Spotted at the centre of Calheta, it stays 10 minutes away from the Fig Tree House. It is an excellent place to practice nautical sports. It also has an artificial yellow sand beach and a shopping centre which provides to offer more facilities to local and foreign people.
It is localized next to Calheta’s church, 10 minutes away from the Fig Tree House. This society represents nowadays the connection between the historical past and the modern technologies, and it produces high-quality rum. Our guests will have the opportunity to enjoy an original guided-tour to its facilities, ensuring an unique experience where they can observe and learn how the rum, the sugar cane and also the honey cake are manufactured. Afterwards, our guests can prepare themselves to taste this delicious honey cake accompanied with poncha at the tasting room.
10 minutes away from the Fig Tree House, this museum stands next to Calheta’s church, at the centre of this village.
This building was internationally rewarded by its architecture and perfect integration in the city’s landscape. It is a cultural equipment that represents public interest for every type of art, in particular for the contemporary art, improving people’s knowledge about life and education.
Located in the parish of Ponta do Pargo, 20 minutes away from the parish of Prazeres, this lighthouse stands in an imposing rock above the sea. Characterized by its quietness and silence, this lookout point spreads its charm and hospitality over a stunning green plain with some traditional cottages around it.
Providing a cultural dynamism to our council, this pedagogical farm offers a diversity of Madeira’s traditions and costumes. Moreover, art and culture are not forgotten: our guests can still discover and visit Padre Manuel Nóbrega’s museum, the Pedagogical Farm, the Tea House, the Herbarium, the Parish Church and the multimedia zone.
Localized in Laurissilva, Rabaçal is 5 minutes away from the Fig Tree House, and it is one of the most known mountain places, either by national people, either by the international ones. It must be an excellent post card of Madeira Island since it offers our visitors memorable and breath-taking landscapes throughout its ample green area. To make our guests stay even more remarkable, there is in Rabaçal two of the principal waterfalls known as Risco waterfalls and Vinte e Cinco Fontes waterfalls. Also, there are other interesting walks and levadas such as:
Levada do Pinheiro de Dentro, Pinheiro de Fora e Rochão,
Percurso pedestre da Calheta - Prazeres - Ponta do Pargo,
Veredas entre o Estreito da Calheta - Jardim do Mar,
Calheta - Pomar e Eiras.
Levada do Salão ao Cabo - Ponta do Pargo, from Raposeira do Lugarinho to Paúl do Mar
Maloeira (Fajã da Ovelha)
Antiga Levada da Serra
Lombo do Salão / Pico Verde
Levada da Serra para Oeste
Levada Nova - Lombo do Salão / Prazeres
Paúl do Mar / Fajã da Ovelha
In this council we have extraordinary viewpoints with panoramic views due to its close relation between the mountains and the sea. Since this is a popular activity, here are some of the best viewpoints in Calheta:
Viewpoint of Achada de Santo Antão - Arco da Calheta
Viewpoint next to Costa Verde - Arco da Calheta
Viewpoint of Dr. Trigo Negreiros - Arco da Calheta
Viewpoint of do Massapez - Arco da Calheta
Panoramic view of Rochão next to the electricity post - Arco da Calheta
Panoramic view of Rochão at the connection path to Ovil - Paul da Serra
Panoramic view of Lagoa next to the lookout point against fire – Paúl da Serra
Viewpoint next to the Hotel Jardim Atlântico – Prazeres
Viewpoint of Sítio da Carreira – Prazeres
Viewpoint of Jardim do Mar
Viewpoint of Raposeira - Fajã da Ovelha
Viewpoint of Fio, Zimbreiros - Fajã da Ovelha
Viewpoint of Maçapez - Fajã da Ovelha
Viewpoint of Lombada dos Marinheiros - Fajã da Ovelha
Outdoor sport activities in natural spaces (beach, countryside, forest, mountains);
This councils’s diversity is enormous and the Atlantic Ocean invites you to sail, to go fishing or diving, to surf and to practice water ski. The water’s temperature varies between 18ºC and 24ºC, depending on the season of the year.
Due to the morphological characteristics of Madeira Island, paragliding is an attractive activity specially for those who practice it. There are excellent and appropriate places where the parachutists can dislocate from Calheta, most of them localized at the parish of Arco da Calheta.
Our clients can also enjoy the complicity of our landscape and discover the pleasure of driving a bike throughout the forest and levadas.
Furthermore there are still walkings, paths and ecotourism activities.
The strong connection to the mountains and the sea is a reflection in our gastronomy, specially in Calheta. You can taste and enjoy many gastronomic specialties which will provide you an absolutely fenomenal meal, either if it is meat or fish.
The meat lovers can find in Calheta many traditional dishes such as:
Espetada de carne de vaca em espeto de louro, Carne de vinho e alhos, grilled meat dishes and Picado.
On the other side, the fish lovers can also find great restaurants with fish specialties who serve delicious dishes: cod, grilled fish, seafood dishes (snails, grilled limpets) and black scabbard fish fillet served with banana.
Throughout Calheta’s municipality there are religious and popular demonstrations who represent this council’s tradition. The Charolas, original from Calheta, which are a great piece of art; The Holy Spirit festivals with carols; the traditional procession with multicolor floral carpets, the music band and its proper devotion are genuine elements; the Missas do Parto and Cantar dos Reis; the Animals’ Blessing; the
Threshing Wheat; the Sider Festival and the Roosters's Auction. These popular and religious festivals have been preserved for many centuries and nowadays express our culture and richness as a people.
On the St. John’s day this municipality celebrates its festivities. For a week many activities are carried out, for example: musical performances, the “Popular Marches”, expositions and also sports activities.
Recently, the sand beach in Calheta turned into a dance space in order to receive an annual event - the Calheta BeachParty - transmitting the genuine spirit of these festivals which occur on the seaside. It is certain that these type of festivities bring lots of entertainment and vitality to Calheta. In addition the entries are free, another plus is the line-up which includes international DJs, attracting a large audience to these parties.
