Quinta Marefe, a villa rental in Madeira

Madeiran Heritage: A Generational Property Redesigned for Modern Living

Created to honor a family’s architectural legacy, this 1800s-era quinta’s original stones remain. They’ve been recycled and incorporated into new spaces such as the garden suite, pool and solarium, with the property’s main house a new build now occupying the home’s original footprint.

Blending the charm of ancient stones with crisp, contemporary coastal elegance, the property faces the Atlantic, with the rugged Madeiran mountains as backdrop. Three oceanview bedrooms are set with king beds and four bathrooms. A vivid, double height living area is has expansive sofa seating with an adjacent dining area and the kitchen is chef’s quality, with a spacious island for family/group meal prep.

The pool area, delightfully tucked into the ancient stone ruins, includes a terrace space plus a solarium. A shaded patio runs the full length of the house, with a scenic communal balcony overhead offering Atlantic views for miles.

Experiences

The property offers a private concierge service and personalized experiences, from private tours and wellness activities to local guides. Private yoga sessions can be arranged on the green, the ocean in plain sight. A private chef can guide you through the creation of a dinner with local ingredients and recipes, and Portuguese wine tastings can be coordinated as well.

Around

Paul do Mar was once a vibrant fishing village at the foot of the mountains, a community isolated from the rest of the island due to its lack of roads, inhabited by fishermen and mountain dwellers who traded fish for vegetables and tended small orchards and built sturdy stone houses. Today, the Paul do Mar area offers a sunny coastal getaway on Madeira’s west coast, nestled between wild, orchard dotted mountains and the Atlantic. The property offers easy access to regional sightseeing, including Ponta do Pargo’s breathtaking cliffs and stunning sunsets, the serene natural pools at Porto Moniz and Seixal, and the rugged beauty of Ribeira da Janela with its famed, jutting rock formations. The nearby Fanal Forest offers stands of ancient laurel trees shrouded in mist, and the striking turquoise waters at Seixal and Calheta Beach are not to be missed.