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Arco de Calheta (Map Ref: 7) is a peaceful rural village only 45 mins drive from the airport and 30 mins West of the capital town of Funchal. It sits in a large south-facing bowl in the sunniest part of the island with a backdrop of mountains to the north and stunning views towards the sea to the south.

• The church dominates the hub of this charming well equipped village where you can find several bars and cafés, minimarkets, bread shops, post office, bank with ATM, hairdressers, hardware stores, a garage and more.

• Vila Calheta, with its supermarket, bars, restaurants, superb new marina and beach of golden sand, is a few minutes drive down the hill. You can enjoy sea swimming, sailing, snorkelling and windsurfing all year round.

• The new marina at Vila Calheta is gearing itself to accommodate not only sailing boats in transit on Atlantic crossings, but also permanently berthed vessels equipped for big game and sea fishing. Exciting stuff! Deep sea fishing lovers and sailors will be in paradise.

• Walkers will find access paths ascending directly from the village over the mountains or, as shown in the picture above, alongside levadas (irrigation channels which cover the island and extend to over 2000km). We recommend a guided walk - try visiting www.madeira-levada-walks.com

• Gardeners can marvel at the variety of exotic plants that thrive on the south of the island in the sub-tropical climate.

• Golfers can enjoy two excellent courses 40 minutes drive east beyond Funchal, one on the European circuit. A 3rd is under construction 10 mins west at Prazeres.

• Arco da Calheta is the paragliding centre of the island – see picture above.

• In the near future, Arco da Calheta will boast a community leisure facility, including tennis courts and swimming pool.

• The marinas at Ponta do Sol and Calheta, once finished, will provide a range of watersports, including big game and sea fishing, sailing, windsurfing, snorkelling and scuba-diving.