Funchal, Portugal Revisited: New Sights, Restaurants & a Day Trip, Our Second Journey Travel Guide!

Welcome to Wild Meadow Studio’s Travel Blog, where we “Focus on the Journey” from first stages of planning to the last flight home and everything in-between! We’re excited to share our second Travel Guide on the lively and historical island city of Funchal, Portugal, which includes new sights, activities, restaurants, and a day trip. For more information on Funchal, checkout our other posts: “Top 10 Experiences in Funchal, Portugal”, “How to get the most out of your 2-Day Visit to Funchal, Portugal (Including Itinerary)” and “Tips & Recommendations, Helping You Create Your Own Perfect Journey to Funchal, Portugal”. & “Travel Guide & Itinerary for Porto Santo, Portugal”.

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Table of contents:

1. 4 Additional Fun Things to do in Funchal.
2. A great Day Trip to Porto Santo by Ferry.
3. Some New Tips & Recommendations, Including Restaurants.
4. Let’s Map it Out, a Quick 1-day Itinerary.
5. Our Fav Photo from our Second Time Around.
6. References
7. The Wrap up

1. 4 Additional Fun Things to do in Funchal:

1. Wine Tasting at Blandy’s Wine Lodge:

Located at Avenida Arriaga 28, open Monday to Friday 10:00am to 6:30pm, Saturdays 10:00am to 6:00pm and Sundays 10:00am to 1:00pm and 2:00pm to 6:00pm. The lodge itself is very interesting and historical. It is set in a 17^th century Franciscan Friary, which the Blandy family acquired in 1840. This winery is a 7^th generation family-owned business started by John Blandy along with his brothers in 1811. Here you can book a lodge tour, vineyard tour, or a table at the 1811 Bistro & Wine Bar for lunch or dinner where they pair your food with their wine. Or drop in for a wine tasting, no booking needed. The wine tasting is in their Max Römer Tasting room, named for the German artist who painted beautiful murals on the walls in this room, depicting the history of Madeira wine making. We really enjoyed our time here. You can also check out their wine shop or book your accommodations in one of their 4 self-catered holiday apartments.

2. Visit City Hall’s Courtyard (Camara Municipal do Funchal):

Located at Praca do Municipio, (which is also a beautiful square) and open from 9:00am to 5:30pm Monday to Friday. You may still be able to walk through into the courtyard, during off hours, but safer to go during posted opening hours. We missed this the first time around and were glad to see it on our second trip. This is a beautiful courtyard with a pretty fountain, benches, large staircase with arches on the second story, flowers, and amazing tilework. Well worth a walk through and some photos. Check out Rua dos Ferreiros, the street south of the Municipal building, one you will walk up when following our I-day Itinerary with map, below. It has colourful buildings and amazing stonework on the road. There is another government building at the corner of Avenida Zarco and Rua do Aljube, open 9:00am to 5:00pm Monday to Friday, that has an interesting courtyard. They have more beautiful tilework, arches, a fountain with turtles and tiled ceilings in the entry points. An additional photogenic spot.

3. Enjoy Live Music at the Flamingo Cocktail Bar:

Located at Rua do Sabao 53, inside the Sé Boutique Hotel. We had a great time here on their rooftop terrace cocktail bar. Sundays are jazz night and Wednesdays are a Fado Night Experience both are 7:00pm to 9:00pm and entry is free. We arrived at about 6:45pm for the 7:00pm Jazz show, wasn’t very busy, so got great seats, but was in April, so might be different in the summer. The views are amazing over the town and ocean, then have an extensive cocktail menu and Asian inspired food. Highly recommend trying one of these nights.

4. Early Morning Photos on Rua Santa Maria:

Rua Santa Maria is located in the Zona Velha area (old town). We did explore this area on our last visit, but started off at the Mercado dos Lavradores, so this time we wanted to start here and make it early. This is definitely one of our favourite streets in the city, with, the history, architecture, and of course the artwork on almost every door on the street, always something interesting to look at. Which is why we are suggesting arriving early with your camera (or phone), so you can experience this street without the hustle and bustle of the day and take some fun photos. Start at the west end of the street and walk all the way up to the Miradouro da Rua de Santa Maria, stopping along the way to explore the side streets. Great photo ops all around.

