Funchal itinerary: 1 to 2 days
Plans for one and two days in Funchal, day by day: Monte with its church and the Monte Palace Tropical Garden, the Madeira Botanical Garden, Rua de Santa Maria in the old town, the Fort of São Tiago, the market and the cathedral, then Cabo Girão, Museu CR7, Santa Catarina Park, the Santa Clara convent and Quinta da Boa Vista. Every stop has a typical visit length.
How long do you have?
Map: 2 days
Funchal in 1 day
Day 1
Church of Our Lady of the Mount
Church at Monte with a twin-towered white front and the tomb of Karl, the last Austrian emperor.
Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Large hillside garden in Monte with exotic plants, lakes, Portuguese tile panels and a museum of minerals and sculpture.
Madeira Botanical Garden
Terraced garden on a former estate with plants from around the world and views down to the bay.
Rua de Santa Maria (Zona Velha)
Oldest street of Funchal's old town, known for its painted doors and the many small restaurants along it.
Fort of São Tiago
Yellow-walled 17th-century fort on the seafront at the edge of the old town, built against pirates.
Mercado dos Lavradores
Funchal's 1940 market hall, with tiled panels, flower sellers, tropical fruit stalls and a fish hall.
Cathedral of Funchal Must see
The cathedral built around 1500, with a carved cedar ceiling and a gilded altarpiece.
Sacred Art Museum of Funchal
Museum in the old bishop's palace with Flemish paintings bought with Madeira's sugar wealth.
Funchal in 2 days
Day 1
Cabo Girão Must see
One of Europe's highest sea cliffs, west of Funchal, with a glass-floored skywalk over the drop.
Museu CR7
Museum of Cristiano Ronaldo's trophies and awards on the waterfront of his home city.
Santa Catarina Park
Large park above the harbour with lawns, a lake, a small chapel and views over the bay.
Cathedral of Funchal Must see
The cathedral built around 1500, with a carved cedar ceiling and a gilded altarpiece.
Convent of Santa Clara
Convent of Poor Clares founded in the late 15th century, with tiled walls and a church.
Igreja de São João Evangelista
Baroque Jesuit church of the College of Funchal, with gilded woodwork and tiles, on the main square.
Sacred Art Museum of Funchal
Museum in the old bishop's palace with Flemish paintings bought with Madeira's sugar wealth.
Mercado dos Lavradores
Funchal's 1940 market hall, with tiled panels, flower sellers, tropical fruit stalls and a fish hall.
Fort of São Tiago
Yellow-walled 17th-century fort on the seafront at the edge of the old town, built against pirates.
Day 2
Rua de Santa Maria (Zona Velha)
Oldest street of Funchal's old town, known for its painted doors and the many small restaurants along it.
Church of Our Lady of the Mount
Church at Monte with a twin-towered white front and the tomb of Karl, the last Austrian emperor.
Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Large hillside garden in Monte with exotic plants, lakes, Portuguese tile panels and a museum of minerals and sculpture.
Madeira Botanical Garden
Terraced garden on a former estate with plants from around the world and views down to the bay.
Quinta da Boa Vista
Historic estate with an orchid garden and nursery on the hillside overlooking Funchal.
Watch: Funchal
A one-minute look at the plan: every stop, day by day, with the map.
When to go to Funchal
Funchal is mild all year, so any season works, with spring the best for flowers. Summer is warm and dry, and winter brings more rain but rarely cold. The Flower Festival in spring and the New Year's Eve fireworks over the bay are the biggest events.
Plan the rest of your trip
- Where to stay: hotels in Funchal on Booking.com or Trip.com
- Skip-the-line tickets: museums and sights in Funchal on Tiqets
- Tours and day trips: things to do in Funchal on GetYourGuide or on Viator
- From the airport: a private transfer in Funchal with Kiwitaxi
- Data on arrival: an eSIM for Portugal from Airalo
- Last day: leave your bags in Funchal with Radical Storage and keep sightseeing
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Tips for Funchal
- The cable car from the seafront takes you up to Monte; from there a second cable car links to the Botanical Garden.
- The wicker toboggan ride down from Monte is a Funchal tradition; it ends partway down, so plan a taxi onwards.
- Go to the Mercado dos Lavradores in the morning, when the fish hall and fruit stalls are at their busiest.
- Funchal is steep; wear good shoes and use taxis or buses for the hills.
- Cabo Girão's glass skywalk is west of the city; go on a clear day, as clouds often cover the cliff tops.
Make it your own
Open the guide in Andiamo Places to see every stop on a map with walking directions, move places between days, check opening hours for your dates, and add your own finds. After the trip, your photos become a journal and, if you like, a printed photo book.
Guides are made with the help of AI and public sources such as Wikipedia, and may contain errors. Opening hours and prices change, so check before you go. Spotted a wrong photo, a pin in the wrong place, a missing stop or a better one? Write to andiamotravelapp@gmail.com: the e-mail opens with this guide filled in.
Photo credits
- Cabo Girão: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Cathedral of Funchal: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Church of Our Lady of the Mount: Olbertz 21:33, 7. Dez. 2010 (CET), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Convent of Santa Clara: Diogo Correia, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Fort of São Tiago: Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Igreja de São João Evangelista: Dr. Thomas Liptak, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Madeira Botanical Garden: H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mercado dos Lavradores: Luke H. Gordon, CC BY 2.0
- Monte Palace Tropical Garden: Phil Webber from St Albans, UK, CC BY 2.0
- Museu CR7: Abby M., CC BY-SA 3.0
- Quinta da Boa Vista: Akerbeltzalba, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Rua de Santa Maria (Zona Velha): H. Zell, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Sacred Art Museum of Funchal: Mattes, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Santa Catarina Park: D-Stanley, CC BY 2.0
Opening hours change; check before you go. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
