Travel Guide in Funchal

This Funchal Travel Guide will give you plenty of information about the city of Funchal, which will help make planning your vacation a breeze. Funchal is located on the island of Madeira, and it also happens to be the capital city of the island. The island of Madeira is one of the most popular tourists’ destinations in Portugal, so you want to make sure you make your trip memorable.

Getting There and Around

To get to Funchal you can fly onto the island directly or you can take a ferry from the main island. No matter how you get there, once you get on the island, you will need to figure out a way to get around town.  One of the easiest ways to travel around town is by taxi because there are so many available. Around town you should not pay more than €7.50 for a taxi ride, so be on the lookout for drivers trying to charge more. The Aerobus is another great method of transportation to go to and from the airport in Funchal. If you are a TAP passenger you ride free on the bus, while non-TAP passengers must pay €5.

Accommodations

In the city of Funchal you are going to have a lot of choices for your accommodations. The city offers hotels for a variety of different budgets, including backpackers and big spenders. If price is not a concern when selecting a hotel the best place to stay is Reid’s Palace where you will be treated like royalty.

Eating Out

There are plenty of places to eat around Funchal, including restaurants inside the hotel or ones tucked away on side streets. No matter where you choose to eat, one thing to pay attention to is that appetizers are not a big part of the menu. In Funchal, the only one that is offered is "bolo do caco." Olives is a great restaurant to try because it is located in the city center and has reasonably priced meals. When visiting Olives be sure to try the black scabbard fish or the tuna steak and for desert the chocolat moelleux is highly recommended.

Things to Do

One of the most popular things to do in Funchal is to visit one of the numerous beaches on the coast, which is about a 10-minute drive from the center of the city. Most of the beaches offer enclosed pools and direct access to the ocean so you have a choice as to where you are swimming. Aside from the beaches, there are plenty of gardens to look at, including the Municipal Garden and the Lido Promenade.

Nightlife and Entertainment

Funchal offers an exciting nightlife during the summer months. During the summer months, one of the most popular destinations is Praia Formosa because of the contests it has. During the month of June you can enjoy the fireworks on Funchal Bay during the Festival do Atlantico. Most of the hotels also put on some sort of show at night for their guests, but some even open the shows up to others. Monumental Lido Hotel offers the Hot Dancers Show on Wednesdays and Sundays, but it also has a magic show on Saturdays.