The Marisol self-catering apartments are located in the municipality of Calheta, and more precisely in the civil parrish of “Arco da Calheta” (a type of suburb, if you will). It enjoys relative peace and quiet since it is located on a road that has no exit - that is, it ends in a cul-de-sac some 100 metres further. The area is part of the countryside of Madeira - deluxe style: fantastic scenery, lovely lush green hills, banana trees and grape vines everywhere, and the vast blue sea always present. The area is a veritable sun-trap.
It is recommended to hire a car if you do intend to stay longer than a few days. The vicinity around Calheta is quite hilly and has many curves with spectacular sights. It is quite common to enjoy a “festa” (a type of popular festival) nearly any weekend, especially in the summer and the autumn. If you do not spend some time on the beach or partake in some of the sea-sporting activities you will definitely want to try some of the excellent levada walking nearby.
The strongest and most prized resource of all Calheta are the very hospitable and very likeable local folk that live and work there. The local Madeiran are very welcoming and have always some time to help and entertain foreign visitors to the area. Don’t forget to partake in some of the local activities too: visit the “engenho” in the villa where a strong type of rum is produced, or go surfing off Jardim do Mar or Paúl do Mar, or even take a paragliding tour of the area!
| Feature | Distance | By foot | By bus | By car rental | By taxi | Notes |
|---|
| Airport | 47.3 km | | | 42 minutes | | Funchal Airport |
| Harbour | 30.6 km | | | 30 minutes | | Funchal Harbour |
| Motorway Junction | 1.7 km | | | 3 minutes | | Arco da Calheta - traffic circle |
| Marina | 3.8 km | | | 5 minutes | | Calheta Marina |
| Marina | 8.6 km | | | 13 minutes | | Lugar de Baixo Marina |
| Feature | Distance | By foot | By bus | By car rental | By taxi | Notes |
|---|
| tourism office | 3.8 km | | | 5 minutes | | Calheta Beach |
| restaurant | 4.8 km | | | 7 minutes | | Convento das Vinhas Restaurant |
| tourism office | 4.6 km | | | 6 minutes | | |
| supermarket | 3.8 km | | | 5 minutes | | Pingo Doce Supermarket |
| bank | 3.8 km | | | 5 minutes | | Millenium Bank - Calheta Beach |
| cultural interest | 5.1 km | | | 8 minutes | | Casa das Mudas museum and art gallery |
| wineries | 4.5 km | | | 7 minutes | | Engenho da Calheta |
| Feature | Distance | By foot | By bus | By car rental | By taxi | Notes |
|---|
| sailing | 3.8 km | | | 5 minutes | | Calheta Marina |
| beach | 3.8 km | | | 5 minutes | | Calheta Beach |
| fishing | 3.8 km | | | 5 minutes | | Deep-sea fishing at Calheta marina |
| paragliding | 3.0 km | | | 6 minutes | | Costa Verde jump-off |