2. A Great Day Trip to Porto Santo by Ferry:

Porto Santo makes a great day trip from Funchal, it’s an easy process if you go to one of the ferry offices to get your tickets and opt in for the guided tour, (more about that below in our tips and recommendations section). It’s a 2.5 hour trip each way, typically you arrive in Porto Santo at 10:30am and leave for your return trip at 6:00pm, giving you about 7:00 hours to explore this beach destination. The guided tour we took was about 2 hours, then we were dropped off in the main town to explore, have lunch and walk the beach, it wasn’t busy when we were there, as it was April, but was still warm enough to enjoy the beach. If you’re there in the summer months, it gets quite busy, we were told on our tour, that there is typically a population of about 5,000, but in the summer months that grows to about 25,000, vacation goes or people who have summer homes on the island. For things to do and a 1-day itinerary, check out our post “Travel Guide & Itinerary for Porto Santo, Portugal”.

3. Some New Tips & Recommendations, including Restaurants:

1. Booking the Ferry to Porto Santo: The ticket office is located at Estrada Monumental 175C, (in the hotel district) it’s open from 9:00am to 8:00pm every day. This is the one we went too, you can also check out the one at the ferry terminal at Cais do Funchal open Monday to Friday 9:00am to 12:30pm and 2:30pm to 6:00pm, closed on the weekends. You can also book online, but we preferred to do it in person and were glad we did, as we were given to option for a guided tour in Porto Santo, for an extra 30 euros each, making it approx. 95 euros each, which included a shuttle pick up at a Porto Santo Line bus stop across the street from our hotel, we were dropped off right at the entrance to the ship, the 2.5 hour ferry ride, with amazing views, we were pick up by our guide at the Porto Santo ferry terminal upon arrival, then had a two hour tour of the island, were taken to a small botanical garden, (price included) and dropped off in the middle of the main town, then picked up at the same place and taken back to the terminal for our return trip, and once we arrived in Funchal, we were pick up by our shuttle and brought back to our stop near our hotel. Well worth the cost. A great day all in all.

2. Tourist office: One very helpful thing to do when you first get to any city is to check out their Tourism Office. If you’re staying in a hotel, they often have a rack with lots of brochures and tourism books and maps, which is great and this might be all you need, but if you’re staying in a vacation home, they might not have as much information available, so locating your nearest tourism office is always a good idea. They can provide city maps, brochures on things to do, have information on tours and answer any questions you might have, making your stay more enjoyable. In Funchal there is a Tourist office at Avenida Arriaga 16, (near Blandy’s Wine Lodge) they are open, Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 7:00pm and on the weekends 9:00am to 3:30pm. If you’re going to explore the Island while you’re here, they can also provide information for that. Check them out at visitmadeira.com.

3. Start your off Day Early: Start your day off early, this will always be our suggestion! When we say early, we’re talking 6:30/7:00am, but we know that’s not for everyone, so just get started as early as you can and always keep in mind open/closing hours and open/closing days for the attractions that you really want to see. If there is something you really want a photo of without people in the shot,start there! For more information on the advantages of getting up early, check out our post “Three Significant Reasons to Get Up Early, while Travelling”.

4. Speaking the Language: For some people speaking different languages comes easy and for some, it does not, I’m the latter. Although it’s not easy, we always make an effort to learn at least the pleasantries when we’re travelling. It’s one of our many favourite things to do! We also carry a language pocketbook with us, and we have google translate on our phones! We also like the free language app, Duolingo for some fun!

5. Some New Restaurants we Enjoyed:

In Funchal:

1. Sé Dourada: Located at rua Dr. Jose Antonio de Almeida 13-17, open from 11:00am to 11:00pm. On a pretty tree lined street near the Sé Cathedral. Has great traditional fare, seafood, and cocktails. Most restaurants we went too offered bolo do caco, (a staple traditional bread) which we took advantage of every time, it’s delicious. We also had delicious berry gin & tonics here. This area has quite a few restaurants, so we tried a few of them, as we liked the area.

