Last Updated on October 1, 2026
Where to go, what to eat, and what to buy
Madeira has always had good weather, but it is having its time in the sun. Trending and trendy as a holiday destination, it draws a diverse range of visitors from young people and couples seeking adventure to families and retirees, all enjoying the island’s dramatic beauty, gardens, hikes, wines and cuisine. About 60% of tourists base themselves in Funchal, Madeira’s capital, a convenient city from which to travel around the island, with many tours and car hire readily available. It is also the place to stay if you want to explore the range of restaurants and museums the city boasts. Funchal is a very walkable city.
Funchal is a charming city nestled between an amphitheatre of mountains and the sea. Although the city rises steeply up its hills, the old town is flat at sea level. The black-and-white mosaic Avenida do Mar promenade hugs the coast, along which you can walk for miles in either direction. Stop off for a swim in one of many natural pools, dip into one of a plethora of bars and restaurants, many shaded by subtropical vegetation and with enviable sea views. Funchal has an unmistakable European feel, yet the all-year-round mild weather and the exotic flora confirm that you are visiting a subtropical island.
Contents
Five Places to Go in Funchal
1.Take a guided or self-guided walk
Funchal is a great city to discover on foot as most of the sights are located within the old town in the centre of town. Take a guided walk around the old town or a self-guided walk if you prefer. Pick up a map at the tourist office or from your hotel. The old town oozes an elegant charm, with beautiful old buildings dating from the 15th century onwards, while small narrow alleys retain the patina of the past. Don’t miss the painted doors in Rua de Santa Maria and the Mercado de Lavadores, a farmers’ market located in an Art Deco building, filled with abundant produce on Fridays and Saturdays. I jostled with the crowds to buy a basket of fruits – the choice of passion fruits alone was mind-expanding, not to mention the array of mangoes and bananas, from baby to the large red variety. Take time to discover small botanical gardens that are dotted around both the old town and the promenade area.
2.Visit Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Take the cable car from the old town, which is a 15-minute ride up the mountainside to the neighbourhood of Monte, where you can visit the Monte Palace Tropical Garden. Set aside a good few hours as there is a great deal to explore. Here you will find a garden that cascades down a steep slope, filled with a myriad of plants, from thousand-year-old olive trees to cycads, Dragon trees, a laurisilva wood, azaleas and magnificent banks of hydrangeas. Two oriental gardens pay homage to Chinese and Japanese culture. There are waterfalls, beautiful tiles, and even a pond with swans and flamingos. There is also a contemporary art museum with works from the collection of businessman José Manuel Rodrigues Berardo. You can also visit the Botanical Gardens, which requires a second cable car ride from Monte. The botanical gardens include a bird park and natural history museum.
Monte Palace Tropical Garden, Caminho das Babosas, Funchal. Open daily from 9 – 18 or 19h depending on the season. The museum closes at 17h.
3. Walk along the Avenida do Mar promenade
Walking is the best way to appreciate the beautiful views along Funchal’s large bay. You can walk for miles in either direction along the Avenida do Mar promenade, preferably with your swimming gear as there are many spots where you can swim either off the rocks, in lidos with natural rock pools, or from black stone beaches with lifeguards on duty in the summer months. Stop for lunch at one of the many restaurants and cafes that dot the walk. If you would like to swim and eat a fish lunch while enjoying an outstanding view, book yourself a table at Doca do Cavacas restaurant (see below).
4. Discover churches and museums
Funchal has a number of churches worth seeking out. In the centre of the old town is the 16th-century Sé Cathedral, which contains its original altar. Although it is a Catholic cathedral, the intricate wooden ceiling is in Spanish Moorish style. My favourite ecclesiastical visit was to the Convent of Santa Clara. The convent was completed in 1497 for the daughters of Madeiran nobility, and boasts a magnificent view over the bay. The highlight is the central chapel with tiles dating from the 16th century onward, rare mujédar tiles that cover the walls.
