Funchal is the natural starting point for discovering Madeira in Portugal, but it deserves more than a quick arrival and departure. The capital packs a surprising amount into a relatively compact space, with historic streets, subtropical greenery, ocean views, local flavors and traditions that connect directly to life across the island.
For first-time travelers, it offers a clear introduction to what makes Madeira so distinctive. For returning visitors, there is still plenty worth revisiting or seeing with fresh eyes. These 10 experiences bring together some of the best things to do in Madeira, while showing why Funchal is such an important part of the island experience itself.
Funchal is a city that makes sense on foot. Avenida Arriaga runs through the middle of it, lined with jacaranda trees that turn purple in spring, with the cathedral at one end and the city's main gardens close by. The streets that branch off from the main avenue move through squares, past colonial facades and into the quieter residential neighborhoods.
A guided walking tour gives the architecture behind the streets a context, helping you understand how Funchal developed and how its past still sits comfortably alongside everyday city life. Funchal Cathedral, the Sé, deserves a closer look: with its simple Gothic exterior giving way to an impressive wooden ceiling crafted with local cedar and old enough to have been here since the early years of Portuguese settlement on the island.
A few streets are enough to give Funchal a different personality. In the Zona Velha, narrow lanes, old façades, small restaurants and café tables bring a more informal side of the city into view. Rua de Santa Maria runs through the heart of the neighborhood.
Many of its doorways have become artworks through the Arte Portas Abertas project, which invited artists to turn neglected doors into individual pieces. They add a playful detail to the neighborhood, but the Zona Velha has plenty more to keep you wandering. Look beyond the painted doors and you will find one of Funchal’s most characterful areas, shaped as much by everyday life as by its creative side.
The Mercado dos Lavradores is the clearest argument for the idea that Madeira is unlike anywhere else in Portugal. The flower stalls at the entrance are the introduction: birds of paradise, anthuriums, proteas and orchids grown in the island's humid valleys and sold by vendors in traditional Madeiran dress. But the market goes further than flowers.
The fruit section is where the island's subtropical agriculture becomes tangible. Custard apples, passion fruit, pitangas and varieties of banana with distinctive flavors and textures: the produce is specific to this latitude and climate in a way that makes the market a useful introduction to what Madeira actually grows. The fish section on the lower level adds another layer, with espada, the black scabbardfish that is one of the island's most distinctive catches, laid out in quantities that suggest this is still very much a working market.
Some of Funchal’s best views come with the journey itself. The Funchal cable car carries you from the lower city up the hillside to Monte, gradually lifting above the rooftops as the harbor, surrounding slopes and Atlantic come into view. It is a simple change of perspective that gives you a better sense of how the city fits into the island’s steep terrain.
Monte sits high above central Funchal, surrounded by greenery and closely linked to several of the city’s best known traditions and gardens. The ride up is therefore more than a scenic detour: it takes you into another part of the capital and sets you up perfectly for what comes next.
5. Explore Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Once you reach Monte, greenery takes over. The Monte Palace Tropical Garden stretches across several terraced levels descending the hillside above Funchal. Madeira’s mild subtropical climate allows plants from many parts of the world to thrive here, giving the garden an impressive botanical range. Take your time along the paths, pause beside the water features and look back across the slopes toward Funchal.
The vegetation makes the first impression, with tree ferns, cycads and azaleas growing among species originating across tropical and subtropical regions. One of the standout areas is the Japanese inspired garden, with red bridges, lanterns, ponds and carefully arranged landscaping that creates a clear change in character.
Elsewhere, paths lead past tile panels depicting episodes of Portuguese history and a collection of African sculpture tucked among the greenery, so there is always another detail to catch your eye.
There are easier ways to get downhill from Monte, but few come with two men in white uniforms and straw hats running beside a wicker basket. Funchal’s traditional toboggans date back to the 19th century, when these basket sledges were used as a means of transport down Monte’s steep streets. Today, the carreiros keep the tradition going, steering the sledges with their boots as they guide them downhill.
The ride has become one of Funchal’s most recognizable traditions, and part of the fun comes from how unusual the whole thing feels. Sitting in a wicker basket while two skilled carreiros navigate the winding road is certainly a different way to see this corner of the city, and one of those Madeira stories you will probably still be telling when you get home.
Madeira wine has been part of the island’s story for centuries, earning an international reputation while shaping local trade and winemaking traditions. A tasting in Funchal explores its main styles and production methods, showing why this fortified wine is so closely associated with Madeira.
Then there is poncha, the island’s more informal contribution to the drinks menu. Traditionally made with aguardente de cana, honey and citrus, it has deep roots in Madeiran culture and comes in several variations today. Trying both gives you two very different expressions of the island: one shaped by centuries of wine history and international trade, the other firmly connected to local habits and conversation around the table.
Espada, the black scabbardfish caught in deep Atlantic waters off the coast of Madeira, is the dish that appears most consistently on Funchal restaurant menus. It is usually served with banana, a combination that sounds unusual and tastes like something the island arrived at through long experience and good judgment.
Bolo do caco, a flat bread made with sweet potato and traditionally cooked on basalt stone, appears across many menus and is excellent with garlic butter. The passion fruit grown on the island, served as juice or in desserts, has an intensity that imported versions fail to match. Funchal’s restaurants range from long established family kitchens to newer places giving local ingredients a fresh treatment, and trying a bit of both gives you the best sense of the city’s food culture.
Funchal has the Atlantic right at its doorstep, so spending time by the water is a must for this trip. Around the marina and harbor, you can watch boats coming and going, stop for a coffee with the sea in front of you, or simply follow the promenade and let the ocean set the pace for a while.
If you feel like stretching the walk, continue along the Lido Promenade toward Praia Formosa. The route passes gardens, swimming areas and dark volcanic shoreline, with wide Atlantic views almost the entire way. It is an easy way to step out of the historic center and see the more laid back, ocean facing side of Funchal.
10. Visit the Madeira Botanical Garden
Funchal’s subtropical climate gets one final showcase at the Madeira Botanical Garden, set on the hills above the city at Quinta do Bom Sucesso. Across its terraced grounds, more than 2,000 exotic plants bring together species from different parts of the world, alongside Madeiran plants and the garden’s distinctive geometric flower beds.
The elevated setting is part of the appeal. Between collections, terraces and viewpoints, the city and Atlantic appear below, adding another dimension to the visit. While Monte Palace feels lush and immersive, the Botanical Garden offers a more structured look at the extraordinary variety of plants that flourish on Madeira Island, rounding off Funchal’s greener side with a completely different perspective.
Funchal brings many of Madeira’s defining features together in one place: centuries of history, subtropical gardens, Atlantic views, distinctive food and wine, and traditions that still feel closely connected to the island. And there is plenty waiting beyond the city. Mountain landscapes, levada trails, dramatic coastlines and small towns add new layers to the trip. If you would like to discover Funchal and the Madeira island at the right pace, our Best of Madeira tour is a good place to start. Or get in touch and we will put together an itinerary built around what you want from the trip.