Nestled into a hillside reaching down to the Atlantic Ocean, Madeira’s capital Funchal is a vibrant, colourful and exciting city. With a temperate climate year round, narrow streets house historic buildings and family run restaurants. Quiet squares, spectacular gardens and a coast lined with miles of promenade make this European city a superb holiday destination. Here are 10 unforgettable things to do in Funchal, making the most of Madeira’s beautiful capital city.
Located in the Atlantic Ocean over 1,000km from the mainland, the Portugese island of Madeira is a stunning and dramatic island packed full of charm and beautiful scenery. The south coast of the island is home to Funchal, a sprawling city of 76 square kilometres with a lush mountain backdrop and rugged coastline. The sweeping bay plays host to a harbour, marina and beautiful promenades whereby further inland, the historic buildings of the old town and historic centre are a joy to explore. Head up in to the hills and you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views and spectacular botanical gardens. Funchal is a city that has something for everyone.
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10 UNFORGETTABLE THINGS TO DO IN FUNCHAL
Visiting Madeira for a wedding in the summer of 2022, our first overseas trip since 2019, we made sure to allow time for some well earned relaxation, as well as making time to explore the city and the island without pressuring ourselves. Choosing a hotel near the central harbour of Funchal allowed the benefit of having a lot of things the city offered within walking distance. So walk we did. Aside from a couple of trips on various forms of transportation, we meandered through the pretty avenues filled with colourful blooms, explored the narrow old town streets and exercised our legs on all of those hills, of which there are a lot.
THINGS TO DO IN FUNCHAL ALONG THE COAST
Walk along the beautiful waterfront of Funchal
The stunning waterfront of Funchal spans about 10km from Praia Formosa beach in the west to Forte de São Tiago in the east. Comprising of wide promenades, cliff top pathways, marinas and a harbour, much of this coastline can be experienced by foot, offering fabulous views along the way. While there are beaches in Funchal, do not expect golden sands. The landscapes and coastline are rugged. Although there are pebbled beaches, there is also access for sea swimming via steps and ladders built into the coastal rocks.
Promenade do Lido, to the west, spans from the pebbled Praia Formosa beach and meanders along the cliff edges, passing some of the larger hotel complexes of Funchal. Lined with palm trees and beautiful planting, this section of the promenade includes a number of public swimming complexes including the Ponta Gorda Lido and the main Complexo Balnear do Lido with a large pool, salt water pools, a bar and access to the sea. There are are also a number of parks, bars and restaurants dotted along this section of promenade.
Centrally in Funchal, the Avenida de Sá Carneiro runs between Funchal Port and Funchal Marina. This wide section of promenade is easily accessible from downtown Funchal and includes the Praça do Mar public square – a popular meeting and gathering point. Wandering along this section of the promenade, with its mosaic black and white paving known as calçada, provides fantastic views of the hillside setting of the city stretching out ahead.
It’s worth making a visit to the Forte São José at the port, built in the 18th century to defend the main maritime entrance to Funchal. Climbing the steps of the fort offers a fantastic viewing platform over the port with a city backdrop. A slight detour from the Avenida de Sá Carneiro promenade allows access to the Santa Catarina Park – a lush green space with lakes, cafes and a large lawn area to relax. The park also plays hosts to events and festivals.
Arriving at Funchal Marina, the next section of promenade is the busiest and most popular in the city. Heading east from the marina, the Avenida do Mar promenade stretches towards the imposing yellow structure of Forte de São Tiago on the water’s edge. Passing the marina, featuring a number of waterside restaurants, the tree lined promenade includes restaurants, cafes and gelaterias dotted amongst beautiful gardens, lawns and outdoor fitness parks.
Visit the Cristiano Ronaldo Museum
Arguably Madeira’s most famous export, footballer Cristiano Ronaldo is well known for his Madeiran heritage. For any Ronaldo fan, the CR7 MUSEUM is a must visit attraction in his birth city of Funchal. Located on the waterfront at Praça do Mar, the museum documents this history of his career along with replica trophies and exhibits which will please any football fans. There’s also a large bronze Cristiano Ronaldo statue outside, perfect for photo opportunities. The museum is located within a wider building housing the Pestana CR7 Hotel – a collaboration between the Pestana hotel chain and the footballer. The somewhat exclusive destination houses a rooftop bar and terrace overlooking the port, as well as a number of restaurants and bars.
