Things to do in Funchal
Old markets, cliff edges, espetada, and a poncha that earns its reputation.
This is Funchal for people who want to eat and drink like they live there, not like they're on a package tour. You'll move between the city's historic core, a jaw-dropping coastal detour, and a quieter bay to the east, with enough downtime to let the island's pace get into you. Bring an appetite and comfortable shoes.
Day 1: Old Town, Wine and Poncha
The 1940 market hall sets the tone: exotic fruit, black scabbardfish, and flowers everywhere, before a long afternoon of tavern food and Madeira wine that ends on a local's stool with a fresh-made poncha.
- 10:30 AM
Mercado dos Lavradores
1940 Art Deco market hall, hit the flower sellers, black scabbardfish in the fish hall, and tropical fruit stalls.
Map - 12:30 PM
Taberna Madeira
Big sharing plates of tuna belly, octopus and espada com banana, traditional tavern, great value.
Map - 2:30 PM
Blandy's Wine Lodge
Old Franciscan lodge where the Blandy family has aged Madeira since 1811; taste a 10-year Malmsey.
Map - 7:30 PM
Restaurante Informal
Small dining room near the Sé cooking Madeiran fish and meat simply, with island wines by the glass.
Map - 9:30 PM
Rei da Poncha
Poncha benchmark, €3.50 to €6, fresh-made passion-fruit poncha on locals' stools, the real deal.
Map
Day 2: Cabo Girão and the Fishing Village
Coffee at Churchill's favourite harbour, then a walk onto a glass floor above a 589-metre sea cliff, followed by the only place worth eating espetada: on a laurel stick, in the parish that invented it.
- 9:30 AM
Câmara de Lobos
Start with a coffee at the harbour of Churchill's favourite fishing village, grab a bica and soak in the working-boat atmosphere before the day kicks off.
Map - 11:00 AM
Cabo Girão skywalk
Stand on the 589 m glass-floor skywalk over one of Europe's highest sea cliffs, the most dramatic viewpoint on the island, not to be missed.
Map - 12:30 PM
Restaurante Santo António
Espetada pilgrimage: beef on laurel sticks in the parish that owns the dish, served with milho frito and bolo do caco.
Map - 7:30 PM
Lume Pizzeria
Wood-fired pizza out in the Lido area, an easy dinner after a long day on the cliffs.
Map
Day 3: Machico bay and the whale museum
A morning climb to Pico do Facho, fish at Mercado Velho, Machico's sandy beach and the Museu da Baleia in Caniçal, then open-fire cooking at Kampo.
- 10:00 AM
Pico do Facho
Walk or drive up to the old beacon point: all of Machico bay below, and the airport runway on its stilts.
Map - 12:30 PM
Restaurante Mercado Velho
Lunch in Machico's restored old market by the beach; order espada with banana and passion fruit.
Map - 2:00 PM
Machico beach
Machico's sheltered sandy bay inside the breakwater; the sea is still around 22°C in late October.
Map - 3:30 PM
Museu da Baleia
Caniçal's whaling history in a modern museum, with life-size sperm whale models; closed Mondays.
Map - 7:30 PM
Kampo by Chef Julio Pereira
Chef Júlio Pereira's open-fire kitchen in the centre: island fish and meat cooked over embers.
Map
Where to stay
Castanheiro Boutique Hotel
Sits right in the old town, so Day 1's market, tavern, and late-night poncha bar are all on foot.
Sé Boutique Hotel
A compact, well-priced boutique a short walk from Blandy's and the Zona Velha, without the resort markup.
Make Funchal your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Blandy's Wine Lodge: a few days ahead
- Funchal food and wine walking tour: a few days ahead
- PR1 Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo: weeks ahead
- PR6 Levada das 25 Fontes: a few days ahead
- PR9 Levada do Caldeirão Verde: a few days ahead
- PR8 Ponta de São Lourenço: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Mercado dos Lavradores fruit pricing: look, photograph and sample, weigh and agree a total before bagging, and buy picnic fruit at Pingo Doce.
- Toboggan plus return taxi bundle: the ride ends at Livramento, not the centre, so price the whole chain before sitting in the basket.
- Cable car queues on cruise ship mornings: go before 10:00, after the excursion wave, or take bus 20 or 21 up and the cable car down.
- Santana houses are mostly replicas and demonstrations now, an enjoyable east day stop not a destination alone.
The full Funchal travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around