Top Things to do in Prazeres
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10 Things to Do in Prazeres That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Prazeres, Portugal including Levada Nova, Taxi Calheta, Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse, Maktub Pub, Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools, Veu da Noiva Viewpoint, Galeria dos Prazeres, Madeira Paragliding, Levada Ribeira de Janela, Vereda da Garganta Funda.
Restaurants in Prazeres
1. Levada Nova
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 79 reviews
Reviewed By KathleenR_28 - Port Dover, Canada
I was looking forward to our first levada walking but I was not quite sure what to expect. Choosing this levada route as our first hike in Madeira turned out to be great. After parking our vehicle close to Restaurante Rurais, we followed the sign for the trail head.
The walk itself was lovely, as it went through Valleys and Forests, although it was sad to see that the summer wildfires in July affected this area. We could see, though, new growth.
Throughout our walk, I remember having seen only about 5 people, which is what made the hike all the more enjoyable. This is a linear hike, so you retrace your steps back to the parking. Before you leave, have a coffee and a pasteis de nata ... well-deserved snack :-)
2. Taxi Calheta
Overall Ratings
5 based on 40 reviews
We are a small taxi company located in Calheta (between the south and the western end of the island) dedicated mainly to transport tourists, with a big goal - the satisfaction of our customers.
Reviewed By RJ682015 - Skegness, United Kingdom
My wife and I had a great tour with Gregory arranged through the tourist place in Calheta opposite the Savoy Hotel. We travelled around the south side of the island in a minibus containing eight persons all English speaking. Gregory was a very good guide...Morethank you (obrigado)
3. Ponta do Pargo Lighthouse
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 337 reviews
Reviewed By Nik R - Varna, Bulgaria
Nice and quiet place at the western-most tip of Madeira which, as all places around the island, offer stunning views and there are also a couple of hikes in the vicinity.
There is also a small museum on the ground floor, free of charge, exhibiting documents and items related to the development of the lighthouse system around Madeira. Interesting to take a look, although the info is mostly given in Portuguese. You have to be careful when walking on the paths close to the edge of the cliff because it is dusty and slippery. A big, free parking is just next to the lighthouse.
Worth a visit if you are in the area.
4. Maktub Pub
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By tanya k - Greater London, United Kingdom
View - sea, surf and the best sunsets on the island. Ambience - so cool it doesn't try and doesn't have to - quintessence of relaxed, genuine peace, calm and bonhomie. Mojitos that make all other cocktails seem silly...seriously, these were just mint to be sipped and enjoyed. This is a special place.
5. Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 2 reviews
Reviewed By Nik R - Varna, Bulgaria
It is an interesting natural formation created when hot lava met the cold ocean and it is turned into a public swimming pool with amenities (showers, changing rooms, etc) therefore you have to pay 1.50 € to use it. If it is windy or the sea is rough, the waves crash into the natural barrier and jump inside the pools. A number of restaurants and a nice cafeteria are close-by, and a free parking lot is there on a large gravel area. You can find a similar formation about 200 meters away from the main one but no life-guards are there. We'd love to try it but we didn't have our swimming suits :).
6. Veu da Noiva Viewpoint
Overall Ratings
4 based on 126 reviews
Reviewed By GeysirGal - Surrey, United Kingdom
I stopped here for just a few minutes as part of a tour around East Madeira. The views of the waterfall and surrounding cliffs are pretty enough but by no means spectacular. As others have said, there is a shop across the road selling the usual tourist tat with toilets.
7. Galeria dos Prazeres
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By Muchtravelled222 - Brighton, United Kingdom
We were walking through Prazeres and came across this Galeria which had just opened and is part of the Quinta Pedagogica. The first exhibition augurs well for the future. We were told that the local priest is the driving force behind the development of the Quinta, with its Gardens, animals, really nice cafe (a chill in the air so a log fire burned inside) with teas, coffee and cakes, and a community internet cafe.
8. Madeira Paragliding
Overall Ratings
5 based on 39 reviews
Fly with the most experienced paragliders in the world full infrastructure for paragliding pilots and passengers from all over the world, 24 years safety flying every afternoon (weather permitting) best on the island
Reviewed By Deemer80
I am afraid of heights but this was awesome! My flight lasted 38 minutes and my girl friends lasted 23 minutes. She started to feel bad because of motion sickness and asked for faster landing hence the shorter flight. She took medication for that but she took it too early. She liked the flight and how they dealt with the fact that she started to feel sick. It was busy day there so we had to wait for our turn awhile but it was worth the wait. Friendly people running the place. Instructions were clear and easy to follow.
9. Levada Ribeira de Janela
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 84 reviews
Reviewed By g m - Bristol, United Kingdom
If you're looking for lush Forests, impressive Waterfalls and dingy tunnels then this walk is for you!
Recommendations:
1. Wear walking shoes, the more waterproof the better
2. Bring a torch, ideally one torch per person and even more ideally a head torch to leave your hands free to help you balance...
3. Be prepared to do a bit of balancing on the levada wall in the tunnels to avoid getting wet feet (either in the levada or the puddles alongside)
4. Our sat nav (google maps) tried to take us up a dodgy road (the caminho da ladeira) in Porto Moniz to the start of the walk. Our hire car ceouldn't do it, even in first gear! I would strongly recommend staying on the ER101 as long as possible before taking the road across to Lamaceiros
5. There are toilets, parking and picnic benches at the start of the walk in Lamaceiros
6. There's a hut halfway along which is a good place to stop for sandwiches. We continued past this through a couple of further tunnels before getting to a part of the levada which was overflowing where we turned back.
7. There's no public transport to the start of the walk so a hire car or tour is the best bet (otherwise you have to walk up from Porto Moniz which would be quite a trek)
10. Vereda da Garganta Funda
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 20 reviews
Reviewed By Oldie48 - Sevenoaks, United Kingdom
The area round these cliffs and the lighthouse offer spectacular views of the Atlantic and the scenery is quite stunning. There are lovely walks along the cliffs and if you are lucky you will see the Bertholet's Pipit - a rare bird found only on these Islands.
The cliffs fall away sharply so anyone who is a bit spooked by heights should stay away form the edge!
Well worth the visit although you really need a car to get there from Funchal.
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