Vimes de Camacha

Camacha sits at about seven hundred metres above Funchal and has been the centre of Madeiran wickerwork since the nineteenth century, when it was developed as an export industry alongside embroidery. Willows are grown in damp ground on the island, cut in winter, boiled to loosen the bark, peeled, dried and then soaked again to make them pliable before weaving - baskets, trays, furniture, cradles, and the sledge-like toboggan bodies used at Monte. It employed a large part of the village and much of the work was done at home. Showrooms in Camacha sell the range and some have weavers working. The village is also credited as the place where football was first played in Portugal, in 1875, by Harry Hinton, a student returning from England, and there is a monument to it. The trade has shrunk under imported competition and the weavers are ageing.

Highlights

• The process - willows boiled, peeled, dried and resoaked before weaving.
• The range - baskets, trays, furniture and the Monte toboggan bodies.
• The showrooms - large displays in the village, some with weavers at work.
• The football claim - a monument to the first game played in Portugal in 1875.

When to go

Year-round. One to two hours. Weekdays for the best chance of seeing weavers working rather than just showrooms.

Practical notes

Much of what is sold is now imported wicker rather than Madeiran - ask. Weavers at work are not guaranteed. The showrooms are large and sales-oriented. Camacha is often in cloud, being at seven hundred metres.

Nearby

Monte and its toboggan run are west; Funchal is below.