DESTINATIONS MADEIRA | SPAIN & PORTUGAL Madeira
to measure t
Samantha Mayling samples the contemporary appeal of this oft-underrated Atlantic isle
he Portuguese ladies in our group giggle as Sofia waves a wooden stick to demonstrate how to concoct ‘poncha’ cocktails.
“It’s called a caralhinho, which is very rude in
Portuguese…it means ‘little dick’,” she explains, as we quaff the medicinal Madeiran medley of rum, sugar and lemon, created by explorers to prevent scurvy. Sofia Maul is a storyteller rather than a guide. As we explore Funchal’s foodie scene on a half-day tour with Wine Tours Madeira (from €60), we learn how her taxidermist grandfather founded the Natural History Museum and her father created local beer Coral and passion fruit drink Brisa. Our whistle-stop morning tour visits nine locations, sampling Madeira wine, black scabbard fish, artisanal chocolate, handmade biscuits and carne de vinha d’alhos (pork with wine and garlic). Sofia rhapsodises about local produce, including the pitanga, which “looks like a pumpkin and a cherry had a torrid love affair”. “I always take a food tour when I travel – nothing
gets you closer to the heart of a people than their food,” she says. “The market here has changed. It’s not just for older folk, especially since low-cost airlines arrived; we see people in their 20s and 30s doing watersports, rock-climbing, canyoning, trail-running, horse riding and more. People want somewhere different, surprising, off the beaten track.”
CONTEMPORARY CUISINE Later that day, I delve deeper into Funchal’s foodie scene, dining at Prima Caju restaurant, a trendy eatery that’s part of Caju Le Petit Hotel – a member of the Divine Hotels Collection that includes the nearby Vine Hotel.
Opened in December 2019 on the site of a market, Caju fuses ancient stone walls with modern concrete, metal and glass. It was crafted by Madeiran interior designer Nini Andrade, who also transformed the 15th-century harbour fortress into the stylish Design Centre and created chic spaces at the Vine Hotel and Savoy Palace.
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