Europe / Portugal
Places to go. A little room to wander.
THE SHORTLIST
Avenida Zarco
Half fortress and half palace, this construction is a good example of mannerist architecture. Highlights include the Noble Salon (Salão Nobre), the Green Room (Sala Verde), the Audience Hall (Sala de Audiências), and the gardens.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Funchal
The central point in Funchal, and its most-visited monument. Commissioned by the king Dom Manuel I through Portuguese explorer Gil Eanes, the cathedral was built between 1493 and 1517. The ceiling is made from local wood.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Rua Brigadeiro Oudinot, Down Town (Zona Velha)
This historic building, with an open patio, offers, on two levels, fresh fruits and vegetables from all over the island. On the lower level is a separate hall where fish vendors sell fresh-caught fish. Eat and buy local fruits like the small Madeiran mangos, bananas, philodendres and plenty of kinds of maracujas. Taste the offers from vendors.
Allow about 90 minutes · planning estimate
Caminho Meio Quinta do Bom Sucesso
The more than 2000 plants of these hillside gardens, plus the view of Funchal make this one of the major attractions of the whole island. The gardens also feature a collection of parakeets and parrots.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
São Gonçalo, Palheiro
The Quinta do Palheiro Ferreiro Park is a typical example of a manor in British colonial style. While the manor is private and can't be visited, you can enjoy the public park. On first sight it looks like an English park, with old Platanes forming a long alley from the main gate to the gardens. But when you look closer you see all the tropical plants that build the basis, completed by hundreds of plants from all over the world, so all year round there are plants blooming.
Allow about 60 minutes · planning estimate
A note before you go. Start with São Lourenço Palace, then decide whether Sé Cathedral deserves a separate visit rather than rushing both. The suggested days are an editable grouping, not a timed tour. Visit allowances exclude transfers, meals and queues; confirm the exact entrance and current visiting arrangements for Quinta do Palheiro Ferreiro Park before setting off.
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. Suggested days and time allowances are editorial starting points. Check the linked visitor information for opening hours, access, and reservations.
BEFORE YOU SET OFF
The city centre is small enough to explore on foot. Orange city buses can take you around and up to Monte (lines 20, 21). Most city buses start from the waterfront area. If you are lucky, you can acquire a bus timetable for the local and regional buses starting in Funchal at the tourist information office. Timetables and a map are also available.
São Lourenço Palace and Sé Cathedral are about 0.2 km apart in a straight line. Use the route link to compare the actual streets or transport connections before putting both in the same morning; the measurement is not a walking distance or a transfer estimate.
A LITTLE STRUCTURE. ROOM FOR DISCOVERY.
Add a few stops, choose your days, and leave space between them.
Time estimates cover visits only. Add time for meals, travel, queues, and breaks. Map links open Google Maps with your selected stops.
Save personal booking references elsewhere. Clearing browser storage removes your plans; download a copy to keep.
This city guide includes selected, abridged material by Wikivoyage contributors, adapted under CC BY-SA 4.0. The adapted guide text is available under the same license; photographs and website design retain their separate terms. Selected and abridged reference descriptions; operational prices and timetables omitted. Elsewhere added the shortlist, geographic grouping and planning notes.
Reference material retrieved 2026-10-19. It is community-edited background, not firsthand reporting or a live opening-hours service.
KEEP EXPLORING