Welcome to Visit-the-World's Funchal section ...

Visit Funchal

Funchal is the capital of the beautiful island  of Madeira, 470 miles to the west of Morocco and 300 miles north of Tenerife, in the Atlantic Ocean.

Madeira, with its superb year-round warm climate , was a particular  favourite  of aristocratic British travellers, for centuries, before travelling  and winter breaks could be afforded by the majority of less wealthy Britons. Aristocrats sailed to Madeira at the start of the winter and stayed for months, very often, to escape the worst ravages of northern climes.

The attractive port of Funchal is on the south coast of Madeira.
It is a lovely, quite elegant, historic little city with fine, centuries old Portugese colonial architecture. It has far more character than the
modern resorts of the the Canaries. More than half Madeira's 350,000
population are active around Funchal during the day, making it more
than a little busy with traffic!! The centre of the town is at sea level, but
there are steep hills all around as one travels in from the coast. This
makes for a very picturesque location, with palm trees and little banana
plantations dotted between the pretty whitewashed buildings with their
red-tiled roofs. It is a firm favourite with the passengers of the many cruise liners that call at the  wonderful harbour, which has very deep water, just off-shore. The passengers love the historic Portugese architecture and narrow cobbled streets, lined with a wonderful selection of good quality shops, restaurants, bars and cafes. It is a marvellous place for shopping, in particular, with lots of fine items available.

Visits to the beautiful Se Cathedral, little churches, colourful botanic
gardens and Museum of Madeira wine, are extremely popular with tourists.

As is sitting at a pavement cafe in the main square, just watching the
world go by!

Another favourite relaxing past-time is an evening stroll along the sea-
front promenade to view visiting cruise ships or the expensive yachts,
that often call in for provisions as they sail to the Canariesor even
across the Atlantic. Neighbouring Porto Santo is just a short island hop
away from this harbour, if  you are looking for a golden sandy beach!
The Porto Santo beach is five miles long!!

A cable car rises from Funchal Old Town to Monte Village, offering
panoramic views. Monte  Palace Tropical Gardens has orchids,
hydrangea and strelitzia mingling with lush tropical foliage. A traditional
toboggan run down the steep hill, through the cobbled streets brings
you back down into Funchal.

The modern part of Funchal exudes  cosmopolitan charm  and
effortless sophistication.  There are at least seven  5-star hotels here,
including the legendary Reid's Hotel, famous for its afternoon teas.
There are also several good quality 4-star hotels and an exclusive casino with its wonderful floor shows. The city also has a lively night-life
with several smart clubs. Many of the hotels stage live music and cabarets.

Outside Funchal, the tranquil village of Canico with its lovely little square, surrounded by relaxing restaurants and bars is a nice place to visit. The views from the area are stunning. The Palheiro Golf Course is not far away.

There are also stunning views from Cabo Girao, the world's second
highest sea cliff, whilst on the north coast, Santana, where houses
have triangular thatched roofs, is a very pretty place and  worth
visiting.

When it comes to Madeiran food , espada or scabbard fish from some of the deepest water fished by man, is a must! Don't be put off by the rather fearsome appearance of this fish, it is delicious!!

Caldo Verde, a Madeiran soup made from cabbage and potato, is a
popular dish, as is chourico, a spicy sausage.

Bolo de mel, or honey cake, is the most well-known pudding here and is a speciality of the island. It is particularly enjoyed by sweet-toothed diners who do not bother counting calories!!

In any case, who cares about calories whilst on holiday? Why not enjoy yourself and have an extra glass or two of sweet Madeiran wine to round off your meals?