Aqua Natura Madeira Hotel

Aqua Natura Madeira attracts a crowd composed of some younger families, but mostly couples looking for a secluded getaway in a romantic setting. Although the hotel is rather small, it is bright and airy thanks to whitewashed walls and minimalist furniture, and plate-glass walls with dramatic views of the Atlantic and a craggy moonscape of black, jagged volcanic rocks. The lobby has beige seating, light fixtures in shades of orange, lime green, and cyan, and a vast monochrome print of the sea views on its back wall. The restaurant is decorated in a similar manner, with glass walls giving the room ample natural light and spectacular coastal vistas. 

The hotel is ideally located for the dramatic natural pools on the coast of Porto Moniz, just a two-minute walk away. Aqua Natura Madeira has views over the pools, and provides free tickets for guests to swim there. In the other direction, the center of Porto Moniz is an eight-minute walk away. Farther afield, the caves at Grutas Sao Vincente are an 18-minute drive away, while the cable car that goes down to the beach at Achadas Da Cruz is a 19-minute drive. It takes roughly an hour to drive across the center of the island to the city of Funchal, or closer to 90 minutes if you take the scenic coast road. Expect transfer times of 60 minutes to reach Madeira Airport.

The hotel’s 25 rooms may feel cramped to some, but they provide dramatic coastal views, and sizable, furnished terraces from which to enjoy them. Rooms are contemporary, albeit generic, with lime-green walls, carpets in shades of mauve or blue, white bed linens, and bed runners and curtains in a more vibrant shade of lime than the walls. They have space for a double bed or two twins, desk and chair, bedside tables, and an armchair. Suites have a similar bedroom and an adjoining lounge area with a minimalist sofa and two armchairs. Straightforward bathrooms have a shower/tub combo, bidet, hairdryer, free toiletries, and a robe. All rooms have a flat-screen TV, tea- and coffee-making facilities, a minibar, and free Wi-Fi. Safes are provided but they're too small for laptops or tablets.

The main selling point at the Aqua Natura Madeira is the proximity to the natural lava pools, which are swimmable, and the views over the sea and the black volcanic moonscape. While the hotel does not have a swimming pool of its own, they provide guests free tickets to swim in the pools. The hotel also has a spa offering massage treatments and wellness therapies, a sauna, and big hot tub -- which has views out to sea and an adjacent outdoor terrace with loungers. While spacious and modern, the small gym is minimally equipped with a treadmill, bikes, a cross-trainer, and punching bag. All rates include a quality buffet breakfast, and the restaurant also serves an a la carte lunch and dinner. Free Wi-Fi is available throughout, and the hotel offers guests free parking, a welcome drink, and a jar of homemade jam when leaving. Pets are allowed upon request for free.