During our trip to Madeira, we stayed at the hotel in Funchal - the largest city on the island and on the occasion of the capital of Madeira. In Funchal, the most captivating me were: light, colors, architecture, location, the opportunity to see the city from a bird's eye view, tobogganing on asphalt, art, cuisine and peace ... that is all :-)
Funchal - historic center and beach
Ocean shore, artificial beach and Fortress of St. John the Baptist (Fortaleza de São Tiago), which is now the Musuem of Modern Art. Here you can see more photos and locations of Madeira beaches.
Market in Funchal - Mercado dos Lavradores
Mercado dos Lavradores - Madeira's most famous market. Here you can taste and buy very exotic fruits - for example: star fruits, cherimoyas, several varieties of passion fruits, banana-pineapples. The prices on this market are written in a very interesting way :-)
Doors can also be used to create art. I recommend walking the street Rua de Santa Maria there are a lot of such paintings on the door - a real art gallery on the street.
This black monster from the depths of the ocean is Espada or black broadsword. Maybe this is not the most beautiful fish but it is worth trying a traditional Madeira dish: broadsword with banana and passion fruit. I also recommend Bolo do Caco which is a delicious bread with garlic butter and fruits and vegetables that grow in this amazing climate. I have to admit that the food in Madeira was excellent!
Funchal is located on the south coast of Madeira and sheltered by mountains. And these mountains stop the clouds coming from the north. Very often we saw that the peaks are disappearing in thick clouds, but the sun was almost always shining over the city.
View from the park Parque de Santa Catarina to the port and marina in Funchal and the panorama of the city that is still growing by building the surrounding cliffs and hills.
View of the yacht port and the city - photo taken from Parque de Santa Catarina.
The cable car Teleférico do Funchal is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the capital of Madeira. I recommend taking the cable car up the mountain in the late afternoon - the sun is lower and beautifully illuminates the city. I marked the bottom station of the queue on the map.
Cristiano Ronaldo from Madeira
Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal, Madeira. I wonder if he played on this soccer field?
Funchal from the bird's eye view
Hundreds of small houses with bright walls and brick tiles attached to black volcanic rocks, steep and winding streets, stunning ocean colors. The views from the Teleférico cable car to Funchal are amazing
Yes, these are real sleighs and these sleighs can go down from Monte to Funchal even when there is no snow.
These wicker sleighs slide on wooden skids along the winding streets between cars. Sleighs are directed and pushed by two Carreiros. The downhill route is 2 km long. An exciting ride takes about 10 minutes. During the descent, sleds can reach speeds of almost 50 km/h. I marked the place on the map where you buy tickets and get on the sleigh.
Madeira's capital right after sunrise. There is the church tower of Igreja Matriz de Santa Maria Maior in the foreground.
Funchal is not only the sun. There was also one day with light rain in September.
The interior of the of Our Lady of the Assumption in Sé (Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Assunção) in Funchal built in the style of Manueline Gothic. As they say: "Golden, but modest" ...
There will also be something on Madeira for those who like religious tourism. There is a statue of Christ the King (Cristo Rei do Garajau) east of Funchal in the town of Caniço on the peninsula of Ponta do Garajau.
Funchal seen from above and lit by the late afternoon sun looks amazing. Thanks to the cable car you can feel like you are flying a drone over the city.
The light and colors at Funchal are amazing! So bright and sunny! So many saturated colors!
Sunny and slightly cloudy morning overlooking Funchal. I could admire such a panorama of the city every day!
Madeira is beautiful! It delights with nature and landscapes. Therefore, after seeing Funchal, it is worth going to visiting Madeira.
Find an apartment
We stayed here:
Dorisol Estrelicia Hotel, Funchal Madeira
Hotel Dorisol Estrelicia in Funchal, Madeira
R. da Casa Branca, 9004-535 Funchal, Madeira Portugalia
The advantage of this hotel is its location, spacious rooms with balcons, good food, car parking and Wi-Fi included in the price.
If you come to explore the island and Funchal it is a very good choice.
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