A Bit More Fun in Funchal (2/21/26)

A few Wikipedia facts about Madeira and Funchal. Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal in the Atlantic Ocean, about 500 miles southwest of mainland Portugal and 520 miles west of Morocco. It was discovered in 1418 and claimed by Portugal in 1419. The word Madeira means wood in English. The entire island (actually archipelago) has a population of about 250,000. Funchal is the capital of the region. Funchal’s population of just over 105,000.

Bob and I decided to stay in Funchal today and took a Bolt into the town center to check out the market and a bit of a Main Street that runs from near our hotel to near the market. It was hopping. We can’t imagine how busy this place must be in the high season.

The market building,
opened in 1940 and designed by Edmundo Tavares.

We’re in Portugal, so of course there is beautiful tile work adorning the walls of the market

A liquor store where even the ceiling is covered in bottles

Colorful produce. The fruit has been amazing here.

The Black Scabbard or Espada fish, a typical fish in Madeira

After we left the market, we made our way along the Avenida do Infanta for a few blocks before Bob caught a Bolt back to the hotel (sort of — the driver left him at the sister property and Bob had to make his way up hill to our room).

Inside the cathedral, which opened in 1508

Also along the street were a series of brightly colored vendor huts selling typical Madeira products, often including alcohol.

The pink hut was advertising cocktails
including one called a Nikita (not yet tried by us)
that is supposed to be a combination of beer, ice cream, and fruit. No idea why.

I checked out two very pretty parks along the street. The first one, in the direction I was headed, was the Municipal Garden. The next few photos are of this garden, which in 2000 won a Gold Award for the European Competition for Cities and Towns in Bloom.

Onward down the avenue where the sidewalks are covered in tiles (not unusual for Portugal), including a center pedestrian median that ran for a block or two.

The next park I explored was the Santa Catarina Park, which runs for a number of blocks from the Avenida do Infanta to the Avenida do Mar along the water. It is at a higher level than the seafront, so also provides some lovely views to the Atlantic.