Finally, it’s vacation time – what could be better. Now you’re in our wonderful Madeira. We will help you get to know/discover the island just as we do ourselves.

This audio-excursion allows you to personally discover the central part of Funchal. This 2-hour tour will give you every detail about the capital of our archipelago. You will see places that Funchal is most known for and others, less known but equally as beautiful, places you couldn´t even imagine existing here.

During this little tour, our main idea is to show you the cultural richness of Funchal, which was preserved for 6 centuries. This audio-excursion is not only the result of a meticulous gathering of information, but also accompanies you through a great journey, during which you will see the main famous places in the city.

You can check for yourself how history have entangled with the present through the examples of architectural diversity. You will know some particularities about the construction of the Cathedral in Funchal and in which style the Mercado dos Lavradores was built. You will see how the Madeirans carefully tak0e care of the plants which arrived from various points of the planet. You will know the art of gardening from the capital’s parks…

And now let’s travel in time – let’s imagine we are in the fifteenth century. On the 3rd of July of the year 1419, the Portuguese sailor João Gonçalves Zarco and his crew anchored the boat “São Lourenço” on a beautiful big bay. Tall mountains stunningly covered with grove caught their eye. “Out of this zestful valley came out three mighty and fresh streams, which borders were covered with fennel [(funcho)]. And so, the captain named it Funchal, from where he later established a town.

For more than 600 years this city attracts with its beauty, purity, picturesque streets and friendly Madeirans who have such a loving connection with their city. It’s not by chance that Funchal was chosen as the most clean and green city of Europe.

So, let’s go, friends! We wish you a very pleasant tour!

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Welcome to Funchal City Center

We will start our excursion with Cristiano Ronaldo’s statue, possibly the most famous football player of our time. A person who, by his own example, showed boys all over the world how you can make your dreams come true despite financial difficulties, and that with hard work and persistence we can achieve great things.

20 years ago, he played football in the kids’ team of “Andorinha”, and now all the big football teams in Europe want him. However, Ronaldo is still noble, humble, and a man with a great soul, who honestly helps Madeira’s kids’ football teams.

Cristiano Ronaldo is Madeira Archipelago’s visiting card.

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Cristiano Ronaldo statue

“Santa Catarina” park is one of the most demanded parks in Funchal, not only amongst visitors, but also residents. You can verify this by walking through its shaded promenades and admiring its exotic plants, which look as if they belong on the pages of those traveling magazines.&nbsp;

Santa Catarina Park is distributed in an area of 36 thousand square metres. Its particularity resides on the fact that it is utilized not only for walks and leisure, but for various types of events as well (such as: REGATA 2008, dedicated to the 500 years anniversary of the city of Funchal, the memorable concert of the famous Portuguese singer Mariza, music and kids’ festivals, etc).

The history of the park is as follows: in the year 1837 the municipality of Funchal, in agreement with a new law which compelled each city to have a municipal cemetery, gave in part of the park’s current territory for those needs. After a fundamental administrative reform in the year 1939, the cemetery was transferred to São Martinho, where it’s located until the present day. In 1946 the municipality bought the rest of the property, expanding the total area of the park. After all the formalities, the transfer of the mortal remains and constructions work, the park was opened for visitors in 1966.

This is the biggest park in Funchal and, perhaps, Madeirans’ favourite leisure location. Besides, “Santa Catarina” is an incredible place for photo sessions, and it provides newly married couples the best wedding photos.

We also suggest that you have a stroll around the park, admiring the plants and the trees (some were brought from other continents), and, if you are very lucky, you might see a hummingbird, hovering among the flowers.&nbsp;

While walking through Santa Catarina Park, we wouldn’t like to tire you with stories. It’s quite possible that you’ll want to sit in the unique café with a cup of aromatic coffee, looking at the sea, the pier, the cruise ships and the yachts…&nbsp;

When descending a well-preserved walkway visit Santa Catarina chapel (which gave the park its name), built in 1425 by request of the wife of captain Zarco, Constança Rodrigues.

At the viewpoint, near the chapel, you will see the statue of Columbus, who lived in Madeira and Porto Santo shortly before the discovering of America. From this viewpoint you will also have a magnificent view over beautiful Funchal.

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👣  Santa Catarina park

The fountain in Rotunda do Infante is one of the many locations in Funchal where professional and amateur photographers catch magnificent moments and take unforgettable pictures. The fountain is located near the statue of Infant Henrique, the Navigator, which named it.&nbsp;

“Infant” is a title given to the princes of Spain’s and Portugal’s royal houses.

We would like to make a little detour here and say a few words about who exactly is Infant Henrique, the Navigator. Born in the end of the fourteenth (XIV) century in Porto, Portugal, Infant Henrique, from a very young age, accompanied his father, D. João I, in the maritime expeditions. These are the expeditions which soon would be the base of the Portuguese maritime expansion and the beginning of the era of the grand geographic discoveries. Moreover, thanks to D. Henrique the archipelagos of Madeira and Azores were discovered.

