Coast magazine, the UK’s premier magazine celebrating the best of coastal living, includes Madeira as great place to own a home. It states that “there is a great choice for homebuyers” on the island, and the Palheiro Estate is recommended.
With a view of the coast like this, we’re not surprised by their choice!
Article by by LAURA LATHAM - Easy Jet Inflight
When home is a grand 19th-century estate on a semi-tropical island, what more do you need?
YEAR-ROUND SUNSHINE, stunning coastal views and an active, outdoor lifestyle may sound too good to be true, but the Still family will tell you how wrong you are. They moved to Madeira two years ago and love it so much they’ve set down roots as deep as the ancient trees in the island’s famous forests.
“I never expected to end up in Madeira,” says Roger, 57, who lives with wife Lizzie, 49, and 10-year-old daughter Lara in a villa overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. “But it’s a beautiful island with so much to do. It’s a wonderful place to live.”
Roger’s career in international sales had already taken the Stills across the world, from the Caribbean to central Europe and Portugal, when he was offered a job working for the illustrious Blandy family in Madeira.
One of the most important names on the island, the Blandys made their fortune in the 1800s, by exporting Madeira wine. Palheiro, the family’s 19th-century estate, is famous for its boutique hotel, golf course and botanical gardens - and the development where the Stills’ home is located. “Palheiro is a stunning location,” says Lizzie. “There is a certain amount of kudos to saying we live there. People are always very impressed.”
Madeira is a highly cosmopolitan environment, which gives Lara the chance to mix with a range of nationalities at school. “It was difficult when I first moved here,” she says. “But I soon got used to it, and now have a lot of friends from Madeira, Germany, Spain and Holland. We hardly ever watch TV, but we never get bored, because there are so many other things to do.”
Roger and Lizzie feel Madeira allows Lara a diverse, outdoor lifestyle she wouldn’t find elsewhere. She’s currently taking golf and riding lessons, plays tennis and goes on hikes with her father and the family spaniel, Archie, along Madeira’s famous levadas (aqueducts). These narrow paths follow the watercourses that flow from the mountains and are picturesque, but can be precarious. “Walking levadas is fun but sometimes it can be scary,” says Lara, “Archie fell in last time, so I don’t think he likes it much.”
Living on such a far-flung outpost doesn’t make the family feel isolated. “Europe is only three hours away, so we can get off the island whenever we need a change of scenery,” explains Lizzie. “Plus, we have the internet like everyone else, so we can communicate with friends and family and, of course, do our shopping online.” She laughs: “Roger’s heart sinks whenever a delivery arrives - he knows I’ve been busy with the credit cards.”
Lizzie also feels the family benefits from a simpler, as well as a better, quality of life. “It’s a safe environment. Children here don’t grow up as fast and aren’t exposed to a competitive or materialistic culture.” She admits, though, that Madeira may not suit everyone, and advises prospective residents to visit several times or rent for a few months first.
ROGER ALSO CLAIMS the island is losing its “blue rinse” reputation, thanks to younger families who have moved there. Even their eldest daughter, Charlotte, 21, who lives in the UK and used to prefer holidaying in Ibiza, is happy to visit with her friends. They now find enough clubs and bars on the island to keep them happy.
The family’s only quibble might be that the year-round good weather has made them soft. “Madeirans are so used to warmth they think anything below 15°C is freezing, and last winter was quite cold,” says Roger. “We’re one of the few families in the area who have central heating, so we were the envy of all our friends.”
For now, at least, the family have no plans to leave and are constantly thrilled with Madeira’s unexpected pleasures. “The other day, we saw a school of dolphins playing just offshore,” says Roger. “It’s those experiences that lifts the spirits and makes us realise that, after two years, we’ve barely scratched the island’s surface.”
Country Life features Palheiro Village in a feature about fractional freehold property in the special International edition of this premium magazine. A large picture of a villa features on the first page of the article, under a headline stating “Where fractions add up”.
The writer, Cheryl Markosky, notes that “many top-end house builders, including Palheiro Village on the Blandy Estate on the island of Madeira, is looking at The Registry Collection” and details the scheme and what’s on offer.
The Sunday Telegraph ran a feature on Madeira in the Life section yesterday, looking at the appeal of the island in the current climate. The island is described as having “Britain written all over it” and being “more upmarket than Mediterranean rivals”.
Owners at Palheiro Village, Bob and Harriet Gray, are quoted, saying that they “adore Madeira” and “fell in love” with Palheiro Village, which is also described as being the “island’s poshest scheme”.
