Enjoy the Shit out of Funchal

A Charming Island City OFF THE COAST OF AFRICA

Funchal is Portugal’s sixth largest city and the capital of the autonomous island region of Madeira. Showcasing the best of Portuguese discovery-era Old Town charm and island life, Funchal offers a relaxing, beautiful vacation escape.

I ended up in Funchal because my cruise was re-routed out of the Azores, so I arrived not having researched the city at all. As a result, I ended up just wandering through the city of about 100,000 for a day - and I can assure you it is a charming place to get lost. Between my wandering and research after once I got back to the world of Wi-Fi, here’s what I think are the best things to get up to in Funchal.

  • Stroll Through Old Town (Zona Velha): Funchal has a classic Portuguese Old Town with cobbled roads and charming boutiques. Most websites recommend aiming for a few specific buildings - but my advice is to just get lost and enjoy the walk.

  • Mercado dos Lavrodores: Funchal’s produce is what most consistently took my breath away; it just looked exquisite. Walk around the Mercado dos Lavrodores to sample some of the home-grown goodies from Madeira.

  • Ride the Monte Cable Car: The most popular tourist attraction in Funchal is to ride the Monte Cable Car up the mountain to get panoramic views of the city and coast. From the top, you can take a second cable car to visit the Madeira Botanical Gardens, or stick nearby and go to the Monte Palace Tropical Garden. While I didn’t do this, I heard form other people on the cruise that the most fun they had was taking a wicker toboggan from Our Lady of Monte church down the mountain.

If you’re on a cruise like I was, those three things will keep you plenty busy. If you’re staying for longer in Madeira, there are shops around the city to book excursions (like paragliding) or day trips within the island. But, of course, if you’re taking an island vacation, take your time to just relax in the charming Old Town, enjoy the ocean views, and eat the amazing fruits to your heart’s content.

 
Devin ScottEurope