Casas do Baleeiro - Whaler’s Houses

Andre was easy to communicate with and helpful throughout our stay at the Humpback apartment. We enjoyed our time in cute Canical, which is a great starting point for adventures around the Island. Street parking is easy to find on the block behind the building, just don’t try out front. While you’re in town, eat at O' Recante!

The apartment was spotless and had what we needed, and getting in through the key box was simple. There’s a small market across the road for basic supplies. Street parking was usually easy to find in the evenings, though it could be harder during the day. There wasn’t any air conditioning.

The landlord was gracious, kind, and professional, and the place itself is cute, modern, and cozy. The kitchen has practical cookware and the TV has good apps. There’s a lovely bar and cafe across the road, plus restaurants, cafes, a mini market, park, and beach within walking distance. It’s a nice base for seeing Canical, but a car is useful if you want to explore farther. The bus runs about once an hour, with the last return around 8-8:30pm, and taxis are very hard to find unless arranged ahead. For a short stay of 5-7 days or less, it works better than it does long term. We stayed 17 days, and the landlord tried to sort out the issues, though some couldn’t be fixed. We were in the bottom-left unit. It suits a small family of four or at most three adults, but there’s only one window, so natural light is limited. The green shutter door faces the main road and offers little privacy when open. Stray dogs or cats sometimes come by, so you can’t leave it open for sunlight, only open the inside door for some air. The bar can stay open until midnight or later, and the street gets quite loud. With the shutters closed, the place holds moisture and has very little airflow. Opening the door at night for air can mean waking up with bug bites. There’s a washer and clothes stand, but in winter the rain makes drying difficult. The bottom unit gets too little sun, and a load can take 2-3 days to dry.

The bar plays loud music, and the main road right outside is noisy too. Since there’s a camera at the front door, he could check how loud the bar gets and step in.