Funchal

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Funchal is the capital city of Madeira, the largest island of the Atlantic archipelago with the same name, officially discovered in the 15th century by the Portuguese.

Throughout its 600-year-old history, the town developed and spread around a beautiful amphitheater-like bay. Once famous for its sugar and Madeira wine trade, Funchal became an administrative, cultural, and commercial center as early as the 16th century. It is now a worldwide renowned top tourist destination, offering a mix of cosmopolitan life and Nature tourism.

Atractions of Madeira

Besides an Official Calendar of Tourist Events⧉ for 2025 and 2026, there are countless other attractions in Madeira:

Architecture, history, and culture. Monuments, century-old buildings, museums, forts, art exhibitions, classical and popular music festivals, folklore, gastronomy see here

The sea. swimming in clear warm waters or in natural rockpools, diving, surfing, boat trips to the Desertas islands – a nature reserve, home to protected species such as the monk seal – and along the south coast of Madeira see here

Levada walking. A network of water channels covering most of the island, levadas were essential for agriculture and settlement and now offer possibilities for hiking through mountainous landscapes, cut by deep valleys and imposing views see here

Laurissilva Forest, UNESCO’s Natural World Heritage site. A humid forest of the Tertiary age, considered a living fossil and rich in biodiversity, it is home to endemic protected animal and plant species and offers magical sights. see here and here

Sports and outdoor activities. Trail running, mountain biking, canyoning, trekking, bird watching, golf, paragliding see here

Porto Santo island. Reached by ferry – see here, this smaller neighboring island is famous for the beauty and medicinal properties of its golden sandy beach, spreading for 9 km along the south coast.

The island is 22 km wide and 57 km long, at its widest and longest points, corresponding to an area of 741 km2. However, don’t be deceived by the island’s apparent small size, as the rugged terrain, with high mountains and deep valleys and slopes, may make up for long, winding routes and bus trips.

Distance of Madeira from the African coast: 700 km
Distance of Madeira from Lisbon: 978 km

Usefull information

Airport
Aeroporto da Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo⧉
The airport is located in the town of Santa Cruz, a 20-minute drive from Funchal.
Transportation to and from the airport⧉

Public Transport
There is a public transport network, provided by buses from different companies and covering different areas.
Company: Horários do Funchal⧉, for urban and suburban routes (Funchal and the east part of the island)
Company: Rodoeste⧉ for the western part of the island.

Accommodation
With a century-old tradition in tourism, Madeira has very high standards in terms of hotel quality. Hotels of different types and price ranges are complemented by other types of accommodation (available on platforms such as Airbnb or Booking.com), providing a wide choice of possibilities in different locations. Bookings should be made as soon as possible, taking into account the high rate of occupancy throughout the whole year.

Here are some suggestions for hotels:
Funchal:
Barcelo Funchal Old Town⧉
Hotel Windsor⧉

Câmara de Lobos
Quinta da Saraiva⧉
Pestana Churchill Bay⧉

Santa Cruz
Vila Galé Santa Cruz⧉
Sentido Galosol⧉

Ponta do Sol
Estalagem da Ponta do Sol⧉

Suggestions for extra-activities in Madeira

Our courses at this location

Courses in Funchal

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