2. Apolo: Located at Rua dos Murcas 15. Open 8:00am to 11:00pm every day. In the same area as the Sé Dourada, a pretty area with lots of restaurants with indoor and outdoor seating, we had the espetadas here and really enjoyed them.

3. Café do Teatre: Located at Avenida Arriaga, near the municipal garden. Open 8:00am to 12:00am Monday to Friday and 9:00am to 12:00am on the weekends. They serve traditional fare, seafood and pizza, with an interesting interior. We had a nice lunch here while exploring.

4. Flamingo Cocktail Bar: Located at Travessa do Cabido 17, inside the Sé Boutique Hotel. They have an Asian inspired menu and are known for great cocktails. Every Sunday evening from 7:00pm to 9:00pm they have their Jazz Sessions, great to listen to with a drink and on Wednesdays from 7:00pm to 9:00pm they have a Fado Night Experience, great to enjoy while having dinner and a drink. Both nights have free entry. There are great views of the city and the ocean.

In the Hotel District:

5. Borracheiros Bar: Located at Estrada Monumental 183-C, open 10:30am to 1:00am every day. Good menu including meats, seafood, bolo do caco sandwiches and delicious dessert.

6. Madeira Flavours Restaurante: Located at Estrada Monumental 188, open Monday to Saturday 12:00pm to 10:00pm and Sunday 5:00pm to 10:00pm. This is a family run business; we’ve eaten at multiple times and have always enjoyed ourselves. They offer seafood, pastas, and more, great service, we’ll be back.

7. Casa das Espetadas: Located at Estrada Monumental 175-177, open 3:00pm to 11:00pm Fri-Tue. Serving traditional foods from Madeira, this place is on our previous list, but we added it again as this is one of our favourites. You chose your meat or veggie for the skewer (Espetadas) then you also get a starter, Fried Cornmeal, chips, salad, and dessert at a reasonable price. They have indoor or outdoor seating, (the outdoor area has picnic tables with a replica of the A-frame Thatched roof house typical of Madeira). A must try but reservations are suggested.

8. Hole in One Pub: Located at Estrada Monumental 238A, open 11:00am to 2:00am. They serve good pub food and have a large selection of beer, have indoor or outdoor seating on their large patio. Kind of quirky, but fun with live music.

9.Gelateria Bar San Giorgio: Located at Estrada Monumental 143, (part of the Reid’s Palace Hotel). Open from 1:00pm to 11:00pm every day. It was conveniently close to where we were staying, so, we frequented this place quite a few times, received great service and really enjoyed it, highly recommend stopping by for a delicious scoop. This is the second location for this Gelateria, there first location has been in Portofino, Italy for over 100 years.

In Porto Santo:

10. Mercado Velho (Porto Santo): Located at Rua Joao Goncalves Zarco 9400, open Monday to Thursday 10:00am to 12:00am, Friday & Saturday 10:00am to 1:00am and closed on Sunday. This is an authentic Portuguese restaurant right in Vila Baleira, (their main town). We had great Bolo do Caco sandwiches, chips and drinks, was a fun experience and recommend by our tour guide.

4. Let’s Map it out, a Quick 1-day Itinerary:

The total distance of your walk today is 2.5kms and about 40mins of walking. If you start by approx. 7:30am/8:00am you should be able to see everything at a leisurely, relaxing pace by midafternoon, giving you time for a rest before you go to the Flamingo Cocktail bar for the Jazz or Fado show.

