Quinta Palmeira, Funchal, Madeira

The Palmeira Estate and the surrounding gardens are located on the Rua da Levada de Santa Luzia in Funchal, just below a section of the Cota 200 motorway.

The Quinta Palmeira itself is a large white walled building with wooden shuttered windows. Tourists can visit the gardens, but the Estate house is closed to the public.

Back in the 1950s, public transport to the Estate would have been undertaken in a wooden carriage on sled runners pulled by a two bullocks. The journey, being uphill, would have taken an hour or more. Today, frequent buses and taxis mean that the grounds are a short journey ride from Funchal seafront.

However, on the right-hand side of the entrance, just behind the gate is a bell. If you reach through the railings and give the bell a good ring, more likely than not, an attendant will come and unlock the gates for you.

We also found that, when we rang the bell, two small dogs appeared out of nowhere and raised hell, barking at us from behind the gates. Do not be concerned, once you inside the gates, you will find that these dogs are very friendly.

Having gained admission, you follow a deserted pathway up quite a steep hill to get to the gardens proper. In total, the grounds cover over 30,000 square metres.

The gardens themselves are indicative of a bygone era when rich English merchants used to indulge their fantasies in the all year round sunshine of Madeira.

Reminders of the English at play in the 1930s are scattered throughout the gardens.

There is a croquet lawn, a butterfly pond, a fountain here, ornate tile decorations there and, of course, and English country rose garden.

There are also two viewing platforms with spectacular views over Funchal and the harbour - one with an elaborately tiled bench.

There is a good selection of plants on display in the gardens. Depending on the time of year, you will find a different selection in bloom. The following gives some highlights.

In April and May the Jacaranda trees add a splash of blue. Whilst from April through to September, the Angel's Trumpet Bell flower hang from the trees like a flourish of wind chimes. In September, pots of Red Anthurius line some of the winding pathways.

In addition, there are some spectacular palm trees that rise up above the gardens like an outsized parasol.

Unfortunately, the grounds have not been kept in their original condition and are rather run down and in need of some tender loving care. However, the admission fee is quite cheap and in return you are rewarded with some spectacular views over Funchal and the harbour.

There are also some interesting curios to see. The stylised tile wall decorations dotted around the grounds remind you of a long since gone era of the 1930s when the gardens must have been at their height.

Also, as you wander along the twisting pathways that make their way through the foliage, if you can look beyond the obvious neglect, you can get a glimpse of what a life of privilege and leisure use to mean in Madeira.

In a letter from Thomas Vernon Wollaston, an Entomologist, to Charles Darwin dated 16th September 1860, there is a reference to the Gardens at Palmeira in Madeira owned by Mr C. Bewicke.

Later, in 1908, Quinta Palmeira was purchased by Henry (Harry) Hinton who was born in Madeira in 1857. His father, William Hinton first visited the island in 1838 for health reasons and, after marrying Mary Wallas in 1839, permanently settled on Madeira in 1841.

The young Harry Hinton was responsible for introducing football to Madeira when, in 1875, he brought back a soccer ball from a stay in England and organised the first game to be played on the island in the parish of Camacha.

William Hinton was a sugar merchant and, when he died in 1904, the family business was taken on by his son.

It was during the Guardianship of Harry Hinton that the gardens at Quinta Palmeira were substantially improved, primarily at the behest of his second wife.

Isabel Beatriz da Câmara Vasconcelos Couto Cardoso Bettencourt had married Harry Hinton in 1926 and, from around 1928 onward into the early 1930s, oversaw the establishment of the formal gardens.

Henry Hinton died on 16th April 1948 and the ownership of the property passed to a Mr George Welsh. There is reference to young Henrique Jaime Welsh living at the Quinta in 1950.

Perhaps the main feature of historical importance in the gardens is the Columbus Window. This stone frame encasement was salvaged from the João Esmeraldo’s building where Christopher Columbus is once thought to have stayed.

Casa Esmeraldo was home to a Flemish sugar merchant and it is known that Chrostopher Columbus' first visit to Madeira in 1478/79 was to purchase a cargo of sugar.

Christopher Columbus was also thought to have stayed in the house again in 1498 after his voyage to the Americas.

Unfortunately, the Casa Esmeraldo itself was demolished in 1877. The Manueline double-arched window frame is known to have provided the main window of the house and it was purchased and removed by Henry Hinton before the building was pulled down.

Water fountain and tiled decoration in Quinta Palmeira

Flowers in the garden grounds

Quinta Palmeira rose garden

Aspects of the garden

Walk to Jardim de Santa Luzia:-

When you have finished your visit, try walking down to Funchal seafront. As you exit from the Quinta, turn right and head uphill for about 50 metres. Follow the road round and you will reach the junction with the Rua do Til, turn left here and head downhill toward the coast.

After a further 5 minutes or so, you will arrive at the junction with the Rua 31 de Janeiro, turn left again, still heading toward the seafront. Along this road you will find the Jardim de Santa Luzia on your left. This is a public park easily identifiable as it has a very tall chimney stretching skyward in its grounds.

The significance of the Jardim de Santa Luzia is that it covers the area once occupied by a sugar and rum factory built and owned by Heney Hinton. The vast chimney is a constant reminder of the importance that sugar once played in the economy of Madeira.