Things to do in Funchal, Madeira
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Funchal is the most popular Madeira destination and for good reason. There is a great selection of accommodation and restaurants as well as lots of things to do in Funchal to keep you busy. Being on the South coast of the island, it also tends to have the best Madeira weather. Boasting more sunshine than other parts of the island. Being the administrative centre for the island means that all the amenities you are likely to need are close at hand.
If you are on a family holiday in Funchal you are likely to want to spend some time relaxing. This could be by the pool or the sea. But with so much to offer, we loved getting out and about to explore too. We have rounded the best things to do in Funchal, as well as some recommendations for eating out. If you want to explore more of the beautiful island of Madeira, hire a car and take a road trip or get out hiking. If you would rather let someone else take care of arrangements for you, this private tour is a good option.
Where to eat in Funchal:
The Beer House overlooking the marina is an excellent choice for a seafood lunch with a view.
Sabores da Nossa Ilha isn’t exactly a restaurant but we ate here twice! It’s a foodcourt with a bar in the centre and some excellent food outlets. I highly recommend the Espetada, traditional skewered beef. For our family it was a great choice as everybody could choose their own style of food.
Il Basilico is an excellent Italian restaurant in the hotel district, near the Lido. It is very popular and gets booked up so worth booking ahead.
Reids Palace is probably the most famous hotel in Funchal. It was said to be Winston Churchill’s favourite. A visit here for afternoon tea on the balcony is a fantastic experience (not suitable for children).
Things to do in Funchal: Explore the old town
What I loved most about Funchal was that being the administrative capital of the island it still feels like a real town. This is despite there being lots of tourists and nearly always at least one cruise ship in town. The old town area (zona velha) is full of beautiful architecture and winding alleyways. This makes a great place to wander around by either day or night. By day you can check out some of the main sights such as the cathedral and fort and by night there are tonnes of restaurants to choose from. Or bars to enjoy the local poncha!
Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Assunção
The main sights within the old town include the cathedral (Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Assunção). Attractive but unassuming from the outside, the interior is beautiful and worth a quick look. Entry is also free.
The Yellow Fort (Fort Sao Tiogo)
The striking yellow fort, fort Sao Tiogo is another major tourist attraction. Located on the seafront towards the eastern edge of the old town it’s distinctive golden outline is difficult to miss. There is a small pebble beach next to the fort if you are fancying a dip and numerous bars and restaurants nearby. Entry is free and although there isn’t lots to see inside there are some great views along the coast.
The farmers market (Mercado dos Lavradores)
The Mercado dos Lavradores (farmers market) is a fantastic feast for the senses. Even if not looking for something to buy I highly recommend a quick wander through to marvel at the amazing range of fresh produce that this small island is able to cultivate. Our children were most fascinated by the range of fish and seafood available. Look out for the scabbard fish, a local delicacy that you will find on offer in most restaurants.
Things to do in Funchal: Go on a cable car
The Monte cable car is one of the most popular attractions in Funchal so can get very busy. We were warned by a taxi driver when arriving on the island to avoid it if there was more than one cruise ship in the port which we found a handy tip! The cable car leaves from the seafront near the old town. If you’re in Funchal with children, there’s a small playground next to the cable car station.
There are lovely views on the way up and then from Monte village when you arrive at the top. From the top there is the option of a short walk and then taking a second cable car to the botanical gardens but for 5 of us this was going to be quite costly, so we opted out of the second one.
When buying tickets, you need to decide whether you want to do a round trip or whether you will make your way down a different way. Options for this could be bus, walk, taxi or wicker basket!
Ride a wicker basket toboggan
The wicker basket ‘toboggans’ were originally a means of public transport in Funchal. They enabled the people of Monte to get down to central Funchal quickly. These days they are just a tourist attraction but are very popular.
The wicker basket toboggans look like great fun but are quite costly. Unknowingly we went up to Monte on a Sunday when the toboggans aren’t running so it wasn’t an option for us. This meant that the cable car queue was shorter than it could have been. So if you don’t plan on doing the toboggan ride it might be worth planning your visit for a Sunday.