Day 1: Beautiful Funchal! Start your day at #1. The west side of Rua de Santa Maria and walk east, enjoy all of the lively artwork on the doors along the street. Explore the side streets too, take your time to photograph this historical Zona Velha area. Walk up to the Miradouro da Rua Santa Maria and take in the ocean views at this pretty lookout. Once ready to move on, head back to where you started (exploring a few different side streets on your way back) and turn right towards the Mercado dos Lavradores. This is the largest and most popular market in Funchal, if you haven’t been, it’s worth a walk through, this is one of our stops on our post “How to get the most out of your 2-day visit to Funchal, Portugal (Including Itinerary)”. *Please note that vendors here are known for overcharging tourists for their products*. Just wandering around and looking at the produce and the art deco building itself is worth a look. Once done here, head over the river and follow the map to Rua dos Ferreiros, this pretty street is colourful and has great stonework on the road. If you’re getting hungry there is a bakery called Nata 7 at Rua do Ferreiros 69 that serves great Pastel de Nata and coffee (opens at 9:00am) or try Ohmydough for sweet treats and coffee, just off this street on Rua da Queimada de Cima. (opens at 10:00am).

At the end of this street, you get to our #2. The City Hall Courtyard (opens at 9:00am). Try to get here as close to opening as you can, as walking tour groups come through here mid-morning. One of the many things I love about Portugal is their tile work! This courtyard and entrance did not disappoint. Beautiful blue and white tilework, architecture, large wooden doors, impressive stonework on the ground, pretty flowers, and the fountain with the statue of “Leda and the Swan”. Enjoy your time and photo taking here! Once done, walk through Praca do Municipio, more great stonework, fountain, and surrounding buildings. Continue down Rua Camara Pestana to Aveinda Zarco and turn left. This is a pretty tree lined street, once you reach the corner of Rua do Aljube, you’ll see another government building, take a few minutes to check out their courtyard, another pretty one with unique tilework, architecture, and fountain. From here if you’re getting hungry there are a lot of restaurants in the area (as shown on map, 2 of the ones above, Apolo, and Se Dourada are here), but there many to choose from. 

After lunch head back down the street to our #3. Blandy’s. Here you can wander around their wine shop, and courtyard, then head to their tasting room. Spend a few mins looking at the beautiful murals, depicting the history of wine making in Madeira (painted by Max Römer a famous Germany painter). Then there will be someone to help you choose your Madeira wine for tasting.

Once finished your wine tasting head south and along the water. Depending on the timing you could head back to your accommodations for a rest, swim, shower and change, then back into the middle of town. Head up through the pretty Praca de Colombo (square) and to the Se Boutique hotel, where our #4. Flamingo Cocktail Bar is located. If you’re here on a Sunday (Jazz night) or Wednesday (Fado Night) that would be best, but if it doesn’t work out, you can still come here for dinner, drinks and the view. If you’re coming for one of the shows they start at 7:00pm.

5. Our Fav Photo from our Second Time Around:

From our second visit to Funchal, we did a little more exploring and came across this beautiful courtyard located inside the city hall, we were pretty excited about our new find as it is so pretty and relaxing. One of the things we love most about Portugal is their tile work, so this was a treat. Between the architecture, fountain with the statue, flowers, and stonework on the ground, we took a lot of photos in this small courtyard. But we need to choose our favourite, so this is it. We really liked this one because you can see a little of everything going on here, the contrast between the stonework, tiles and white walls, the history and pop of colour with the flowers. The only edits we did here were to lighten it, just a little and we cropped it a tad on the right to even out each side. Do you have a favourite photo from this beautiful seaside city? Send us an email!

6. References:

All this information, research and suggestions came from our own experiences we had while revisiting this interesting and lively seaside city.  As well, we spent countless hours reading and rereading travel books, like DK Eyewitness Travel, Top 10 Madeira and DK Eyewitness Travel Portugal, and the Lonely Planet Portuguese Phrasebook and Dictionary. We also read multiple Travel blogs and Madeira tourism websites like, VisitMadeira.com or VisitFunchal.com

7. The Wrap up:

 We hope you enjoy this special water-front city as much as we do, there is a lot to experience and enjoy here. We have added links to some of the new places, and restaurants, so that you can check them out and see what piques your interest. If you have any questions, ask away. Feel free to comment, give advice, join our mailing list, follow, like, pin, share with friends, anything goes. Let’s talk Travel!

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Thank you,

Beth de Verteuil

From, Wild Meadow Studio

Where we help you, Focus on the Journey,

www.wildmeadowstudio.com