Homes Overseas magazine’s May edition (out now) rates Palheiro Village’s fractional scheme among the top 10 world wide developments offering this “fashionable purchasing scheme”!
The magazine also features Palheiro Village in the Madeira section of an overview article about buying in Portugal, stating this is a “scheme worth considering for a second home purchase” and that it’s “success has enthused plans to construct two further golf courses on the island”.
The article also enthuses about Madeira, commenting that it “offers a pleasurable, year-round subtropical climate and lush tropical landscape, making it a popular second home destination.”
Palheiro Village, the exclusive Real Estate development on Madeira island is featured on the Guardian online website in the property gallery.
Palheiro Village residents get use of the golf course, hotel facilities and motor yacht.
Link to article: http://tinyurl.com/da4ss2
The prestigious Palheiro Estate Group has published an aerial photography gallery which displays stunning shots of the Palheiro Village complex with its villas, apartments and surrounding areas, plus breathtaking shots towards Funchal and the Atlantic Ocean. The gallery has an interesting zoom function that allows close inspection of selected parts of the images.
Visit the Aerial Photography Gallery here: Palheiro Golf Aerial Gallery
It’s a buyer’s market, especially for investors looking abroad and now they have the chance to make their dream of a house in the sun a reality by buying a share of a property, an option on offer in Madeira, writes Majella O’Sullivan
Irish Independent, 20 February 2009
By Majella O’Sullivan
Friday February 20 2009
In these times of economic uncertainty, the prospect of leaving it all behind and escaping to your home in the sun is more attractive than ever before.
For those of us who still don’t have a place abroad to call home, there has probably never been a better time to start looking. They say it’s a buyer’s market and this is as much the case for overseas properties as it is for the domestic market.
Of course, there are always options when buying a property abroad that makes it a more realistic prospect for investors. Fractional ownership is a concept that’s grabbing the investor’s attention more than ever. This is when the buyer purchases a percentage share, say one quarter, of the property. The shares are sold to individual owners and each enjoys the privileges of owning it or sharing in the profits made. It also comes at a fraction of the cost of sole ownership.
Splash International is one of Ireland’s market leaders in the sale of luxurious overseas property. Established in 2004, it has already gained an unrivalled reputation for what the company says is its unique, personalised service where they will source the property, advise on legal requirements and even arrange financing.
Splash is now handling the sale of a luxurious development of apartments and villas at Palheiro Village on the island of Madeira. Better still, it even offers fractional ownership options so owning your own property on a beautiful island may not just be a pipe dream.
Palheiro Village
Palheiro Village is a development of 79 luxury freehold apartments and villas with spectacular views over the Atlantic Ocean and the city of Funchal.
The village is located within the Palheiro Estate, which dates back over 200 years when the first Count of Carvalhal built a hunting lodge there in 1804. The estate was acquired by John Burden Blandy in 1885 and to this day remains in Blandy family ownership. The family has returned the original lodge to its former glory and now runs it as Casa Velha do Palheiro, a luxurious country house hotel.
The Palheiro Gardens surrounding the lodge are a botanist’s heaven, famous for the variety of plants that grow there, collected over a period of 180 years, and the beauty of its hillside setting.
Winding its way through the estate is Palheiro Golf, an 18-hole course complete with golf academy and elegant clubhouse. The course designer, Cabell Robinson, created a challenging course that incorporates the Madeiran hills, ridges and a deep valley set against the serene backdrop of the surroundings.
About Madeira
I visited the Palheiro Estate in early September when there were still plenty of golfers making their way around the course in pleasant sunshine. Being located out in the Atlantic,600 miles southwest of Lisbon, Madeira’s temperate climate makes it the ideal year-round holiday destination. Summers in Portugal are generally hot and dry but Madeira, enjoys warm summers with refreshing sea breezes and mild winters.
Madeira is also a walker’s paradise. The island is of volcanic origin and hilly. Its coast is steep and rocky with deep eroded lava gorges that run down to the sea. Ironically, this composition means it will never be a haven for sun worshippers who have to travel to the neighbouring island of Porto Santo for sandy beaches. There is little danger of the island being over-developed as up to 70pc of the area is protected.
The Madeirans cut watercourses in the rock as a way of carrying water from springs up to the mountainside to irrigate their land. Today these ‘levadas’ form a network of courses, some of which have been developed as walking routes.
There’s plenty to see and do even if walking isn’t to your liking. The island itself is steeped in history, some of which is right on the doorstep of the Casa Velha.
