Ponta do Pargo

Nope.  Didn’t last a week.

Ponta do Pargo is extremely picturesque.  It’s very quiet and very rural.  The staff of the hotel/restaurant were nice and accommodating.  The room was simple but clean with a killer view of the water from my balcony.  And yet …

I felt trapped in a bucolic nightmare.

Okay.  That’s not entirely fair.  I did hike around the area, enjoying the scenery.  I wasn’t the only one.  The farol had various guests coming in an out while the hills were often covered with hikers (mostly German).  The word farol actually means lighthouse (I just keep referring to the hotel/restaurant as a farol).  The lighthouse itself is located down a tunnel that leads to a turnaround for tourists to park and get a scenic view.  They would often stop at the restaurant, a popular spot to view the fabulous sunsets.

In the other direction, the road ends in a cul-da-sac providing entrance into driveways for 2-3 houses.  The only road out leads through the village, a serious hoof up a hill only partially paved with sidewalks. There are wildflowers everywhere.  Calla lilies, poppies, cacti, and what looked like aloe bushes.  Everything is lush and green and many houses have their own fields to grow vegetables. I already mentioned the cows, but I also spotted some goats in the fields.  All the animals are tethered to their spots, but I still don't think that most have owners.  I think it's up to city to maintain them.

The village itself has a few restaurants, a pharmacy, and a small grocery store.  It’s this weird mix of the modern and the ancient.  You’ll see these lovely brightly colored homes with blooming gardens sitting next to rotted out wrecks.  There are few sidewalks, yet plenty of people on foot (and just like in Lisbon, the drivers will give you a lot of leeway for being in the street).  Some of the roads are barely ruts in the dirt, yet there will be a shiny new car rolling down it.  It is deathly quiet except for the church bells and the animals, until some yahoos on motorcycles race down the street.

There’s like 20 people in this village and yet they have this kickass coffee shop called Gato Legal.  I stopped there on my first Friday at the farol since the restaurant is closed that day.  I had a tuna pie and an Americano. The food was delicious and I love the air of the place.  I asked the owner how long they served breakfast and since he said all day, I assured him that I would be back.  There was a French toast on the menu that I had to try and at 2:00 the following Sunday I did.  It was amazing.  And, yes, they do serve wine and beer, thanks for asking.

In fact, they have wine and beer everywhere.  As tiny as the supermarkets are, whether here or in Lisbon, they always have a full liquor aisle.  Madeira is known for it’s wine and even though I’m not a big wine person, I had to try some.  I had the sweet version of their port – not bad.  I also had something called poncha.  It was served in this tiny glass and looked like orange juice.  I took one sip and – whoa.  That’s booze made from rum and fruit juices.  Took another sip … and then I was drunk.  Third sip killed the glass. “Would you like another?” asked the waitress.  “Yes, please.”  Good stuff that.  Poncha!

I hiked up the hill nearest to the farol, visited the village multiple times, took pictures at the scenic overlook.  I basically did all you could do without having a car and by Saturday I was over it.  I was tired of the menu.  The free breakfast was the same rolls, cold cuts and fruit every morning.  The room was always too cold and the hotel could get noisy.  I longed to be out exploring more of the island, but I didn’t want to drive.  A rental from the farol would cost 100 euros a day and the roads here are steep, windy, narrow, and go through too many tunnels for my comfort. The bus system (outside of the main city of Funchal) was incomprehensible even to the locals, took too long, and rarely made it to this part of the island.

I think an extended stay would make sense if you’re looking to escape the hustle and bustle of a city or if you’re looking to reconnect with nature.  Call me spoiled, but I didn’t need a month to do that.  Not the fault of the farol, just not where my head is at.  Yes, I should embrace the quiet to get more writing done but … a few days at the farol just had me itching for something else.