The City of Funchal, Madeira
ABOUT
Funchal is the capital city of Portugal’s Madeira archipelago. It was founded in 1421 by the Portuguese navigator Joao Goncalves Zarco. It was briefly under Spanish (1580–1640) and British (1801, 1807–14) control.
It is backed by hills, and known for its harbour, gardens and Madeira wine cellars. The centuries-old Funchal Cathedral, which mixes Gothic and Romanesque styles, is notable for its carved wooden ceiling. Fronting the harbour is the São Tiago Fortress, built in the 1600s. It now houses the Contemporary Art Museum, with a large collection of Portuguese works.
Population in 2023 was approximately 106,000.
Currency is the Euro.
THINGS TO DO
There is so much to see and do on this beautiful island it is a job to know where to start.
There are trips in jeeps, mini buses, helicopters which all give fantastic insights into the island and some right over Europe’s highest cliffs at Cabo Girao. You can also go to see the pre-historic laurel forest or the Monte Palace Tropical Garden.
Add to that list the Funchal Cable Car, Toboggan Ride, Santa Catarina Park, Boat trips around the harbour, walking tour of the old city and of course a visit to the famous Madeira wine cellar.
OUR FAVOURITE THINGS TO DO
If you hadn’t guessed already, Funchal is one of our favourite places to visit. We have been lucky enough to go there several times, on our own and with family. Ken has been up in a helicopter with his mum to see the sights. Meanwhile, his dad and Lindsey stayed safely on terra firma with a coach tour into the hills and through the clouds before stopping for coffee and some delicious Madeira cake. Ken also took his dare-devil mum on a toboggan trip which she loved – his dad and Lindsey headed to Blandy’s!
If you are lucky enough to have a late, or overnight, stop in this beautiful port then why not consider booking a folkloric night. It is something we did with Ken’s dad and it was enjoyed by us all. Transported to a restaurant high above the city we had great views. There was a supper included and then a display by local musicians and dancers. Of course there was an opportunity to join in too – fortunately our efforts were not caught on camera!
There are so many things to see and do in this port of call – its fun going back and finding something different each time.
So to our visit in November 2023 on P&O’s Ventura. At the port we were docked alongside Azura, the sister ship of Ventura and it was nice to see them together as we strolled along the shoreside. We passed quite a few structures being erected ready for the Christmas celebrations – shame that we were a few days too early to see them lit. But we were making for the cable car to head up the into the hills – a word of warning, the queues are very long but they do move along quite well.
Lindsey dislikes heights but the trip up was uneventful (Lindsey held her breath!) and it was nice to see the views. Ken did consider the toboggan trip back down – but Lindsey’s done that once and has no desire to do it again. Instead it was a ride back down in the cable car. This time we had a car all to ourselves and could take in the views even more.
After all that ‘excitement’ it was time to head back into the town (thankfully!) for a well earned coffee and Pastel de Nata – well it would be rude not to. After a short walk further into the town we happened upon the Golden Gate Grand Cafe (its not far from Blandy’s) which had very inviting outdoor seating. It was here we stopped for a local beer and a cheese plate – and very nice it was too.
As always a delightful day in Funchal – so much to do there and we look forward to our next visit.
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