Madeira’s Saccharum Resort: 5-Star Relaxation

Saccharum Resort & Spa is a luxurious 5-star retreat located in Calheta, on Madeira’s southwestern coast.

Nestled between the mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, the resort offers a blend of modern design and natural beauty, with nods to local culture and history.

Luxury, tranquility, and wellness are top-of-mind for the staff and visitors.

Savoy’s Saccharum

Saccharum Resort & Spa in Calheta, Madeira, is deeply rooted in the island’s sugar cane heritage. The resort is built on the site of a former sugar cane mill, and its name, “Saccharum,” is derived from the Latin word for “sugar cane.”

These design choices inside the hotel create a unique ambiance that pays homage to the island’s agricultural history, while providing a modern luxury hotel experience for guests.

Nini Andrade Silva led the interior design of the resort, drawing inspiration from the site’s sugar cane legacy. Walking through the property, you’ll spot elements reminiscent of the sugar production process:

• The stained concrete floors are similar to the hues of sugar cane syrup.
• Photographic murals depict sugar cane fields and processing.
• Industrial elements, like antique mill equipment, exposed pipes and machinery-inspired decor are throughout.

If you look outside, you’ll still find a small sugar cane grove, which is farmed and processed for different products used on site.

Rooms & Suites at the Resort

The resort boasts 196 rooms and suites, many with private balconies offering ocean or mountain views.

Room categories include Courtyard Rooms, Ocean Rooms, and various suites, some equipped with kitchenettes and large shower and jacuzzi areas.

The rooms have balconies, most of which offer views of the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding mountainside.

A few rooms have plunge pools installed on the balconies.

Pools, Spa, & More

Inspired by traditional Ayurvedic medicine, the spa offers a range of treatments designed to invigorate and revitalize. Facilities include a sauna, Turkish bath, jacuzzi, ice fountain, sensorial showers, halotherapy room, relaxation room, and a heated indoor pool.

The Pools

There are four impressive pools at Saccharum. The resort’s massive infinity pool is the gem, with its views of Calheta and the ocean. It’s sprawling, so you’ll never feel cramped. The pool is surrounded by garden areas, lined with beds and chairs. Plus, the delicious Trapiche restaurant is right up the steps.

Exercise & Activities

Guests can participate in yoga, Pilates, meditation, Tai Chi, and aqua aerobics classes. A fully equipped gym with sea views is available, along with a squash court.

Plus, you can always swim laps in this idyllic setting.

Excursions

The resort offers various activities around this part of Madeira, including boat trips along the coast, hiking in the nearby Laurisilva Forest, diving experiences, mixology classes, and visits to the Engenha da Calheta sugar cane factory.

You can see Saccharum in this photo, behind the Calheta Marina. The coastline here is stunning!

Video: Savoy’s Saccharum Resort

Upgrading to the Savoy Premium Experience

Guests upgrading or booking specific room categories receive exclusive benefits. It’s 90 Euros per person, per night for the Savoy Premium Experience, which includes:

• Private Check-in: Access to a reserved check-in area with a welcome drink.
• Premium Sundeck: Exclusive access to a sundeck featuring Bali beds, a jacuzzi, massage area, and complimentary refreshments during designated hours.
• The Club: An exclusive lounge on the top floor offering private breakfast, drinks, and snacks throughout the day.
• Spa Access: Unlimited access to Saccharum Spa facilities.
• Fitness Classes: Participation in yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, and aqua aerobics classes.
• Additional Perks: Daily complimentary bus service to and from Funchal, in-room premium amenities, pillow menu, minibar service on selected beverages, and more.

The Hotel Garden at Saccharum

Above the property, you’ll find the Chef’s Garden. 

I loved it so much that I devoted an entire page to it: click here for my Saccharum Garden / Farm to Table post.

The weather allows them to grow crops year-round at Saccharum, on terraced garden beds, linked together by a set of wooden steps.  The setting itself is perfect for photos, surrounded by lush vines and large blooming flowers.

In terms of herbs, they grow like weeds in this perfect mild climate.  The basil is out of control, with its bright purple flowers. Usually I pinch my basil back, but they use the flowers as decor on dishes.

Mint is hard to keep from spreading, but they make good use of it in lemonades, mojitos, and salads.

They grow lettuce, tomatoes, squash, broccoli, celery, eggplant, onions, 

Some of the established fruit trees look like they’ve been here forever, but most were planted a decade ago when Saccharum opened.

They grow citrus, mangos, bananas, pomegranates, and other fruits.

As I mentioned, there’s a nod to the site’s past as a sugar cane mill, with a small sugar cane grove on one end of the garden.

Walking through the garden, you’re likely to spot one of the chefs or gardeners picking herbs and vegetables to use at the resort’s restaurants that day.

Restaurants at the Resort

Restaurants and bars are named after sugar cane processing terms, such as Trapiche (sugar mill).  Another, Engenho, is named after a sugar cane mill nearby.

Trapiche

I’ll start with my favorite: Trapiche. It’s not the fanciest, but I love both the food and the setting!

It’s a casual, rooftop restaurant at Saccharum, which overlooks the pool and the ocean. The meal options are fresh and delicious!

Each of the salad options on the menu mentions the greens and veggies that came right from the garden out back.

The sandwiches and pizzas also feature food from the garden, like this veggie-loaded Pizza de Horta.

Saccharum’s other restaurants:

Engenho Restaurant

Engenho is home to extensive buffet-style breakfasts and dinners. They serve a mix of Mediterranean and Portuguese dishes which change daily. There’s a large indoor dining room, plus an expansive patio.

Alambique Restaurant

Alambique is a dinner restaurant with an open kitchen, featuring local and international dishes. Options include multi-course tasting menus.

Calhau Beach Club

Calhau is a coastal, open-air restaurant across the street from Saccharum, down the beach. It’s a great place to relax for a day! They serve a variety of refreshing cocktails, snacks, and full meals.

In this aerial view, you can see Calhau right along the beautiful rocky beachfront.