A day in Funchal, the capital of Madeira - TOP 6 things to do in Funchal
Have you arrived in Madeira, the paradise land also known as the island of eternal spring?
Then you definitely have to set aside a few hours for Funchal, the capital of Madeira! This article shows you the most important tourist attractions in Funchal, that you should not miss if you come to in the largest city of Madeira.
And if you want to see how we organized our one-week vacation in the beautiful island of Madeira, I invite you to read this article: 7 days in Madeira - The perfect itinerary for your first vacation in Madeira.
Funchal is the capital and largest city of the Portuguese autonomous region of Madeira, an archipelago of islands in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
The city has an area of approximately 76 km2, and a population of 100,000 inhabitants.
The official language of the island of Madeira is Portuguese, and the currency is the euro. If you want to find out more information about Madeira, I invite you to read the following article: Madeira - Everything you need to know before visiting Madeira, the island of eternal spring.
How to get to Funchal
Madeira has only one airport, located 17 km from Funchal city center.
From the airport to Funchal you can reach Funchal with a Bolt, taxi (30 euros) or bus no. 9 (5 euros, you can pay cash to the driver).
Where to stay in Funchal
The accommodation location chosen by most tourists traveling to Madeira is in the area of Funchal. You can choose the capital of the island as a starting point for most touristic attractions in Madeira. The advantage is that from here you can reach any point of the island by car, and if you don't have a car, you can take guided tours or buses directly from Funchal. Besides that, in Funchal you have a wide variety of restaurants and shops.
Below you will find a list of accommodations in Funchal, all rated above 9:
- Belvedere Boutique – Adults only - is our number 1 recommendation, the accommodation that we had and fell in love with! The rooms start from 79 euros/night, but must be booked in advance! And if you have the chance, book the apartment with the terrace, it's absolutely incredible! I leave you some pictures below! We paid 90 euros/night for the biggest apartment in the building.
- São Francisco Accommodation - from 100 euros/night
- Solar do Ribeiro - from 110 euros/night
- Palmar Rooms - from 80 euros/night
- Central – São Pedro Boutique - from 75 euros/night
I will also leave here the famous hotel of Cristiano Ronaldo, for the football fans who want to see what it is like to sleep in the hotel of the famous footballer. Do you know that Ronaldo is originally from Madeira? And that, next to the hotel, there is also a museum of its own?
- Pestana CR7 Funchal **** - from 180 euros/night
What to do in Funchal
Funchal is a very elegant and chic city, a city with a good vibe and a continuous holiday atmosphere. It is worth setting aside a few hours, maybe even a whole day, to discover the good energy of this island city.
Next, I will list the main tourist attractions in Funchal:
1. Jardim Monte Palace Madeira
Jardim Monte Palace Madeira is an tourist attraction in Madeira, and implicitly in Funchal, that you should not miss. A wonderful tropical garden, with flowers of all kinds, exotic and colorful, and inspired by various cultures, such as the Japanese one.
The following pictures speak for themselves and describe in detail how amazing this garden is. An entrance ticket costs 15 euros.
Cable car to Monte
The easiest way to get to Jardim Monte Palace from Funchal is by cable car – Teleférico do Funchal. This leaves from the city center and ends in Monte, the place where the garden is also located.
A cable car ticket costs 11 euros, or 9.25 euros online, respectively 15 euros round trip.
2. Carreiros do Monte
The most authentic activity in Funchal is the one of going down the Monte valley with the famous sleds driven by two men who control the direction and speed. For any adrenaline junkie, going down with such a sled would certainly be an unique and unforgettable experience!
The sleds are taken directly from the Jardim Monte Palace garden, in Monte, and it's the most fun way to go back down to the center!
The price for this activity is 35 euros / 2 people.
3. Jardim Botânico
Another impressive botanical garden in Funchal is Jardim Botânico. With a smaller area than the Monte Palace Tropical Garden, but just as beautiful, with a lot of beautifully tropical plants, the Jardim Botânico botanical garden is definitely worth a visit.
The price of an entrance ticket is 8 euros.
4. Funchal City Center
Of course, you cannot come to Funchal without walking around the old center.
Funchal is not a big city, and its center is quite small, making it really walkable. Some points of interest that you should not miss would be Rua de Santa Maria, the Cathedral, the port or the ocean promenade, A. do Mar.
And if you want to learn more about the history and culture of the city, you can always participate in a free or organized walking tour, such as this one: Funchal: Funchal: Old Town Walking Tour.
If you come to Madeira during the winter holidays, more precisely throughout the month of December, you will be greeted by a beautiful city dressed in festive attire. What could be nicer than celebrating Christmas at 20 degrees?
5. Rua de Santa Maria
Rua de Santa Maria is the most picturesque and crowded street in Funchal. It is a pedestrian street, only with restaurants and souvenir shops, always full of tourists.
And what impresses here are the paintings and drawings on the doors of the houses. It is like a walk through an open-air museum, with numerous artistic creations that delight the eye of the beholder.
Some well-rated restaurants on this street would be:
6. CR7 Museum
A special tourist attraction, dedicated to football fans and not only, is the Muzeul CR7, or Cristiano Ronaldo's Museum.
The famous football player Cristiano Ronaldo was born and raised in Madeira, a matter of great pride for the inhabitants of this small island. The reason why the athlete's name is closely linked to Madeira - for example, the airport in Madeira was named after Cristiano Ronaldo, and at the entrance to the airport there is also his statue.
Also in his name, the CR7 museum was opened, which displays data and information about the entire football career of Cristiano Ronaldo, including the entire collection of trophies won by him.
An entrance ticket to the museum costs 5 euros.
Next to the museum, there is also the famous hotel of Cristiano Ronaldo: Pestana CR7 Funchal ****.
Day trips from Funchal
Even if a rented car offers you a certain flexibility, day trips can also offer a good option to discover Madeira in its entirety. And Funchal is the starting point for all these tourist attractions:
Where to eat in Funchal
Below is a list of the most famous and popular restaurants in Funchal, according to TripAdvisor.com, which no gourmet is allowed to miss:
If you want to see the complete list of all the tourist sights and points of interest in Madeira, I have prepared this article for you: What to do in Madeira - TOP 20 most beautiful places to visit.
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