3rd day: Funchal and Monte

The third day will take you to the heart of Madeira, the capital city Funchal, where historical monuments meet modern life.

Funchal has a small city center. You can visit the Sé Cathedral, farmers market Mercado dos Lavradores (try and resist buying the produce here, it is overpriced and often not as fresh as it seems, so be careful), Funchal marina where you might be lucky enough to see a replica of Christopher Columbus’ ship (you can go on a ride too) and the cable car Teleférico Funchal-Monte. It is worth exploring the old town, especially Rua Santa Maria where you’ll find beautifully pained doors and smaller stores showcasing some local art. There’s a cafe on every corner so check the menu to compare the prices first.

The cable car Teleférico Funchal-Monte will take you to the Monte hill. The journey is around 3,200 meter from the center of Funchal and offers beautiful views of the city.

While in Monte, you can visit the beautiful Tropical Gardens Monte Palace, and the old church where the last Czech king Charles V rests.

Monte is also where you can enjoy the Madeira Toboggan Ride on traditional wicker basket.

If you want to make the most of your stay, there’s another cable car nearby that will take you straight to Madeira Botanical Garden that houses more than 2000 exotic plants from all continents, some of which are endangered in their places of origin.

From Monte, you can either take the Toboggan Ride down the hill and then continue in a taxi or walk to Funchal city center, or you can also go back on the cable car.

If you took your car to Funchal, you can choose to end the day at the Cabo Girão Viewpoint, where you will find a stunning glass terrace with amazing views of the ocean and coastline. You can also stop here tomorrow as you explore the north-west of the island.

There are many historical and cultural monuments in Funchal, so we recommend comfortable shoes for walking around the city.

The weather in the capital tends to be warmer, so if you’re staying outside of Funchal remember to wear something comfortable.

There are plenty of bars, cafés and restaurants everywhere, so there is no shortage of refreshments either.

Cable car Teleférico Funchal-Monte – A return ticket costs €16, a one-way ticket costs €11.

There is a fee to enter Cabo Girão and it will cost you €2 per adult. Children under 12 are free. The viewpoint is open between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.