Visiting Funchal just to relax and soak in the sunshine would be a waste. That’s what we discovered when we spent a week in Madeira, a tiny Portuguese island off the the coast of Morocco.
There are just so many amazing things to do in Funchal.
Madeira isn’t an island for beach lovers and sun worshippers. There actually aren’t any natural sandy beaches to be found and the weather can be very changeable. Instead, it’s an island that’s full of local culture, fantastic cuisine and stunning natural landscapes.
You could go simply to relax over a few drinks if you wanted to, but with stacks of things to see and do all over the island, why wouldn’t you want to explore?
In this post, we’re focussing our attention on Funchal, the capital city. We’ve collated 23 awesome things to see and do during your stay in Funchal. Let’s go!
Our favourite things to do in Funchal, Madeira
So, without further ado, let’s go through the list of our favourite things to do in Funchal, Madeira.
Swim in the Ocean
Address: Rua de Santa Maria 281, 9060-197 Funchal
There are plenty of swimming spots in Funchal, but you’ll be hard pushed finding one more frequented by locals than Complexo Balnear Barreirinha (Barreirinha Swimming Complex). While you could quite easily visit a pebble beach for free, we think it’s worth paying the nominal entrance fee for the changing rooms and lifeguards. Pay a little extra and you’ll get sun loungers and parasols to use for as long as you like. The water here is clear enough for snorkeling. Visit on a weekday and you’ll wonder where everyone else is.
Adjacent to the entrance to the complex, you’ll find a rightfully popular bar called Barreirinha Bar Café that sprawls out onto the other side of the road. The atmosphere here is serene and sociable, particular as the sun sets. There are salads and burgers (with veggie options) and amazing seasoned fries, as well as a lengthy drinks menu.
The vivid yellow walls of Forte de São Tiago, Funchal
Visit Forte de São Tiago
Address: Tv. do Forte 8, 9060-123 Funchal
This brightly-coloured seventeenth century fortress was originally built to protect the city from pirates and has served multiple purposes since. It’s now open to visitors and houses some small exhibitions and a restaurant. In truth, you won’t spend very long here, but the views from the turrets and the various photo opportunities warrants the low entrance fee.
Above, a tribute to Nelson Mandela and below, one of several kiosks to be found along Funchal’s promenade.
Walk along the Promenade
Strolling along the nearly 1km coastal path running from Jardim do Almirante Reis in the east to Santa Catarina Park (see below) in the west is a lovely way to spend an hour or so. Along the way, there’s plenty to see including a skate park, the base station of the cable car up to Monte, various food and drink kiosks and the Marina. Adjacent to the Marina is Praça do Povo, a landscaped garden where you’ll find a tribute to Nelson Madela and shady banana trees underneath which you can sit and take in your surroundings.
Visit Santa Catarina Park
Address: Av. Sá Carneiro 3, 9000-015 Funchal
This small municipal park is well looked after and is home to water features, statues and a small chapel. Look out for the free book exchange in a green, bird-cage-like structure. At the top of the park, you’ll find Santa Catarina Café on a terrace overlooking the ocean below, serving snacks and sangria.
Beneath the park is the CR7 Museum, honouring the career of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo, who was born on the island.
Go Dolphin Watching
Address: Marina do Funchal, Funchal
Visit Website
Madeira is gifted with beautiful, crystal-clear waters all the way around it. The calm and fertile seas to the south east of the island are home to all sorts of marine wildlife and its possible to head out and see it.
We were delighted to be welcomed aboard Magic Dolphin’s catamaran on one of their dolphin and whale watching tours. We chose Magic Dolphin as they’re family-run, have smaller, less disruptive catarans than other operators and they have strict policies in place that respect the marine life and ecosystem.
The ride out of Funchal’s marina was comfortable and the views of the island and the sparkling waters were fantastic. We initially sat on the wire nets that were strung between the two hulls, but we were free to move about the boat and we soon took advantage of this.
After around 30-45 minutes, a large pod of dolphins was spotted and we waited our turn to sail with them. The dolphins seemed to enjoy swimming at the helm as we sailed along and we were treated to an intimate display. If it weren’t inappropriate to do so, we could have literally reached out and touched them – they were that close!
According to the strict protection rules, we left the pod after ten minutes and changed direction, heading towards Cabo Girão, Europe’s highest sea cliffs at 589 metres above sea level. Here, the crew lowered the anchor and we were permitted to have a swim in the sea for a short time.
