Funchal has a habit of making you extend your trip. You come for a couple of nights, you end up checking flights on day two. It’s colourful and calm in that effortless Madeira way, with the ocean always in the background, even when you’re just trying to find a coffee and remember what day it is.
Madeira is one of my favourite places in the world, and Funchal is a big part of that. It’s a brilliant base and an easy city to enjoy, but it has enough hills, queues, and small logistical traps to punish a vague plan. I’ve done the “we’ll just walk it” version. It was character-building, which is code for mildly irritating.
This is the guide I wish I’d had the first time. It covers the best things to do in Funchal, written in an order that makes your day easier, rather than turning it into a sweaty relay race between attractions.
If you’re building a bigger trip, here’s my Madeira itinerary for a week-long route.
How to do Funchal without the small annoyances
Funchal looks compact on a map. It is, but it’s also layered, with the city rising steeply from the waterfront. If you try to do it in a random order you’ll spend half the day walking uphill, and the other half claiming you’re fine.
The simple fix is to start high, then work your way down. Do Monte in the morning, then come back into town for the market, Old Town, wine, and an easy evening. It makes everything feel calmer.
A quick timing note if you’re visiting early 2026. The Madeira Cable Car (the one from Funchal to Monte) lists opening hours of 08:45 to 17:45 and adult tickets at €14.50 one-way or €20 return, with children 0 to 6 free and ages 7 to 14 half price. Their online tickets are shown as valid up to 31 December 2025, so if you’re travelling in 2026, just check the ticket page before you go and buy on the day if you’d rather not overthink it.
Also, Monte Palace itself notes that the cable car is temporarily closed for maintenance until 5 April 2026. If you’re travelling in that window, you can still do Monte easily, you’ll just be doing it by bus or taxi instead.
Start with Monte
If you’re wondering whether Monte is worth it, yes. It’s the bit of Funchal where you step off the cable car (or out of a taxi), feel the air cool down slightly, and immediately understand why everyone insists you go up the hill.
It’s quieter up there, greener, and a bit old-fashioned in a nice way. Think cobbles, little lanes, and a view back over the red roofs to the sea that makes the city look unreal. It is also relentlessly sloped, which is worth knowing before you announce you’re “just having a quick wander”.
Monte is also practical. You can stack the views, the gardens, and the toboggan ride into one loop, then drift back down into town for the easier, flatter parts of Funchal.
If you’re doing Monte properly, I’d allow half a day. The garden alone can take a couple of hours if you actually wander rather than march.
10 Things to do in Funchal
1) Monte Palace Tropical Garden
The garden covers around 70,000 square metres, and it’s designed to keep you wandering. There are koi ponds, small waterfalls, tiled panels, sculptures, and sections that change mood as you move through them. Some corners feel very Madeiran, some lean more towards an Oriental garden style, and none of it is trying to hurry you along. There are also peacocks roaming about, which sounds charming until one decides it owns the path you were about to take.
For the practical side, Monte Palace tickets are around €18 per adult. It’s open daily except 25 December usually from 9am-6pm give or take.
Monte is cooler than the waterfront, so a light layer is rarely a bad idea, even when it feels warm in town. Wear shoes you trust, because it’s cobbled in places and the entire site is on a slope. Monte Palace is quite honest about this, and it’s worth taking seriously if you’ve got anyone in your group who struggles with steep paths.
2) Getting to Monte, and whether to bother with the cable car
he cable car is one of the classic things to do in Funchal. It’s an easy win, big views, minimal effort, and it drops you at Monte where your morning plan begins.
If you love a view and you’re fine with heights, take it. You’re gliding over rooftops and gardens, and it feels like a very civilised way to deal with a hill.
If heights make you miserable, skip it. If the weather is doing something dramatic, skip it. If the queue is long enough to test your personality, skip it. Monte is still straightforward without the cable car. You can take buses 20, 21, 22, and 48 as routes up to Monte, and taxis are uncomplicated, particularly if you’re splitting the cost.
Side note – If you are travelling before 5 April 2026, plan on the bus or taxi anyway. Monte Palace lists the cable car as temporarily closed for maintenance until that date.
Top tip – book your ticket online to skip the queue!
3) The Monte toboggan ride
The toboggan ride is touristy. It’s also worth doing.
You sit in a wicker basket sledge while two drivers steer you downhill, which sounds implausible until you’re doing it at speed and laughing despite yourself. It’s not long, but it is memorable, and it’s one of those Funchal experiences people talk about like it’s completely normal.
As of writing it’s €27.50 for one person, €35 for two people, and €52.50 for three people. Running Monday to Saturday from 09:00 to 18:00, and tickets are bought on-site for the same day only. Note you may either have to queue for hours or for 10-20 minutes, it really depends on how well you’ve timed it against the tour buses.
This is the part that catches people out: you finish in Livramento, partway down the hill, not in the centre of Funchal. From there you either grab a taxi, hop on a bus, or walk downhill if your knees are feeling cooperative. We opted to walk and while steep, it’s totally manageable if you’re of reasonable fitness, with the walk taking around 35 to 45 minutes back into town (longer if you keep stopping for photos, which you will).
4) Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmers’ Market)
Once you’re back in town, go to the market while you still have patience for crowds.
Mercado dos Lavradores is colourful, lively, and full of fruit you probably won’t recognise, plus flowers, spices, and souvenirs. The fish section is also an experience, particularly if you’ve never seen black scabbardfish before and would like to keep it that way.