Funchal has an array of museums from the Museu CR7, the museum dedicated to the trophies of Funchal-born Cristiano Ronaldo (a must-see for football fans), to those exhibiting sacred art or contemporary art. Two museums to have on your list are the Sacred Art Museum and the Tile museum which is located in a wing of the Casa Museu Frederico de Freitas where you can view a collection of artworks, furniture, ceramics and objets that date back to the 17th and 18th centuries.
Convent of Santa Clara, Calcada de Santa Clara 15, Funchal. Opening Hours: Monday to Saturday from 10 – 12h and from 15 – 17h Closed: Sunday
5. Blandy’s Wine Lodge
No visit to Funchal is complete without a stop at Blandy’s Wine Lodge. Blandy’s is the name of one of the large Madeira Wine houses in Madeira. Located in the centre of Funchal old town, you can visit the Lodge, sign up to a tour of the canteiro (the ageing rooms), and have a wine tasting. I knew very little about Madeira Wine, so I found this visit most enlightening. The wine tasting was fun too, and there is a well-stocked shop should you wish to purchase gifts. Better still, if you are travelling with only hand luggage, you can pay for your preferred bottles at the Lodge, and they will be waiting for you to pick up after Security at the airport. You can read more about Madeira Wine in my article on the subject (add link).
Blandy’s Wine Lodge, Avenida Arriaga 28, Funchal. Opening hours 10 – 18.30 Mondays to Fridays, 10 – 18h on Saturdays and Sundays, closed between 13 – 14h on Sundays.
Five restaurants in Funchal
Funchal has a thriving fine dining scene with three Michelin-starred restaurants, and one with a Bib Gourmand. A further eight restaurants are included in the 2026 Michelin Guide Portugal. Some of these are inside the old town alleys; others have sea views as superb as the food. Don’t miss out, though, on simpler restaurants where the food is traditional and filled with local diners who know where good food is to be found,
1. Audax
Audax is a Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant and one I recommend heartily too. It means ‘audacity’ in Latin and the restaurant serves what it calls progressive Madeiran cuisine. Chef César Vieira presents a tasting menu of five or seven ‘moments’ where he pays homage to local Madeiran cuisine. Each dish has a story and a history relevant to the island, and every course was memorable, along with an excellent wine pairing showcasing Madeira Wine along with some mainland wineries. Our five-course menu ranged from interpretations of a local soup, which was outstanding, to prawns in poncha sauce (a homage to local fishermen of Câmara de Lobos who created the poncha rum cocktail), to oxtail with pickled shimeji mushrooms, smoked beef hearts and sweet potato purée. Dessert showcased the local banana and Surinam cherry. Even the petit fours told a story of Madeiran traditions.
The restaurant itself is elegant and sophisticated, with a calm atmosphere and excellent staff who are well-informed. We were very impressed with the sommelier’s wine pairing. It was one of the best meals I ate in my 10 days in Funchal, and I would book ahead to return on my next visit.
Audax, Rua Imperatriz D. Amélia, 104, Funchal. Opening hours Tuesday – Saturday 12.30 – 1500 and 18.30 – 22h.
2. Avista
Michelin Guide recommended, Avista is home to Chef Joâo Luz, whose Mediterranean menu comes with a jaw-dropping sea view. Do book a table on the terrace. The sunset is gorgeous.
Here we enjoyed a set menu including Black Angus short rib and concluded with the Exotic Symphony, which incorporated guava sorbet and passion fruit ganache formed into an exquisite pastel coloured flower. Of all the desserts I ate in 10 days, this is the one I would happily return for. Avista serves both a la carte and set menus with Mediterranean dishes having a Madeiran touch.
Being part of the Portobay hotel, Avista is open throughout the day from breakfast onwards.
Avista, Estrada Monumental 145, Funchal, opens daily from 7.30 – 22h.
3. Ākua
Chef Júlio Pereira has no fewer than six restaurants in Funchal, so you could spend every night eating in another one of his eateries. I managed three and thoroughly recommend you try at least one. We celebrated a family birthday over the tasting menu at Ākua (Michelin Guide recommended), a fish and seafood-based restaurant in a small alleyway in the old town. Here we particularly enjoyed the Jaipur prawn curry and the creamy scarlet prawn and seafood rice, which I am still thinking about weeks later.
Another night we had an al fresco dinner on the Art Deco terrace of Theo’s where we enjoyed a mix of beer-braised ribeye (supremely tender), confit duck with baked sausage rice with Azorean cheese, and baked octopus rice with chipotle mayo. Finally, a quick lunch of ox belly and truffled mash at Kampo. This is seriously good food all round. I sadly lacked sufficient time to eat at Yuki which serves a Japanese izakaya menu. Jaket is in the heart of the old town and serves regional dishes and snacks along with poncha. This would be a very good place to order black scabbard fish with banana and passion fruit and a side of milho frito.
Ākua, Rua dos Murcas, 6 Funchal. Open daily from 12 – 23h.
4. Restaurante Londres
I came upon Restaurante Londres on a hot Saturday after a morning at the Mercado de Lavadores and strolling around the streets of Funchal. I was hungry and the restaurant I was seeking seemed to have closed down. This was one of those happy coincidences. I entered the restaurant, opened in 1976, to find it packed with families and couples enjoying a hearty lunch. I was clearly the only tourist in the long room, and many faces turned to see who this newcomer was. I was seated at the one remaining table, where I ordered from the prato do dia, the list of daily specials. A small bowl of fava beans with onion was served along with a basket of bol de caco. I ordered Iscas de Figado à Portuguesa, which was a generous platter of thinly sliced liver with onions. The Bacalhau à Brás was delicious. This salt cod scrambled egg, containing chunks of fish and matchstick potatoes, was pure comfort food. I felt honoured to eat my lunch in a restaurant where so many diners, clearly regulars, embraced the owner before leaving.
Restaurant Londres, Rua da Carreira 64 A, São Martinho. Opening hours 11.45 – 15.45 and 18 – 22h . Closed Sundays.
5. Doca do Cavacas
Our landlady recommended this restaurant to us when we arrived from the airport. Half an hour later we were sat on the terrace (booking essential if you want to sit outdoors) with a glass of local wine, watching the sun slowly setting behind Caba Girão, the tallest sea cliff in Europe, over which the restaurant has a magnificent view. This is as close as you can get to the sea without being on a boat. The restaurant, painted in blue and white stripes, is built onto the rocks; below are natural rock pools where you can swim. It is one of those holiday restaurants you dream about – good, local food, with a terrific atmosphere. Perfect for the first night of your holiday in Funchal. I tried to go back on the last night of my holiday but had not booked so I sadly ended up eating a takeaway pizza further along the coastal walk. it was a far cry from the delicious meal I had enjoyed at Doca do Cavacas, where we began with sizzling pans of grilled lapas (limpets) in garlic butter, followed by the local fish, espada (black scabbard fish), battered, fried, and served with sautéed banana and passion fruit. The view and the sunset come free.
Doca de Cavacas, Rua da Ponta da Cruz 66, Funchal. Opening hours 12 – 21.30, closed Mondays
Five Foodie gifts to buy in Funchal
- Fábrica Santo Antonio is a biscuit shop that opened in 1893 and retains many old-fashioned shelving units and scales. Centuries-old recipes are still used to make the biscuits, and the shop is filled with almond, ginger and other traditional biscuits as well as bolo de mel, a deliciously sweet Madeira sugarcane honey cake. Ask to taste the wonderful cake – they keep samples in a cake tin – and then don’t even try to resist buying a few to take home. The cake gets even better over time. You will also find tiny cylindrical fennel candy (rebucados de funcho) – Funchal is named after funcha (fennel), which grows on the island. The packaging is very attractive, and this is a great place to stock up on gifts. Fabrica Santo Antonio, Traverso do Forno 27-29, Funchal. Opening hours: Monday -Friday 9 – 19h, Saturday 9 – 13h. Closed Sundays.
- UAU Cacau, pronounced wow cacao, is an artisanal chocolate shop where chocolatier Tony Fernandes creates exquisite chocolates shaped like mini artworks in a rainbow of colours, using local fruits such as tamarillo, sugar cane syrup, banana, Surinam cherry, passion fruit, melon, lemon and lime, just to mention a few. For those who like an alcoholic filling, there are chocolates filled with Madeira wine, gin, rum, and poncha. This is like an edible boutique of jewels. While you are pondering your choices, have an espresso on the terrace; a chocolate is served alongside. UAU Cacau, R. da Queimada de Baixo 11, Funchal, along with several other locations. Opening hours: Monday to Friday 8.30 -19.30. Times differ on weekends; check the website.
- Spices – At Mercado de Lavadores, the farmers’ market, there are stalls on the first floor selling an extensive array of spices, usually in small bags, which is great not only for popping into a suitcase but also for freshness. I came across a particularly enticing spice mix to use on avocado; there were lots of different peppers, and much else to excite anyone who likes to cook. Try visiting on a Friday or Saturday when it is very lively with farmers bringing in their produce. Mercado de Lavadores, Rua Brigadeiro Oudinout, Funchal. Opening hours: Monday – Thursday 7 – 19h, 20h on Fridays. Saturday 7 – 14h. Closed Sundays.
- Rum – Madeiran rum is either pure agricultural rum, which you will need to use as a mixer to make poncha or other cocktails. You can also purchase tawny rum or pre-mixed bottles of poncha if you fall hard for this cocktail during your stay. Visit one of the rum factories on the island where you can taste a number of rums and shop to your heart’s content.
- Madeira Wine – you can buy your Madeira Wine from Blandy’s (see above), or you can visit some of the other Madeira Wine houses in Funchal, including Pereira D’Oliveira and H.M. Borges Madeira Winery. If you would like to know more about Madeira Wine, read my article here.
Five day trips from Funchal
- Hike a levada Levadas are irrigation channels that transport water from the wetter north to the drier south of the island where much of the farmland is found. They are usually located high up in the mountains. The island has a network of hikes along the levadas. The levadas are unique to Madeira and first began to be constructed in the 15th century. Nowadays there are more than 1864 miles of levadas. The walks are well maintained. Visitors have to book an online ticket with a time slot – the daily numbers are restricted. Each walk has its own PR number, and you can find a description of the location, facilities and level of difficulty online or in pamphlets from the tourist office. Multi-day passes are also available if you plan to do several hikes. Always check weather conditions for possible path closures. Read all you need to know about the levada walks here.
I limited myself to an easy walk – the PR 11 known as Levada dos Balcōes – a flat path (after a short, sharp ascent up steps) to an outstanding belvedere over the island’s Laurissilva Forest – a forest dating back some 20 million years. It is a stunning place to visit.
My family are stronger hikers than I am and strode off on a variety of more challenging levada hikes involving waterfalls, natural pools and longer time commitments. Whatever the level of challenge you choose, it is recommended that you arrange transport to drop you off and pick you up. There are many jeep companies that offer transport. These are advertised at hotels and at the tourist office. You could hire a car, but many of the hikes are not circular, and the roads into the mountains are not for the faint-hearted nor the uninitiated.
2. Swim in natural pools at Seixal
Madeira is blessed with natural pools dotted around the coast. We hired a car and set off to explore some of the pools on the west coast of the island. The most popular pools are at Port Moniz on the western coast. It is a pool complex which was packed with tourists and not a particularly relaxing place to swim, although it is excellent if you have young kids as there are very good facilities, restaurants, changing rooms, and shallow pools for little ones.
A little further along the coast, we reached the beautiful natural pools at Seixal. I had been looking for the black stone beach at Seixal but somehow missed the turnoff and ended up at the natural pools. This turned out to be a most providential turn as the pools at Seixal are one of the reasons I will be returning to Madeira. Arriving in the late afternoon, we discovered a natural arch in the rock at sea level – there is a very steep walk down to the pools and an equally steep incline on the way back. We left our belongings on the rocks around the pool, descended into the cool water and swam out beneath the arch to sit on the rock wall with our backs to the sea. Alongside us, clinging to the wall despite small waves washing over them, was a group of five scarlet red crabs, their front pincers doing double time transporting algae to their mouths. There is a bar serving cocktails in pineapples and a café up above the pools, along with loos and showers, so you could happily spend a few hours here. This is a much more natural environment than at Port Moniz but would be less enticing if you are off for a family outing with small children.
3. Visit the Fanal Forest
On the way to Seixal from Funchal, you can stop at the Fanal Forest, which is a nature reserve located on the Paul da Serra plateau. It overlooks the sea and is renowned for its misshapen laurel trees. It is often shrouded in mist, which creates an otherworldly atmosphere, and is very popular with photographers. I am told that the mist is most prevalent in the early mornings, but we arrived too late for this. We enjoyed the terrific views over the northwestern coast afforded by climbing a steep hill to get to the top of a cliff. From here we embarked on an hour-long circular walk through the fairy forest, where trees as old as 800 years are covered in a lacy moss that helps protect the trees and prolongs their lifespan. It is an enchanting place. The Fanal Forest is also on the route of many longer hikes if you are so inclined. You can read all you need to know about visiting the forest here.
4. Visit Câmara de Lobos
This is a short ride from Funchal, or you can walk there along the promenade, which takes just over an hour if you start the walk from the western side of Funchal. Explore the small streets and the harbour of this pretty fishing village before settling down at a terrace table at Pestana Churchill Bay for a pre-lunch poncha. Churchill stayed in Funchal when he visited Madeira, but he loved to come here to paint. Alongside the terrace is a large bronze statue of Churchill at his easel.
Find a local eatery for lunch or walk up to Villa de Peixe at the top of the town. Enjoy some local fish – grilled lapas (limpets) as a starter course, mopped up with bol de caco garlic bread and then espada (black scabbard fish) for the main course. In the afternoon, find the beach to the right of the harbour where you can swim off the black pebble beach. In the late afternoon, grab a cab and enjoy the hairpin-bend drive up to Caba Girão. This is the highest sea cliff in Europe, at 580 m, and has a suspended glass skywalk from which there is a terrific view. After you have had your fill, take the cab downhill to Estreito de Câmara de Lobos for an early dinner at Viola, where you can feast on espetada – the famous Madeiran beef skewer (or tuna and chicken if you prefer). Drink some more poncha or a bottle of local red wine. Fabulous day guaranteed.
5. Jeep tour of the Northeast
I was hosted on a group Jeep tour with Adventureland, a tour organiser that uses closed-roof jeeps, which I prefer to the open-topped variety I saw a lot of during my trip to Madeira. Our driver was a font of information about every place he took us to, and I was in awe of his driving skills on mountain roads that are best left to the professionals.
The tour took us to see the dramatic cliffs at the eastern edge of the island before heading north through a series of tunnels to Santana, a rum factory and tasting, and then inland up mountain passes to see the highest peaks on Madeira.
Where to stay
Although the hotel district is located in the west of Funchal, I would recommend staying in the old town as you are right in the centre of everything you want to see. I was a guest of Barceló Funchal Oldtown Hotel, which was both central and very comfortable. The hotel comprises six 17th-century buildings and retains the original facades. It has the benefit of a rooftop pool with fabulous views over the city and the sea. It is very close to the port and the Avenida do Mar promenade, where you can enjoy a passageita and an ice cream after dinner. Benches overlook the boats in the port – including a replica of Christopher Columbus’ boat, Santa Maria de Colombo, on which you can enjoy a three-hour trip. In the mornings, breakfast is generous and includes traditional Madeiran foods.
Barceló Funchal Oldtown, Rua de Alfândega, 9. Funchal
What I discovered on a 10-day trip to Funchal was stunning scenery, excellent cuisine, and a leisurely pace that felt truly relaxing. Day trips allow a range of activities from hiking, kayaking, wild swimming, abseiling, and mountain climbing, and hiking – more adventures than you could pack into a few days. Funchal itself is where to start your Madeira journey. One visit is simply not enough, and after my first trip, I feel I have only got started.
Leave a Reply