Funchal

The old lanes, wide 20th-century boulevards and pretty squares of central West Funchal are where you’ll find some of Madeira’s top experiences, its best shopping and most interesting museums. It’s also the busiest part of the island with yellow buses, street cafes and shoppers from outside Funchal packing the streets from morning until sundown.

East Funchal is all about the Zona Velha, an old fishers’ neighbourhood that until recently was a rundown and almost lifeless area. Today it’s been transformed into a hip quarter packed with bars, galleries, shops and restaurants and is the place to head in Funchal come nightfall. The stellar attraction on the edge of the Zona Velha is the Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal’s vibrant market.

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Funchal.

  • Museum

    Quinta das Cruzes

    Now a museum, the Quinta das Cruzes is a quintessential old Madeiran manor house complete with gardens and a private chapel. Originally the home of João Gonçalves Zarco, the Portuguese captain who discovered Madeira, it was remodelled in the 18th century into a stylish home by the wealthy Lomelino family. The exhibits here examine the life of Madeira's well-to-do from the 15th to the 19th century in an aptly aristocratic environment, the high-ceilinged mansion packed with priceless antiques from across the globe.

  • Market

    Mercado dos Lavradores

    Built in 1940 by architect Edmundo Tavares, Funchal's art deco market is one of its top attractions as well as still serving as the island's best fresh food market. Adorned with azulejos (hand-painted tiles) from the mainland, this is the place to experience some of the unique produce Madeira grows on its terraced fields and plucks from the Atlantic.

  • Area

    Zona Velha

    Once a run-down area between the Mercado dos Lavradores and the Fortaleza de Santiago, in recent years the 'Old Zone' of merchant's houses and 19th-century fishermen's cottages has been transformed into Funchal's hottest nightlife and restaurant area. Most of the action takes place on Rua de Santa Maria that runs the length of the Zona Velha, packed at night with milling visitors and almost blocked with restaurant tables. It's also here you'll find most of the artworks belonging to the Open Doors Arts Project.

  • Church

    Sé

    Funchal's 16th-century cathedral once oversaw the world's largest diocese – all of Portugal’s overseas territories from Madeira to Brazil to Angola – and its importance is reflected by the Manueline architectural style and artworks inside. Once your eyes have adjusted to the dim interior, look up at the ornate ceiling made of Madeiran cedar inlaid with shell, rope and white clay. The main altar dates from 1517 and features 12 Gothic panels depicting the Life of the Virgin and the Passion of Christ.

  • Beach

    Praia Formosa

    Anyone who says Madeira has no beaches should hop on bus 1 or 43 to the boulders and browny-black sand of this wild strand in Funchal's western suburbs. Cafe-bars, a car park and other facilities are all here and the salt-white Atlantic surf crashing onto dark volcanic sand is a sight you'll long remember.

  • Village

    Monte

    High above Funchal, the villa neighbourhood of Monte is one of the most popular half-day trips from Funchal seafront. The Igreja da Nossa Senhora and the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens are the top sights here, but most come for a unique attraction – the wicker toboggan ride down to Livramento. Many take the cable car from the seafront up to Monte, see the sights then return by toboggan and bus.

  • Gardens

    Jardins Botânicos da Madeira

    One of the island's top tourist attractions, Madeira's famous botanical gardens are a must for most visitors. Extending over 80,000 sq metres, the gardens are packed with exotic flora, some endemic to the archipelago. Huge cacti, flowers bursting in showers of colour and weird-and-wonderful shrubs and trees vie for your attention. The only competition to the plant life comes in the shape of the aviary in the southern section, which you can visit on the same ticket.

  • Gardens

    Monte Palace Tropical Gardens

    One of the highlights of any visit to Monte is a wander round the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. This former hotel began life in the late 18th century as a private residence belonging to the British Consul Charles Murray. In the late 1980s it was purchased by local entrepreneur José Berardo, who transformed it into a weird-and-wonderful tourist attraction by filling the grounds with fountains, grottoes, follies, sculpture pieces and lots of exotic plant life.

  • Winery

    Pereira D'Oliveira

    Run by the fifth generation of the D'Oliveira family, this is Funchal's most easily accessible wine experience. Anyone can enter the strongly aromatic barrel room in central Funchal and try almost as much wine as they please, usually accompanied by a wedge of bolo de mel (molasses cake) and crackers. Bottles of wine dating back to the early 20th century line the walls and the company offers good shipping deals on wine you buy.

Featured videos

You can ride a Monte toboggan in Madeira

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