Here is the gentle warning, because I’d rather you hear it from me than learn it the hard way. It’s touristy, and some stalls price accordingly. If you’re buying fruit, confirm the price and the amount before anyone starts slicing and handing you samples. Treat it as a browsing stop first, then buy something small and easy to pack if you feel like it. Spices, sweets, and packaged goods are usually the least stressful purchases.
5) Old Town: Rua de Santa Maria and the fort
After Monte and the market, Old Town is the bit that feels like a slow exhale.
Rua de Santa Maria is the famous street for painted doors and colourful details, and it’s best enjoyed with no plan at all. Wander, stop when something looks good, then keep walking towards the sea.
If you carry on, you’ll end up near Fort São Tiago, which is a good place to pause and remember you’re on an island. Even if you don’t go inside, the bright yellow walls against the sea are worth the detour.
This is also a good zone for dinner.
6) Blandy’s Wine Lodge
Madeira wine deserves better than a rushed sip. A tasting is one of the easiest ways to understand what you actually like, and Blandy’s is a sensible place to do it because it’s central, well-run, and doesn’t assume you know anything.
If you don’t want a full tasting experience, even a quick stop in the shop can be worthwhile. Madeira wine is one of those things that makes a lot more sense once you’ve had someone explain it in plain language.
7) Whale and dolphin watching from Funchal
If you like being on the water, whale and dolphin watching is one of the best things to do in Funchal.
Tours leave from the marina, and you’ll usually have options like catamarans or speedboats. If you’re prone to seasickness, choose a calmer day and go earlier if you can. Bring a layer even in summer, as it can feel cooler out on the water than you expect.
When you’re picking an operator, look for clear information on respectful wildlife practices. The good trips feel like watching from a respectful distance, not chasing.
8) Poncha, and the correct time to have it
Poncha is not optional. It’s part of the Madeira experience, and it is stronger than it tastes.
The classic is sugarcane spirit with citrus and sweetness. Variations are everywhere. If you want an easy first one, passion fruit is usually a safe choice. If you want the classic, go lemon. If you want to go hard, try ginger one (it blew my head off honestly).
It fits best after your main activities, when you no longer need to make ambitious decisions. Poncha before Monte is a choice, and not the one I’d recommend.
9) Flower Festival (if your dates line up)
If you’re visiting in spring, the Flower Festival can make Funchal feel like it has been turned up a notch. Expect floral displays, events, and a general sense that the city has decided to celebrate plants with real commitment.
The dates for 2026 are 30 April to 24 May. If you can line up your trip with parade days, it’s worth it, but even outside the main events, the city decorations alone make Funchal feel extra cheerful.
Learn more about the flower festival here
10) Walk the Lido promenade, then swim (if the sea behaves)
If you want something that feels like a holiday without requiring any planning skills, go to the Lido. It’s a seafront promenade area west of the centre where you can do an easy walk and stare at the ocean.
There are paid bathing complexes here with sea access, sun loungers, and ladders down into the water, which is a good option if you want a swim but don’t fancy clambering over rocks. It’s also a nice reset if you’ve spent the day doing hills, gardens, and city streets.
A small reality check: the Atlantic is not a calm little Mediterranean dip, and it can be rough depending on the day. If the flags are up, take the hint. If it’s calm, go for it.
A one-day Funchal itinerary you can copy
Start by going up to Monte in the morning. If the cable car is running and you want the views, take it. If it’s closed, windy, or you’d rather keep your feet on the ground, take the bus or a taxi and save your energy for the garden.
Once you’re in Monte, go straight to Monte Palace Tropical Garden and give it the time it deserves. Take the museum break if you need it, then leave yourself enough time for the toboggan ride before it gets too busy. Do the toboggan when you’re ready for something fun and slightly chaotic, then get yourself back into the centre by taxi, bus, or a downhill walk.
Have lunch back in town, then head to Mercado dos Lavradores for a wander. After that, keep it simple and spend the afternoon in Old Town, looping along Rua de Santa Maria and down to the fort, with a few stops whenever something looks good.
In the early evening, do a tasting at Blandy’s Wine Lodge, then shift into “no more tasks” mode. Head over to the Lido for a seafront walk or a quick swim at one of the bathing complexes. Then go back into town (or stay around Lido if that’s where you’re based), have a poncha, and call it dinner.
If you have two days in Funchal, keep this plan for day one and use day two for the marina and a whale watching trip, without trying to cram everything into one go.
What to do in Funchal in a day?
Start in Monte, do Monte Palace Tropical Garden, then take the toboggan down. Back in town, hit Mercado dos Lavradores, wander Old Town (Rua de Santa Maria and the fort), then finish with Blandy’s or a poncha. If you want an easy sunset, do the Lido promenade instead of another “activity”.
Is Funchal in Madeira worth visiting?
Yes. It’s the easiest place to do the big Madeira hits in one go, Monte, gardens, toboggan, wine, and the marina. Even as a day trip, it’s worth it.
What are the best things to do in Funchal?
Monte Palace Tropical Garden, the cable car up to Monte (when it’s running), and the Monte toboggan are the headline trio. After that, add Mercado dos Lavradores, Old Town, a Madeira wine tasting at Blandy’s, and either whale watching or the Lido promenade if you want sea air without another hill.
What is Funchal known for?
Views over the bay, the cable car to Monte, and the toboggan baskets. It’s also known for gardens, Madeira wine, poncha, and the Flower Festival if you’re there in spring.
