O Refúgio

The Village

São Vicente is located on Madeira’s north coast and it's one of the largest valleys of the Island.
The north coast began its settlement later than it occurred on the south coast. It's rugged terrain and the intense forest hampered the settlement work. Never the less the water was so abundant that eventually led to man's settlement and land cultivations on the north side, mainly vineyards and sugar cane.
Most of the rustic manor houses go back to the XVIII century, a time of economic relief and comfort, due to the good fortunes of viticulture. These types of houses were very ostentatious and were two-storey buildings where the ground floor had the winepress, the agricultural implements and the products of the harvests were kept while the first floor was the noble part of the house and the access was made through an outdoor staircase.
Due to its history São Vicente is a small and picturesque coastal Village. The exquisite scenery of this village will allow you to enjoy both mountain and sea landscape's.
It is a very rural place and yet it's 25 minutes away distance from Funchal by car. Its landscape is less built, so the neighborhood is very sparse and reserved.
Although considered a coastal village, São Vicente has progressed with time into the more sheltered hinterland.
At the edge of the village directly next to the sea lies a great boulder, into which the São Vicente chapel was built.
The council of São Vicente consists of the parishes of S. Vicente, Ponta Delgada and Boaventura. A trip through this council reveals a cultural patrimony left by all those who helped to enlarge these three parishes that it encompasses.
The average temperatures are 24º C in summer and 17º C in winter.