Wild Banana Farm Bungalow, Waterfall, Grotto Pool, Cave Pool, & Sauna

Soul Sanctuary is not the kind of place you stumble across. You take a road of old cobblestone and cement down through banana palms and forest, navigate a couple of tight corners, and arrive at a paved parking lot beneath a property that feels like the island kept it specifically for you.

The bungalow is designed around a single open floor — living, dining, and kitchen flowing together on the ground level, with a bathroom off to the side. Above it, reached by a stair, a loft holds a king bed and a small desk. A crib is available for families with an infant. It sleeps two adults comfortably, three with the crib. The whole thing feels like somewhere a person actually thought about how to live rather than how to list.

The kitchen has a four-burner hob and oven — enough to cook properly if you want to, close enough to Ponta do Sol and Canhas (both about six minutes by car) if you don't.

Outside, the property has a cave pool carved directly from the rock — cool, still, and fed by the waterfall that runs along the edge of the land. Because this waterfall also irrigates the banana farm surrounding you, the cave pool is occasionally emptied and rested before being refilled naturally. It is one of those details that reminds you this place is genuinely alive and part of the island rather than built for your convenience. The grotto pool and sauna are shared between the two bungalows and the main house — in practice a small and quiet community of people who came here for the same reasons you did.

The waterfall is a ten minute walk through the vegetation. We have planted many things along the path at the both to the waterfall. The path is not manicured. The wildness is deliberate.

The space
— Open plan living, dining and fully equipped kitchen on ground level
— Four-burner hob and oven
— Bathroom on ground level
— Loft with king bed and small desk above
— Crib available on request for infants
— Private terrace with Atlantic valley views
— Wifi
— Towels and linens included
— Cave plunge pool carved from rock, fed by natural waterfall — occasionally rested for banana irrigation, refilled naturally by mountain stream
— Grotto pool, sauna, cave plunge shared between bungalows and main house
— Waterfall a short adventurous walk down 7 terraces to base of the property

Getting around

Ponta do Sol and Canhas are both about six minutes by car — restaurants, cafés, markets, and the coast. Ponta do Sol is also reachable on foot: a beautiful twenty minute walk downhill through the valley, with around two hundred metres of elevation to climb on the way back up. Worth it in one direction at least.

Madeira Airport is 43 kilometres away, roughly forty-three minutes by car depending on traffic. A rental car is not essential but opens up the island considerably. The levada walks, the northeast coast, and the central peaks are all within an hour.

The grotto pool, cold plunge cave, sauna, outdoor shower and outdoor kitchen are shared between the two bungalows. In practice it rarely feels crowded — the property is designed around these spaces and there is room for everyone. The waterfall and its path are yours to explore whenever you want.

The farm rewards those who make the trip. The road to the farm begins with a tight corner, then a mix of rough cobblestone and concrete leading to a paved parking lot. It's manageable in any standard vehicle and takes about 1-2 minutes but if you have never driven off road it will feel uncomfortable. Madeira and our farm is steep with many terraces, because of this our parking lot requires a multiple point turn. Going back uphill you might want a little bit of momentum in the very beginning to get you started out of the parking lot as the cobblestone traction isn't as good as the concrete. We use 2 wheel drive vehicles daily but a small 4x4 with ground clearance makes it easier and can be useful in other parts of the island. The bridge and road starts about 30 meters before "Praceta dos Fregueses Novos" on Google Maps. The parking lot is large by Madeiran standards but we are constrained by geography of the land and the widths of the terraces. We mention it so you arrive prepared rather than surprised.

The way to the waterfall is down 6 sets of rough stone stairs and not the easiest, my 72 year old mom can do it, but it's not a manicured path. Because it's an organic farm and we don't use herbicides the path can get a bit overgrown at times. The path to the waterfall passes through a section of the property wall that has partially fallen. It is safe for any reasonably mobile adult and part of what makes getting there feel like an arrival rather than a stroll. It is not suitable for guests with significant mobility limitations. The road down to the parking lot and way to the waterfall both lead somewhere worth it.

The property has two pools side by side. The grotto pool is a heated 77F°(25C°) saltwater swimming pool fed by city water, kept clear with a salt ionizer. It meets standard swimming pool requirements. The cave plunge is something different. It's fed directly by the same river that feeds the waterfall, filtered through sediment and UV but not chlorinated. Chlorine and organic bananas don't mix. The water carries natural clay sediment so it runs murky at times and stays cool year round. It's what I use to cool off after sauna and sits at roughly 61F°(16C°). Occasionally we empty it overnight to irrigate the banana farm and refill it from the river by morning.

Soul Sanctuary sits in the hills between Ponta do Sol and Canhas, in the quieter southwest of Madeira. It is quiet here. Deliberately and completely quiet.