Madeira - fun time in Funchal

We've just returned from a fun week in Funchal, Madeira.

We stayed at the Enotel in the Lido area of Funchal - the capital of Madeira.

Funchal gets its name from the fennel plant Funcho that was growing abundantly in the area when the Portuguese explorer, João Gonçalves Zarco, discovered it back in 1420 and was captivated by its natural beauty

We spent our first couple of days sightseeing the city - using the hop-on, hop-off Tour Bus, which at 12 euros for two days was a bargain

This really gave us a feel for what places we would want to explore in a bit more depth

Some of the views were stunning - like this one from Pico dos Barcelos

There was even a cable car

Rua Santa Maria, in Funchal Old Town was one where we spent a bit of time

“Arte de Portas Abertas” is a public art program that aims in transforming Funchal´s Old town into a permanent outdoor art gallery by displaying over 200 works of art, by guest artists, painted on the doors of Rua de Santa Maria.

The market - Mercado dos Lavradores - was another on our "must see" list

There is a huge variety of vegetables, exotic fruits and fish in a very picturesque setting near the Old Town.

There are two floors and a huge central courtyard, where vendors engage in a direct and personalized sale of day-to-day products

At the back section of the market, there is the fish market. Here we saw fish freshly caught from all over Madeira and brought here to sell

One of the most well known fish is the black scabbard fish with its huge eyes, razor sharp teeth and long eel like body. Its a deep sea fish that dies as it is brought up to the surface. Its white flesh is very tasty and is served all over Madeira grilled or fried with banana - a dish known as Espada. We had this quite a few times during our stay.

 

This park was another place on our "must-see" list



This public park has a huge variety of indigenous plants, an aviary with exotic birds ...

... there is also a Christopher Columbus Statue ...

... and a small lake with black swans - although the swans weren't there when we visited

For more photos of our hotels - Enotel and the Pestana (where we stayed on our "extra" day when our return flight was delayed) - see Our hotels