Granny’s Farm Madeira Review: Best Glamping Spot in São Vicente?

It’s hard to forget the views at Granny’s Farm Madeira, an adults-only glamping site in São Vicente on the north coast of Madeira.

Tucked into a green valley with mountains on either side, the accommodation is in rural part of Madeira with reddish terracotta-tiled houses and radiant gardens.

Despite its dramatic scenery, Granny’s Farm is still relatively unknown. I found the location while scouring the internet for a glamping retreat in Madeira, and was immediately drawn in by the mountain views and pretty bell tents.

In April 2024, I booked a cottage for several days to celebrate a special occasion. I paid out of my own pocket, so this is my honest review of its location, facilities and ease of access.

Interested in staying at Granny’s Farm Madeira? This link will take you to the hotel on Booking.com, where I booked my stay – just note that it often books up months in advance!

Disclosure: This post may include affiliate links. If you decide to click through and make a qualifying purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you – thanks for your support.

Where is Granny’s Farm?

Granny’s Farm is located in São Vicente on the north coast of Madeira.

This town is located in a large, green valley surrounded by mountains and around a 35-minute drive from the capital city of Madeira, Funchal.

Granny’s Farm is not located in the town centre, but in a hilly, rural area with minimal public transport connections. It’s a 10-minute drive from the main area, along the seafront.

Therefore, it’s best to hire a car or scooter to get there – you can usually pick up your hire car at the airport or from Funchal.

The nearest tourist attractions to the glampsite are Seixal Beach, 20 minutes’ drive away, and the Porto Moniz natural pools, 25 minutes’ drive away.

A number of hikes also begin in the valley – more on that later…

Accommodation Types at Granny’s Farm

There are three main accommodation types at Granny’s Farm.

1. Bungalows: The farm has several bungalows fitted with comfortable bedrooms, living areas and fully-equipped kitchens.

2. Three-bedroom house: The three-bedroom house sleeps six people, making it good for bigger groups.

3. Bell tents: The bell tents are open seasonally and pitched around the manicured grounds. They have access to the communal kitchen and communal bathroom facilities.

My Experience at Granny’s Farm Madeira

I visited Granny’s Farm in April 2024. I gifted a two-night stay to my friend to celebrate their birthday.

The friend in question lives on the south coast of Madeira, which can sometimes get hectic, so this was a way for us to get away to the mountains.

Cost and Online Reviews

I booked my stay at Granny’s Farm on Booking.com, where it currently has a rating of 9.3/10 from 380+ reviews.

On Google, its rating is also excellent: a 4.8/5 from 110+ reviews.

The reviews mostly rave about the views, the friendly hosts and the spacious garden. Small qualms include the remote location, the humidity and mattresses being on the hard side.

I paid €200 for two nights in a two-person bungalow. In Madeira, €100 per night is very good value for accommodation.

Considering the views, the cleanliness and the location, I consider the price to be quite the bargain.

Of course, if you need to hire a car, you also need to take that into consideration (this shouldn’t cost more than €40-50 per night); we already had a vehicle.

The bell tents are slightly less expensive, priced at approximately €73 per night (€146 for two nights).

The farm has a minimum stay of two nights, so you can’t book just one night of accommodation.

Arrival

Getting to Granny’s Farm was easy for us. My friend has their own vehicle, so we drove to the farm in 50 minutes from Machico, which is next to the international airport.

From Funchal, it’s a 35-minute drive along the VR1 and VE4 motorways.

The final portion of the drive is through one of my favourite valleys in Madeira, stretching from Ribeira Brava to São Vicente. The valley has several popular poncha bars and hiking trails.

Finding Granny’s Farm was a little more difficult. We drove past the gate a couple of times, missing the small signpost.

However, after I located the gate, we easily parked in the small car park and, after a short walk past a vineyard, we reached the entrance gate.

At the gate, we rang the doorbell and were greeted by the friendly male gardener, who spends his time tending to the plants and the bar.

He gave us a quick tour of the site before taking us to the wooden bar where he served us fresh poncha.

The bar is quirky and maximalist, decorated with rum and wine bottles, old-school weighing scales, lampshades and wine barrels.

Drink specials are scrawled across black chalkboards. We loved the poncha and the overall vibe.