THINGS TO DO IN FUNCHAL CITY CENTRE
Explore the Zona Velha (Old Town) with its colourful painted doors
When you’re looking for things to do in Funchal, be sure to wander the narrow the streets of the Zona Velha (Old Town). Located to the eastern end of the main city centre, take a wander around the charming cobbled streets and marvel at the historic architecture, with some buildings dating back to the 15th century. The bustling Rua de Santa Maria is the main street, lined with cafes, fabulous restaurants and poncharias, with dining tables spilling out onto the streets.
The Zona Velha is also renowned for its fantastic street art, and the Painted Doors project. Created in 2010, the project provided the opportunity for local artists to create wonderful art on the wooden doors of the streets in the area. Packed full of vibrant colours and imagery, the artworks add extra charm to an already beautiful district of the city. Be sure to call into the MADEIRA STORY CENTRE while in the area. This interesting museum details Madeira’s rich history with an interactive exhibition.
You can’t visit the Zone Velha, or Maderia, without stopping for a Poncha. This traditional alcoholic drink is created using distilled sugar cane juice, honey and sugar and mixed with lemon or orange juice. It’s a zesty, zingy drink and you’ll find it on the menu of most restaurants and bars in the city. A popular spot to sample this drink is A PONCHARIA, where you can relax on the terrace while watching the Teleférico Cable Cars float overhead.
Take a wander around Funchal’s historic centre
To the west of the Zona Velha, the main commercial and historic centre of Madeira is also a joy to wander around. The main street, Avenida Arriaga runs parallel with the main promenade, one block further down. Avenida Arriaga is a wide tree lined avenue, with side calçada paved walkway and plenty of shaded seating spots. It’s also home to a number of Funchal’s attractions and museums, as well as shops and restaurants. Venture into the Municipal Gardens, a lovely spot with ponds, fountains and beautiful planting.
Venturing away from Avenida Arriaga and meandering down further tree lined streets, there are further open spaces such as the Praça do Município (Town Square), once again looking spectacular with the calçada paving and beautiful planting. This is something that’s seen over and over again in Funchal. Despite the historic centre being quite densely populated with buildings, there is so much greenery and floral planting.
Shop in Funchal’s Mercado dos Lavradores
For an assault on the senses, one of the best things to do in Funchal is to visit the farmers market, or MERCADO DOS LAVRADORES. Located on the edge of the Zone Velha. Running since the 1940’s, the impressive market is a bustling space is full of stalls selling fruit and veg, flowers, spices, gifts, meat and fish. The colours and aromas on display around the market are wonderful and it’s a fantastic spot to get hold of some local Madeiran produce.
Visit the stunning Cathedral of Funchal
Located centrally on the Avenida Arriaga, Funchal Cathedral began construction in 1493, with its completion in the 16th century and is one of only a few buildings that has remained intact since the early colonisation of Madeira. The cathedral, built in a gothic style, is impressive from the outside with a stunning and ornate interior and impressive gilded woodwork ceilings. Classed as a National Monument since 1910, Funchal Cathedral is well worth a visit when exploring the city.
Take a tour and tasting at Blandy’s – home of Madeira Wine
Much like any city I visit, there’s usually a trip to a brewery, distillery or winery involved somewhere along the way. Maderia Wine is a fortified wine ranging from dry to sweet. Where the dry varieties are usually served as an aperitif, the sweeter Madeira wine is usually served as a dessert wine. One of the more popular brands of Maderia Wine is Blandy’s, and with BLANDY’S WINE LODGE located right in the heart of the city, it’s perfect to stop in and take a tour and tasting.
With guided tours available Monday to Saturday, there are a number of ticket options from Premium to Vintage and Private tours, each offering something a little different. We opted for a 60 minute Vintage Tour which took place throughout the building, providing information on the Blandy family history as well as the wine making process. This concluded with a tasting of a range of Madeira Wines. The tour was engaging and interesting, and definitely worth the visit.