It had been a wonderful experience and one that we would totally recommend. The Magic Dolphin crew were professional, informative and friendly. You chances of seeing dolphins off the coast of Funchal are very high and, provided you position yourself right at the front of the boat, the views are unbeatable.
This was, by far, one of the best things to do in Funchal and we heartily recommend it to you.
Visit Mercardo dos Lavradores (Farmers Market)
Address: Mercardo dos Lavradores Loja 2, 9060-157 Funchal
The covered Farmers Market is super touristy (particularly when there are cruise ships in port) and pricey, but we still recommend a visit. For starters, the fruit and veg market is a great place to see the huge variety of native fruit species that grows on the island. Stall traders will offer you free tasters of the passion fruits, but we’re reliably told that sugar might be added to some to sweeten the flavour, so beware.
Along the outside of the market, there are a few cafes and bars that are worth a look. Some have a very local atmosphere.
Visit Jardim Municipal do Funchal
Address: R. Ivens 11, 9000-050 Funchal
A beautiful, well-tended municipal garden that’s bursting with native Madeiran trees and brightly coloured flowers. Within its confines, you’ll find a pleasant outdoor cafe, a duck pond and an amphitheater where concerts are occasionally held. It’s a lovely shady spot to escape the hot sunshine.
There are numerous painted doors and street art along Rua de Santa Maria and its neighbouring streets.
Admire the painted doors of Rua de Santa Maria
Address: Rua de Santa Maria, 9060-291 Funchal
Rua de Santa Maria is arguably Funchal’s main tourist street. It’s lined with restaurants and gift shops aimed squarely at tourists and competition is fierce with staff practically lining the street hoping to entice those passing by in. Unusually, the length of the street (and some adjacent streets) is also lined with decorative doors, each hand painted in a unique style. For the best view, unhindered by touts and seating, go in the early morning before the restaurants have opened.
Aboard a gondola, sailing above central Funchal towards Monte
Ride the Funchal Cable Car
Address: Av. do Mar e das Comunidades Madeirenses 32, 9060-190 Funchal
Visit Website
The cable car runs from Jardim do Almirante Reis on the promenade and takes passengers up 1,025 m (3,363 ft) to the village of Monte. It’s an unmissable, albeit rather expensive, trip. It’s quite a rarity to find a cable car system that runs over a city, so you’re afforded a rather unique perspective.
At the top of the cable system, you’ll find the entrance of Jardim Tropical de Monte (see below) and the village itself with its pretty square and photogenic church. You’ll also find Madeira’s famous wicker basket toboggans, whose drivers will whisk you back downhill to the village of Livramento. We couldn’t justify the high cost of taking a ride in the toboggans and we discovered you kind of end up in the middle of nowhere, so we gave them a miss.
There is an additional cable car system which runs from Monte to Madeira Botanic Gardens (not to be confused with Jardim Tropical de Monte). You can buy a joint cable car and garden entrance ticket from the base station which will save you a bit of money.
Top Tip: When a cruise ship is in port, the cable car can be very busy with queues going out the door. If you’re in town for a while, check to see whether a ship is visiting before you go on the cable car to avoid the crowds.
Jardim Tropical de Monte is a lush, serene paradise. There are various zones for you to explore.
Explore Jardim Tropical de Monte
Address: Caminho do Monte 174, 9050-288 Funchal
Visit Website
Jardim Tropical de Monte is adjacent to the top station of the Funchal Cable Car and is one of the best things to do in Funchal. As previously mentioned, these gardens are not to be confused with Madeira Tropical Gardens which are reached by another cable car from further along the road and for which, you’ll see combi-tickets being promoted.
The gardens are wonderfully tranquil and very large, so make sure you dedicate at least a few hours to exploring them. Near the entrance, you’ll find an excellent cafe and a fabulous art gallery/museum housing crystals and African artwork. Amidst the leafy trees, you’ll discover babbling water features, bridges, themed gardens and, at the bottom end of the gardens, replica ‘Santana huts’.
Your entrance ticket entitles you to a free serving of Madeira Wine (not a sample, but a full glass), so don’t forget to claim yours at the cafeteria.
The walk down to Funchal goes through isolated woodland and along irrigation channels
Walk back to Funchal via Levada dos Tornos
Most visitors buy a return ticket for the cable car, but we opted to walk back down to Funchal via Levada dos Tornos, a 5km downhill hike through woodland, along irrigation channels and through the lanes of the outer suburbs of the city itself.