Facilities

The facilities at Granny’s Farm Madeira are minimal but not at all lacking. The wooden bar opens on demand only, to serve poncha and other alcoholic beverages.

Opposite the bar is a traditional open-fronted stone barbecue, where you can use the long, steel skewers to hang meat vertically over the flames.

You may want to try making your own espetada here, or like us, grill some chicken for a picnic at one of the local miradours – we took ours to Praceta dos Cardais.

Picnic at Praceta dos Cardais

There are plenty of seating areas scattered around Granny’s Farm’s well-tended garden, most with mountain views.

I particularly liked the wooden swingset, which looks back up the slope, and the wooden garden chairs, where I often read my book in the sun. There’s also a covered area with sofas.

The bell tents have access to the communal kitchen, which has an electric hob station, basic cooking equipment (including pans, a chopping board, dishes and utensils) and the barbecue.

There are also communal bathrooms to use if you’re staying in the bell tents.

Accommodation

My two-person bungalow was small but cosy. Everything was cleaned to a high standard, which made me feel at home immediately.

The kitchen was also well-equipped with everything I needed: a small fridge, an electric hob, a sink, and cutlery and crockery.

My main complaint would be the size of the bed, which is a little smaller than I’d hoped for. As highlighted in some of the reviews, the mattress is a little hard. However, this is something I have come to expect from Madeira.

Fresh linens and towels were provided upon arrival. The host was also friendly and very responsive via WhatsApp.

Location

Now, for the location… Granny’s Farm Madeira is in a rural part of São Vicente, so you need a car to get around.

Just down the road (a two-minute walk) is Café Ginjas, the local coffee shop.

On the final morning, we grabbed a chinesa here before heading off to the Bica da Cana hiking trail (an hour’s drive from Granny’s Farm).

Café Ginjas, followed by Bica da Cana – check out the view back over São Vicente!

It was busy with locals and had lovely mountain views, as you can see from the first photo.

The previous day, we visited another coffee shop in São Vicente to meet two friends who live in the town. Padaria e Confeitaria Donna, a slightly more upscale café-bakery, was their recommendation.

The coffee was delicious, and it was once again busy with locals grabbing coffee and pastries. We practised our Portuguese!

Padaria e Confeitaria Donna is next door to a bazaar and a small supermarket. However, if you need more groceries, you’re better off visiting the big Continente near Ribeira Brava.

They are currently building a supermarket in São Vicente, but it’s not ready yet.

On our full day at Granny’s Farm, we decided to visit Seixal Beach. This black-sand beach is arguably the most famous beach in Madeira; it is surrounded by green cliffs with a couple of dramatic waterfalls.

Seixal and its beautiful black-sand beach

Whenever we visit Seixal, we almost always end our day at Churrascaria Brasa Viva, a rustic restaurant that does incredible espetada and barbecued chicken. The food is to die for.

Seixal is also home to the Seixal natural pools, where you can go swimming in one of the best Madeira natural pools.

The Seixal natural pools

There are many more places worth visiting in the area:

• The Porto Moniz natural swimming pools: a 30-minute drive from Granny’s Farm.
• Hikes (mostly beginning from Encumeada):
  • PR16 Levada Fajã do Rodrigues: five minutes away!
  • PR17 Pinaculo e Folhadal: 15 minutes
  • PR22 Chão dos Louros: 15 minutes
  • PR21 Caminho do Norte: 15 minutes
  • PR18 Levada do Rei: 40 minutes
• Taberna da Poncha: my favourite poncha bar in Madeira
• Cabo Aéreo Café Restaurant: incredible views in São Jorge
• Santana (famed for its traditional houses): 50 minutes

My Main Takeaways: Is Granny’s Farm Worth It?

Aside from hard mattresses, I could find little at fault with Granny’s Farm in Madeira. The São Vicente glamping site is peaceful; the garden is full of flowers, herbs and fruit; and the views are some of the best I’ve come across.

Although you need a car to get around, the price is very reasonable for the island, making it still affordable.

With Granny’s Farm as your base, you’re poised to explore the north coast, the many hiking trails that begin from Encumeada and natural pools.

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I hope you found my guide to Granny’s Farm Madeira useful! Leave a comment below if you decide to stay – I’d love to hear your thoughts too.