One day in Funchal

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Visitors with a single day in Funchal usually ask whether to see the city or the island. With one day, the city wins: it holds the market, the old town, the cathedral, Monte and the sea within a short radius, and a day out on the island spends a large part of its hours in a car.

A good city day runs like this. The morning at the Mercado dos Lavradores and on Rua de Santa Maria in the old town. The cable car to Monte before noon, with the church and a garden, and the toboggan down. The afternoon at the Sé and along Avenida Arriaga. And the evening on the bay, with a sunset sail or dinner in the old town.

For those who have seen the city before, or who came for the mountains, the second half covers one day out on the island instead: the peaks, the west or the east.

Morning: the market and the old town

The common mistake is to start at Monte and see the market after it has closed. The market is a morning sight.

Start at the Mercado dos Lavradores, opened in 1940, between 08:00 and 09:00. It opens Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 19:00 and on Saturday from 07:00 to 14:00, and closes on Sundays and public holidays. The fish hall, the fruit and the flowers are its sights.

From the market, walk east into the Zona Velha, the old town, and along Rua de Santa Maria, a narrow cobbled street of old merchant houses, restaurants and bars, where about 200 doors have been painted by artists. At the end of the street, the Socorro viewpoint looks out over the sea, and the yellow Forte de São Tiago stands above the sea pools.

Allow two hours for the market and the old town together, with a stop for coffee. The lower station of the cable car to Monte is in the old town, so the next step is a few minutes away.

The cable car climbs 3,200 m from the old town to Monte in about 15 minutes.

Late morning: Monte

People often leave Monte for the afternoon and run into the cable car's last boarding. Go before noon.

Take the Funchal-Monte cable car from the old town, €16 one way or €22 return; it runs daily from 09:00, with the last boarding at 17:45. At the top, visit the church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, where Emperor Karl I of Austria, who died in exile in Monte in 1922, is buried.

Then choose a garden. The Monte Palace Tropical Garden, 70,000 m² near the cable car station, costs €18 for an adult, with children up to 14 free with an adult. Or take the second cable car to the Madeira Botanical Garden, €11 one way, and the garden itself for €10 for visitors over 12.

Have lunch in Monte: Pátio das Babosas, at the cable car station, is rated 4.6 from 2,652 reviews. Then take the toboggan down, about 2 km to Livramento in about 10 minutes, €30 for one, €40 for two or €60 for three, and a taxi or bus back to the centre.

The market runs from the morning and the fish hall is busiest early.

Afternoon: the cathedral and the centre

The mistake is to skip the centre because it looks like any city. The cathedral alone is worth the stop.

Back in the centre, visit the Sé, inaugurated in 1514, free to enter, with a Gothic portal of stone from Cabo Girão and a Mudéjar ceiling of island cedar, considered one of the most beautiful in Portugal. On a weekday, its tower is a paid visit, from 14:00 to 17:00 in the afternoon.

Walk up to Praça do Município, the town square, and the Sacred Art Museum, with its Flemish paintings, then along Avenida Arriaga and through the Municipal Garden. If you prefer the sea to museums, walk west along the waterfront past the marina to the Santa Catarina Park, with its views over the bay.

This part of the day is on foot, and it is flexible: cut it short if the morning ran long.

Evening: the bay

People often end the day tired in the hotel. The evening belongs to the sea.

For the sea, a sunset sail from Funchal lasts about three hours, and the most reviewed has more than 2,000 reviews. For dinner, go back to the old town, where there are 96 restaurants within 450 m of Rua de Santa Maria: A Bica, Taberna Madeira and the Taberna Ruel are among the most reviewed.

For the island's dishes, espetada, beef on a laurel skewer, bolo do caco, the garlic-butter flatbread, and black scabbardfish with banana are the ones to look for, with a glass of Madeira wine or a poncha, cane spirit with honey and lemon.

If the day falls in June, the Atlantic Festival's fireworks over the bay on a Saturday night end it in style; in early July, the jazz festival's free concerts in the Municipal Garden do the same.

Or one day out on the island

Visitors who have seen the city, or who came for the landscapes, often want one day beyond it. Pick one direction, not three.

For the peaks, walk PR1 from Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo, 6.1 km one way in about 3 hours, with a transfer at both ends; the full ticket costs €10.50 on the SIMplifica portal. Pico do Areeiro is about 30 minutes from Funchal by road. For the west, a day tour takes in Porto Moniz, 56 minutes away, with its sea pools, and the Fanal forest. For the east, a tour covers Pico do Areeiro, Santana, 44 minutes away, and the Laurisilva.

For a levada, the Levada dos Tornos from Palheiro to Monte is only 8 minutes above the city, 4 km in 3 to 4 hours with lunch, and it ends at the top of the cable car, which brings the city back into the day.

The days that change the plan

The mistake is to build a city day around a Sunday. Several of the centre's sights close.

On Sundays and public holidays, the market is closed, the cathedral is closed to visits and the CR7 Museum shuts. On a Sunday, swap the morning: Monte first, then the old town and the seafront, which are always open, and keep the centre for another day.

On a Saturday, the market closes at 14:00, so go early. On 25 December, the city buses do not run and the Botanical Garden cable car stops.

The weather in Funchal rarely rules out a city day: rain comes in spells, and the sea and the centre work in most months. For a day in the mountains, it matters more: check the forecast and the IFCN notices, and keep the city plan as the fallback.

Getting around the day

People often plan taxis for every step. In a city day, most of it is on foot.

The market, the old town and the cable car station are next to each other. The cable car does the climb to Monte, and the toboggan and a taxi or bus bring you down. The cathedral, the town square and Avenida Arriaga are a short walk from the seafront. City buses cost €1.45 on a pre-paid GIRO card or €2.05 on board, and a day ticket starts at €4.95.

For a day out on the island, a tour or a transfer saves the driving, and the Aerobus or a taxi covers the airport, 18.6 km away.

For more time, see two days in Funchal. The cable car's site has the current prices, and the Visit Funchal page on the Sé the cathedral's details.

Common questions

What should I do with one day in Funchal?

The market and the old town in the morning, Monte by cable car and toboggan at midday, the cathedral in the afternoon, and the bay in the evening.

Should I leave Funchal on a one-day visit?

Only if you have seen the city or came for the mountains. Pick one direction: the peaks, the west or the east.

What closes on Sundays?

The market, cathedral visits and the CR7 Museum. Monte, the old town and the seafront stay open.

How much is the cable car to Monte?

€16 one way and €22 return, daily from 09:00, with the last boarding at 17:45.