Initially, the route runs through woodland which was destroyed in wildfires in 2016. It’s an eerie reminder of how destructive such fires can be. The terrain is mostly easy underfoot and gradually sloping, though there are a couple of steep staircases and special care must be taken when walking along the unprotected irrigation channels. The views of the city and the ocean along this section are particularly stunning.
The final sector of the walk runs through steep, narrow residential lanes. Residents smiled and greeted us as we walked through. It was a pleasure to see the non touristy and ‘normal’ side of Madeira.
Explore Armazém do Mercado
Address: R. Hospital Velho 28, 9060-129 Funchal
Visit Website
Housed in a repurposed warehouse, this collective of trendy boutique shops, cafes, a toy museum and art galleries is where to go in Funchal for that hipster vibe. The pop-up shops sell a variety of gifts, art pieces and toys while The Snug cafe and bar serves delicious food and drink in modern, comfortable surroundings. On the first floor, you can partake in Madeiran cookery workshops (see below).
Watch Fado
Another classically Portuguese experience that you can see for yourself whilst in Madeira is Fado. Fado is a musically genre that can be traced back to the 1820s. It is characterised by its mournful tones and melancholic lyrics.
You’ll discover Fado performances taking places in some bars during your visit. These performances will be free to attend, but you’ll be expected to pay for drinks.
Alternatively, Jesuits’ College occasionally put on free Fado concerts and we were lucky enough to catch one during our trip. Make sure you turn up early to secure a seat and bring some cash with you to donate in exchange for biscuits and Madeira wine.
Relax at a Salt Water Spa
Address: Estrada Monumental 175 177, 9000-100 Funchal
Visit Website
After all of the sightseeing and levada walks, you’ll want some time to relax and recuperate. We did so at Thalasso Sea Spa, which is part of the VidaMar Resort Hotel.
We managed to snag a great value spa deal which included time in the spa’s salt water hot tubs and pools, a steaming hot hydrotherapy massage, followed by a traditional back massage out on the spa’s balcony overlooking the ocean waves below. This is one of the most relaxing things to do in Funchal.
After your spa experience, you can enjoy food at one of the hotel’s on-site restaurants or you can walk ten minutes to Delhi, a fantastic and good value Indian restaurant which we really enjoyed.
Buy Souvenirs from Universal Store
Address: R. João de Deus 14 A, 9020-097 Funchal
View on Facebook
Finally, it’s time to buy some souvenirs. While you can buy souvenirs pretty much everywhere, why not combine your shopping with an unusual experience.
We happened upon Universal Store completely by chance, but we’re so glad we did. We noticed a shop sign stuck to the outside of a church building and were so intrigued, we wandered in. Inside, we discovered a church had indeed been converted into a huge shop that was absolutely full of every kind of souvenir you could imagine.
Once we’d browsed the shelves, the friendly proprietor told us there was more in the basement and, sure enough, there was. Here, bottles of Madeira wine, some hundreds of years old and covered in dust could be found.
It was a bizarre but enjoyable experience. Prices were excellent and the owner seemed appreciative of the business, so please do make the effort and check this place out.
Plan & Book your visit to Funchal
In this section, we run through how to make your visit to Funchal a reality.
Getting to Funchal
Since Madeira is an island, almost everyone gets to Madeira by air.
By Air
The island of Madeira is served by Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira International Airport (IATA: FNC), which is 13.2 km (8.2 mi) east of Funchal. Flights from all over Europe are operated by mostly low-cost and holiday airlines.
Transfers from the Airport
Madeira Airport is connected to the rest of the island only by road. As a result, there is a competitive market for public and private transfers to/from all over the island.
Public Buses
SAM operates an Aerobus service between the Airport and Funchal. At the time of writing, fares are €5 one way, €8 return. You can find timetables and more information on the SAM website.
Private/shared Transfers
There are seemingly an endless number of companies offering private and shared transfers from the airport. Most will take you to the front door or your accommodation and will collect you from there too on your day or departure.
As you might expect, private transfers are more expensive than shared transfers but they will get you to your accommodation with the least hassle. Shared transfers are cheaper but you’ll stop along the route to drop off other passengers. That said, most will fine tune their route to ensure they get you to where you want to be in the most efficient way and some even offer a maximum number of stops.
Accommodation in Funchal
With tourism being the island’s number one industry, visitors are spoilt for choice when choosing accommodation. Practically all budgets and requirements are catered for.
Hotels
Hotels are spread out all over the city, though there is a high concentration of them along the coastline to the west of the city centre.
