João, 1st Count of Carvalhal, bought the estate 200 years ago and built the hunting lodge as a country retreat: this is now the Casa Velha do Palheiro country-house hotel. He imported exotic trees and plants from around the world to stock the extensive gardens. The Folly he built on the estate’s highest point – today part of the golf course - is now its symbol.
John Burden Blandy acquired the estate in 1885 and it has been the family home since that day. Today the head of the family is Adam Blandy.
The Palheiro Village dream - In the 90's during the construction of Palheiro Golf, access from the old airport road winding up the hillside with the magnificent views of Funchal was the preferred solution. However the cost of building a road turned out to be prohibitive and the idea was shelved in favour of access fom the West . 
"This gave us time to carefully study the hillside and all the implications and challenges involved. By 2003 we had found a solution and the Palheiro Village concept became a reality. We signed up with a team of architects - Michael Brown Associates who had been active in building stylish houses in Quinta do Lago in the Algarve .
We always envisaged attractive homes in a secure environment with a forum where residents of different nationalities could meet and have good access to the estate Golf course and Club House". Quote by Adam Blandy.
