Cabanas Sao Jorge.

I have just finished a cycling tour around Madeira. One of the places I stayed was so unique, that I thought I would give it a mention here.

My room at Cabanas Sao Jorge.

On the north coast of Madeira, there is a small village called Sao Jorge. It’s located roughly 10 kilometers west of the bigger town Santana. Right on the edge of Sao Jorge, you have a place called Cabanas Sao Jorge Village. It’s a complex where you have small individual cabanas, instead of hotel rooms. They are circular and have really nice rooms. The place is located on a cliffside above the ocean. So you have some fantastic views over the sea from there.

Great views of the north coast of Madeira.

Cabanas Sao Jorge has a nice restaurant. A bar. And a common room with a pool table.

I had dinner at the restaurant and was very happy with the food they served me. The house wine was a nice wine from the Alentejo region.

Nice common room with a pool table.

Maybe not the most professional staff, but I liked Cabanas Sao Jorge anyway.

I had a couple of situations where I was a little annoyed by the staff who were a little slower and less professional than I am normally used to at hotels around the world. But then I took a step back and looked at the situation. The place clearly employs local women from the village. Most of them had an age where they had most certainly never had any professional hotel training. I am a big supporter of employing and engaging the local population in tourism projects around the world. As it both brings the tourist closer to the locals, while it helps the local population to get a higher standard of living. So I decided that it was not really a problem that things were running a bit slow. And that the restaurant closed a little earlier than I liked.

My little house for the night.

If you happen to be traveling to Madeira and want to stay in a place with fantastic views, that is a little out of the way: Then I would recommend this wonderful little place at Cabanas Sao Jorge. And the prices are very competitive for a 3 star resort if you ask me. 

Located in rural Madeira.