thoroughly relaxing breaks and decidedly active holidays. For the former there are a large outdoor and a heated indoor swimming pool, extensive sun terraces, comfortable lounges and a health centre with a sauna, a steam room and a wide range of massage and beauty treatments. The more actively minded will find an excellent gym and - during the summer months - a range of water sports (subject to weather conditions) including windsurfing, catamaran sailing and kayaking.
A generous buffet breakfast sets you up for the day's activities, whilst for dinner, there is an à la carte restaurant in addition to the main buffet dining room. After dinner, you can enjoy a night-cap in the welcoming bar before retreating to the comfort of your room for a refreshing night's sleep. All the guestrooms are comfortably furnished and equipped with air-conditioning, minibars, safes, satellite TV and hairdryers. Each room has a modern en suite bathroom and a private balcony, with sea views available at a supplement.
For those who prefer self-catering facilities, the building just across the road from the hotel contains 10 modern and spacious apartments with one or two bedrooms, managed and serviced by the hotel. In addition, a number of rooms in the main hotel building have recently been converted into one-bedroom apartments. Both are ideally suited to families and couples who enjoy the independence of self-catering accommodation, whilst wishing to have access to all the facilities of a modern resort hotel.
Attractively furnished and decorated, with either terracotta floor tiles or parquet flooring, each apartment has a comfortable living room with an open-plan kitchen, one or two bedrooms, a full bathroom, and a spacious balcony. The apartments in the separate building have particularly well-equipped kitchens, whilst those in the main building benefit from having direct sea views from their balconies. All the apartments are air-conditioned, and the extensive buffet breakfast in the hotel is automatically included, whether you are staying in the main building or across the road.
If you simply wish to have a relaxing week by the seaside, a hire car is not strictly necessary, but for those who wish to explore further afield we strongly recommend taking advantage of the special car hire rates, as the local bus service is very limited. However, there are a few shops and restaurants within easy walking distance, including an extremely well-stocked supermarket situated on the lower floor of the apartment building, and the recently completed marina next to the hotel provides a pleasant setting for an after-dinner stroll. The hotel also offers a small excursion programme using its own minibus, and our local representative can arrange guided levada walks from here for those keen on exploring the stunning scenery of south-western Madeira on foot.