We walked back down the hill to the old town which was a lot harder than it sounds. It was around 20-minutes walking down a very steep hill. I don’t think I have ever experienced this before, but it got to the point that my legs were shaking from the solid down hill walking. It was quite a relief to occasionally walk on the flat for a few seconds! If you don’t like steep hills a bus or taxi could be a better option!
Things to do in Funchal: Visit beautiful gardens
Funchal isn’t known as ‘the garden city’ for no reason! There are beautiful parks and gardens all around the city. A visit to at least one of these stunning gardens should definitely be on your list of things to do in Funchal.
Parque de Santa Catarina
Our favourite free park was the Parque de Santa Catarina. This park runs alongside the main road towards the old town from the hotel district. It has beautiful views of the coastline and harbour as well as fountains. When we were there in spring, it was also full of stunning flowers.
There is a small café and playground at the top end as well as an exercise park. Our children’s favourite thing about this park though were the numerous lizards! I don’ t think I have ever seen quite so many lizards sunning themselves along the walls and paths!
Monte Palace Tropical Gardens
We also really enjoyed the Monte Palace Tropical Gardens. These gardens are right next to the top of the cable car. This means it’s a good place to combine with your cable car and wicker basket ride if you decide you would like to do this.
Adults have to pay an entrance fee but under 14s are free so it definitely felt worthwhile if you’re in Funchal with children. The whole gardens are separated into different sections (you’ll be given a map when you arrive and pay). We thought the landscaping was awesome and interesting for children. There are stepping stones, waterfalls that you could walk under, pagodas and bridges. As well as a multitude of tropical plants there are also a few birds and animals, which our children in particular loved. We were given a fantastic display by a couple of peacocks that were trying to outdo each other. We also all loved the flamingos.
For more information on ticket pricing see the gardens website. You can book ahead online, although we hadn’t done so and there was no queue when we got there.
Things to do in Funchal: Take a boat trip
One of the top things to do in Funchal is to take a boat trip. There are lots of boats on the seafront vying for your business. Most will take you out looking for whales and dolphins. Depending on the time of year, there is a high possibility of seeing them. We took a trip on the Magic Dolphin Eco Catamaran .
It was really windy when we were there, but it was the last day of our holiday so we were out of options to delay until another day. Despite the windy conditions we really enjoyed our trip on the Catamaran. We were unlucky and didn’t see any dolphins. This was despite the boat having 2 guides on lookout with binoculars for the whole trip. We were offered a trip the following day for free since we hadn’t seen any wildlife. This would have been great if it wasn’t the day we were heading home! Maybe don’t save the boat trip until the last day of your holidays and then if you’re unlucky like us you’ll be able to have another go!
Things to do in Funchal: Visit the marina
We always love looking at the yachts and boats moored in marinas. There are usually cruise ships around to gawk at too! It’s a pleasant place for a stroll. We had a lovely lunch here at the Beerhouse.
CR7 museum
If you have football fans with you, the CR7 museum is next to the marina. We have one football-mad boy in the family so he was desperate to go there. You can’t escape the Ronaldo-fever on this island. The Madeira inhabitants are very proud of their most famous export. This museum houses copies of all the trophies that he has won (which is a lot). Benjamin insisted on having his photo taken next to each one!
If you don’t fancy going inside the museum there is a Ronald statue just outside which may satisfy some young fans.
Things to do in Funchal: Swim at the Lido
Funchal lido is west of the town centre, close to where many large hotels are. It consists of two saltwater swimming pools hewn into the rocks on the oceanfront. If you don’t have access to a pool where you are staying it’s a fantastic place to relax and have a swim. The lido is backed by a beautiful promenade with gardens. It’s a pleasant place for a stroll at any time of day.
Walk to Camara de Lobos
This seafront walk beginning next to the lido was closed unfortunately when we were there. It’s just over 2km along this promenade to the pretty fishing village of Câmara de Lobos. I’d recommend enjoying a spot of lunch here before making your way back to Funchal. If you don’t fancy the walk back you take a bus or taxi back to Funchal.
While there is plenty to keep you occupied in Funchal, I really would recommend getting out of town on a road trip to explore more of this beautiful island if you can. Read more about our family holiday in Madeira here. We have also put together a handy guide rounding up the best places to stay in Madeira.