Water sport enthusiasts will not be disappointed either by all that’s on offer. Both Funchal, the capital, and nearby Camara de Lobes have a wide range of restaurants which offer local and international cuisine. The excellent House of Fish in Camara de Lobes and its sister restaurant the House of Meat, will even arrange collection from Palheiro Village and drop you home again after your meal. The restaurants offer some of the finest examples of local food including the Madeiran speciality of steak chargrilled on a stick which can be enjoyed in the bustling atmosphere of this seaside eatery.
Funchal has an array of cafes and bars any of which are perfect spots for people watching or even for sampling some of the local Madeira wine. The Blandy family also produce their own wine and I was certainly surprised by just how many varieties of Madeira wine there were.
Planning restrictions
Palheiro Village exclusivity is heightened by the fact that developments such as these are rare on the island as there are strict planning restrictions in Madeira.
Furthermore, the Blandy family, which manages the development, states that it is their mission to uphold all that the family and the estate name of Palheiro stand for. Given that the family is still resident on the estate and has a 124-year association with the island, this is hardly surprising.
Majella O’Sullivan
The latest edition of the ‘Palheiro Estate’ newsletter is now available and filled with news about Palheiro Golf, Palheiro Village, Property Management, the launch of Fractional Freehold and some surprisingly interesting news regarding both silver and gold awards that have been awarded to Palheiro Village.
If you have an interest in property on Madeira island - you’ll want to get the latest stories and press releases in ‘Palheiro News’.
Get your copy by following this link:
Palheiro Village has received international recognition after being judged “Best Development - Portugal” and “Best Fractional Ownership Scheme – Silver” in the Homes Overseas Awards.
Roger Still, Development Manager, Palheiro Village receives the GOLD Award for BEST DEVELOPMENT PORTUGAL from Susan Clay of Barclays Bank
Roger Still, Development Manager, Palheiro Village receives the SILVER Award for BEST FRACTIONAL OWNERSHP SCHEME from Piers Brown of Fractional Life
The winners of the highly coveted Homes Overseas Awards were announced at a glittering Gala dinner and awards ceremony at The Grovsenor House Hotel in London on Friday, 28 November. The evening event was attended by property developers and property agents from all around the world and gave recognition to the very best international residential property projects. The Homes Overseas Awards are the most highly respected symbols of prestige and excellence in the overseas property sector.
The awards are made annually following a rigorous process, with shortlisted candidates being visited and assessed by a judge. The awards judge who visited Madeira was Marc Da-Silva, editor of the online version of Homes Overseas Magazine. After the awards ceremony, he said “Best Development Portugal was one of the most fiercely contested categories this year with a whole host of entries from across Portugal”. “Golf was awarded to Palheiro Village, as it is a truly magnificent development. I believe Palheiro has taken residential architecture on the island to a new level, and now stands to rival some of the best golf property developments in the more established golfing hotspot of the Algarve, at a fraction of the price”.
Palheiro Village comprises 79 luxury freehold apartments and villas with spectacular sea views over the Atlantic Ocean, forming part of The Palheiro Estate, an ideal haven for those seeking peace and relaxation, surrounded by the lushness of Madeira’s vegetation, nature and scenery, yet only 15 minutes drive from the charming and vibrant city of Funchal.
The origins of the estate go back over 200 years to 1804 when João, 1st Count of Carvalhal built a hunting lodge. In 1885, the estate was acquired by John Burden Blandy, in whose family it remains. The old house has been restored and transformed into Casa Velha do Palheiro, a `Relais & Chateaux´ country house hotel which welcomes golfers and those interested in exploring Madeira’s gardens, mountain scenery and levada walks.
Adjacent to Casa Velha are the Palheiro Gardens, famous not only for the variety of plants that grow there, but for the beauty of their hillside setting. The gardens form a rich collection of plants from many different parts of the world, gathered together over a period of 180 years or so.
Winding its way through the estate, Palheiro Golf comprises an 18-hole golf course, golf academy and elegant clubhouse The golf course architect Cabell Robinson has created a challenging golf course incorporating the characteristic Madeiran hills, ridges and deep valleys and reflecting the elegance and serenity of the surroundings. The clubhouse offers a relaxing ambience with an excellent all-day menu and breathtaking views over Funchal Bay.
Located conveniently close to the Palheiro Golf clubhouse, the Village offers a range of apartments and villas together with its own club facilities including swimming pool, pool bar and reception. Owners in Palheiro Village will also have access to the new Palheiro Spa, which is due to open mid-2009.
Palheiro Real Estate
For further information contact Roger Still or Anne Marchington
Tel: +351 291 794 015
Fax: +351 291 794 022
roger.still@palheiroestate.com
anne.marchington@palheiroestate.com
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