Best Tourist Places to Visit in Funchal, Portugal, Europe

Best Tourist Places to Visit in Funchal, Portugal, Europe

Funchal is the capital and largest city of Madeira, an autonomous region in Portugal. It is situated on the Madeira Island in the Atlantic Ocean, southwest of the mainland Portugal. Funchal is a renowned tourist location holding dozens of high class hotels.

Geography of Funchal:

Funchal coordinates with 32°39′ N latitude and 16°55′ W longitude, covering an area of 76.15 sq. km. It experiences a subtropical climate with cooler season from October to March and warmer season from April to September.

History of Funchal:

The name of Funchal is a modified form of the Portuguese word funcho which means ‘fennel’. The history of Funchal dates back to 1424 when it was originally founded as a village, received town status in 1452 and municipal rights in 1508.

Connectivity to Funchal:

There is an airport near Funchal, in the Santa Cruz municipality, around 20 km away from the heart of Funchal. The Madeira Airport or Funchal Airport is served by Thomson Airways, TAP Portugal, Jet2.com and many other eminent airlines with scheduled flights from and to Glasgow, Manchester, Nottingham, Caracas, Lisbon and other prime global destinations.

Buses are frequent between Funchal and the airport and in addition, taxis and rental cars also useful for airport travel.

Culture, Food and Shopping in Funchal:

Funchal houses lines of historical as well as modern churches and is also home to many cultural centres depicting the culture of the island.

Funchal is very much popular for its wine and other famous items include flowers and fruits.

Some nice food corners in Funchal with traditional and international menu include:

Doca do Cavacas
Xôpana Restaurant
Il Basilico
Il Gallo D´Oro

Things to do in Funchal:

Madeira Paragliding Adventures
Daniel Madeira Taxis Tours and Walks
Madeira Happy Tours
Wicker Toboggan Sled Ride

Places of interest in Funchal:

Cathedral of Funchal:

The Cathedral of Funchal or the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption is a late fifteenth-century cathedral, designed in the Gothic style of architecture and Our Lady of the Assumption is the patron of this historical cathedral.

Funchal Baptist Church:

Constructed in the year 1976, the Funchal Baptist Church is situated at Rua Silvestre Quintino de Freitas in Funchal and its services are in both English (morning) and Portuguese (evening).

Laurel Forest:

Situated in the heart of Madeira Island, the Laurel forest features mild temperature housing abundance of native and exotic tree species. Taking guided tours will be ideal for exploring this UNESCO Natural Site.

Other places of interest in Funchal include:

Ponta de Sao Lourenco
Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Quinta do Riacho
Pico do Arieiro
Monte Cable Car
Palheiro Golf
Cabo Girao
Santa Catarina Park
Palheiro Gardens
Presidential Palace Garden
Frederico de Freitas Museum
Pregetter’s Orchid Garden
Botanical Gardens Madeira
Santa Clara Monastery
Jardim de Sao Francisco

Best time to visit Funchal:

From April to September is the best time to visit Funchal for sightseeing and beach exploration.

Accommodation options in Funchal:

Funchal is a colorful city offering dozens of well facilitated hotels for tourists coming to this place year round. Price for hotel rooms depends on the facilities and services provided by such hotels and generally mid range hotels charge around 35€ per night. List of the nice hotels in Funchal includes: