Quinta das Vinhas is a rural-tourism wine estate at Estrada Regional 223, nº 136, in Estreito da Calheta on Madeira's south-west coast. It is registered as agro-turismo (RNET 7115) with 24 units, set on a 30,000 m² property that is mostly organic vineyard. It suits walkers who want self-catering space within reach of Rabaçal: the PR 6 and PR 6.1 trailhead is about 5.4 km away in a straight line.
What is the property?
According to Visit Madeira, the estate has a 17th-century main house, an annex and 15 chalets, gardens and two swimming pools. It received its first guests in 1997 and was fully renovated in 2018. The vineyard holds about 70 grape varieties and is being converted to biodynamic practice; in 2020 the estate laid down its first barrels of Madeira wine with Justino's.
Accommodation, per the official website, ranges from six rooms in the main house and three larger rooms in the annex to mezzanine cottages, vineyard apartments and two small houses (Casa Rosa and Casa Balanço). The cottages and apartments have kitchenettes; rooms have air conditioning and a safe. There are no TVs.
Which trails and sights are close?
- Levada das 25 Fontes (PR 6) and Levada do Risco (PR 6.1): Rabaçal is about 5.4 km away in a straight line. Book your slot first — see trail booking and fees.
- Vereda do Fanal (PR 13): the Paul da Serra start is about 8.2 km away in a straight line.
- Praia da Calheta, the sandy beach at Calheta marina, is about 2.1 km away in a straight line, but several hundred metres lower.
Visit Madeira gives Funchal as about 35 km away and Madeira Airport as a 45-minute drive.
Food and services
Breakfast is a buffet in the main house. The restaurant and wine bar, renovated in 2018, serves dinner with a list of island table wines; meals can also be taken away to the cottages. Wi-Fi is free throughout, cleaning is daily, and on-site parking is free subject to availability. Booking.com lists check-in from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00.
Practical notes
Plan on a car: the estate sits above the regional road and no bus stop is mapped within 400 m on OpenStreetMap. Kitchenettes make it practical for early starts on the west of the island, when you want to be at Rabaçal before the car park fills.