THINGS TO DO IN FUNCHAL, FURTHER AFIELD
Ride the Teleférico do Funchal to Monte
Wandering down the waterfront or through the Zone Velha, the sight of the impressive TELEFERICO FUNCHAL-MONTE is hard to miss. The cable car gondolas quietly climb from the promenade, over the Old Town and up into the hills of Funchal to the district of Monte. The Teleférico climbs a distance of 3200m and takes roughly 20 minutes, offering panoramic views of the whole city. The birds eye view of Funchal provides a real insight into the landscapes of the city, and just how steep parts of the city are, with hills and valleys all around. Roads travel on high bridges over canyons and gardens and homes are built in tiers in the hillsides. It’s a spectacular viewpoint of this beautiful city and should be high on the list of things to do in Funchal.
Marvel at the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens
Alighting at the top station of the Teleférico, you’ll be rewarded with fabulous views across Funchal, but cross the road and you’ll be whisked into the tropical paradise that is MONTE PALACE TROPICAL GARDENS. Built into the hillside, these fabulous gardens take up 70,000 square metres and house a collection of exotic plants as well as native Maderian specimens. The gardens, created by José Berardo, were opened to the public in 1991 and feature a number of lakes and ponds, as well as two large oriental gardens. With sculptures, statues and much more, the gardens are also home to a vast collection of tiled panels built into the walkways, considered to be one of the most important in the country, with Hispano-Moorish tiles from the 15th and 16th century and well as Portugese tiles from the 16th to 20th century.
Speed back down to Funchal on the Carreiros do Monte
What goes up must come down, so the saying goes. Rather than buying a return ticket for the Teleférico, there’s another way to get back down to Funchal. One of the most popular things to do in Funchal is to take a downhill ride on the CARREIROS DO MONTE. For over 100 years, the public have been using the Carreiros do Monte as a means of public transport to quickly get down into Funchal from Monte. Whilst now a tourist attraction, rather than a genuine means of public transport, two seater wicker toboggan sleds on wooden runners glide and slide down a 2km road, at speeds of up to 48km per hour. The toboggans are controlled purely by manpower – by the Carrerios do Monte – a pair of men dressed in white cotton clothing and straw boater hats, using only their rubber soled boots as a braking mechanism.
This ten minute journey is both hair raising and hilarious in equal measure, traversing downhill at speeds, sometimes sideways if there is a need to slow down. The journey ends in Livramento, which is about a 20-30 minute walk from the centre of Funchal, or a short taxi ride away. As one of the city’s most popular attractions, there can sometime be a long queue during peak times.
USEFUL TIPS FOR VISITING FUNCHAL
GETTING TO FUNCHAL | Madeira is easily accessible from the UK with flights from most major UK airports. The budget airlines travel to the island and many of the package holiday companies provide good deals with flights, transfers and hotels on the island. We opted for a package holiday with TUI as the flight times and UK airport options worked best for us.
WHERE TO STAY IN FUNCHAL | The options for accommodation is endless, from large hotel complexes along the coastline, to boutique hotels and apartments dotted around the city. For our stay, we decided on the PESTANA CASINO PARK HOTEL located on the clifftop directly above the harbour. A stylish hotel, with a great pool and landscaped gardens, it both gave us the option to enjoy our downtime there, whilst being close enough to the centre of Funchal to explore by foot.
PLACES TO EAT IN FUNCHAL | Once again, the options are endless in the city for great dining and we had some fabulous meals in some fabulous restaurants.
- RESTAURANT CASA VELHA – This long established restaurant near the Pestana Casino Park Hotel had a fabulous garden terrace and offered some great Mediterranean dishes with fantastic service.
- IL VIVALDI – A beautiful restaurant in a historical building located on the Avenida do Mar with a great wine menu.
- SANTA MARIA – Located on the bustling Rue de Santa Maria in the Zohna Velha, this popular restaurant was a perfect lunch spot and served some great Poncha.
- RESTAURANTE DO FORTE – Set within the bright yellow walls of the Forte de São Tiago, this romantic restaurant offers a wonderful waterside setting with indoor and courtyard seating. We enjoyed a fabulous meal here with friends on our final night in Funchal.
GENERAL TIPS | Flights to Madeira take about three hours, depending on your UK departure airport with Funchal being about 20 minutes car ride from the airport. Currency on the island is the Euro, with the main language being Portugese, although most people we encountered spoke perfect English. As always, it worthwhile making the effort to learn some Portugese phrases at least. The temperate climate of the island allows for year round temperatures in the low 20C’s, although we visited during a very humid heatwave.
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