The fountain in the Rotunda do Infante is an armillary sphere, once a navigation device which was used to calculate distances, and it is also one of the main elements of the Portuguese coat of arms.&nbsp;

Its construction can be divided in approximately 4 steps:

1st – construction of the fountain in 1948

2nd – installation of the centre of the sphere in the same year

3rd – installation of the lighting systems

4th – refurbishment works to fortify all the elements in 1992-1993

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Rotunda do Infante Fountain

Funchal’s municipal park has 8300 m2 and is inserted in the property of the old Convent of São Francisco. In memory of the monastery located in this place, the park has preserved a coat of arms in marble from the seventeenth century along with the weapons of the Franciscans and of Portugal, as well as a statue of San Francisco. In the beginning of the nineteenth century, the building of the convent was used as a hospital, then as a prison, and later as a courtroom and an exile site for slaves…

In 1844, the building and the territory were transferred to the municipality of Funchal to a later court. However, since the municipal council would not decide on the future of the territory, it was also not destined to happen.&nbsp;

An empty and abandoned place in the centre of the city caused a storm of criticism, and only in 1880 did the authorities decide to start the construction of a municipal park. Inaugurated in 1888 along with the Municipal Theatre, it has survived almost unaltered until this day, and in 2000 it won the gold medal in the European landscaping competition.

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Municipal garden

We will continue our journey along the Arriaga Avenue near the São Lourenço fortress, which was built in 1529. Currently, the fortress shelters the Republic representative’s residence and the military museum. And only 2 minutes away, you will see the João Gonçalves Zarco monument.&nbsp;

Six centuries ago, on the 1st of July of 1419, Madeira was discovered. The ships, commanded by João Gonçalves Zarco, the Portuguese captain and discoverer of the Madeira Archipelago, anchored at the bay of the future town of Machico. In the works/books of the chronicler Jerónimo Dias Leite, when writing about the second half of the sixteenth century we can find a reference to the order “consecrate the waters and lands of the island, till then unknown since the beginning of the centuries until present time”, which, as one believes, directly indicates the firm decision of the Portuguese Crown of obtaining the Madeira Archipelago land. This is the day we annually celebrate as the Day of the Autonomous Region of Madeira

If you don’t mind, we will make one more detour here, to tell you a little bit about captain Zarco. In 1415, he excelled in the capture of the Ceuta fortress, in the Norwest coast of Africa, as a part of the King’s fleet, and was named captain of a patrol sailboat by Infant Henrique, the Navigator. As he needed to show what an excellent explorer he was, he received an order from the Infant to explore the central Atlantic. The main aim was to search for lands whose tales stirred the sailors’ imagination for centuries. Until one day, during one of those expeditions, the islands of the Madeira Archipelago were discovered. As a sign gratitude for the services rendered to the Portuguese Crown, Zarco was named governor of the western part of the island, whose centre became Funchal.

The monument of the great discoverer was made by the Madeiran sculptor Francisco Franco, and the inauguration took place in 1934. The pedestal was made by the architect Cristino da Silva in a madeira cross shape (Order of Christ is a spiritual knights order, thanks to which, in most of the cases, investigation expeditions were accompanied and organized, and one of the outcomes was the discovery of Madeira). According to madeira-web website, the monument won the gold medal in the Ibero-American Exhibition in Seville in the year 1929.

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João Gonçalves Zarco monument

Sé Cathedral is one of the oldest buildings that exist in Madeira. Since the end of the fourteenth century, its architectonic plan was developed precisely as the main cathedral of the archipelago.&nbsp;

Its construction began by order of the King Don Manuel in 1493. The first masses were celebrated in the temple in 1508. In parallel, Funchal was elevated to the category of city. However, the work was only completed in 1518. The church receives, as gifts from the king, a marble bowl and an exceptional processional cross, which you can find in the Museum of Sacred Art/Museum of Religious Art.

A special characteristic of the cathedral is the use of the local red rock from the stone quarries in Cabo Girão and the use of local wood (zimbro) for the ceiling in its construction. In the interior of the cathedral there are images of Saints, prophets and apostles in garments of the sixteenth century. The architecture is influenced by the spanish-arabic and roman-gothic styles. The main building is of flamenco style, the main gate has a straight gothic style, while the interior reproduces the Manueline period, a style which derives from Don Manuel’s name, the “Happy”, who ruled the country from 1495 to 1521.

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Funchal Cathedral

Walking through the Aljube street, 150 meters to the left of Sé Cathedral, we will see a small (according to modern standards) fountain square (Largo do Chafariz). Currently, it looks as if it is lost between the buildings, but before the Second World War it was always crowded and lively! Even so, people read the latest news, shared rumours and, obviously, discussed politics in comfortable cafés. It was in 1974 that the popular uprisings started in support of the Carnation Revolution (Revolução dos Cravos) in Portugal.

Nowadays, like in the old time, there are many cafés opened, and you will certainly notice other visitors calmly enjoying a delightful coffee. And in the fountain at the centre, pigeons drink water and bathe all the time, without noticing the people going by.

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Largo do Chafariz square

The central market “Mercado dos Lavradores” is a place where colours, smells and sounds fuse together!&nbsp;

The market was built in 1940 in a style which combines Art Deco from the 30s with modernism from that period.&nbsp;

Area covered – 9600 m2. In the interior there are tile panels painted with folkloric motifs. Tiles with a regional theme from the mid of the twentieth century decorate the façade, the main entry and the fish section – also from 1940.&nbsp;

The market’s building has two floors. At the ground floor, in a wing, there is the Fish Square (Praça do Peixe). Here they sell seafood and fresh fish – tuna, bass, scabbard from high sea – the famous black scabbard. The other wing sells fresh exotic fruits. Your eyes will meet a diversity of colours and shapes. On the shelves, the local fruits abound – custard apples (anonas) and bananas – monstera fruit, guava, mango, and countless hybrids of passionfruit – passionfruit-lemon (maracuja-limão), passionfruit-banana (maracuja-banana), passionfruit-orange (maracujá-laranja) … On the second floor you will also see stands with fruits, vegetables and Madeira souvenirs.

The question often made is: what should I take as a souvenir? Maybe there isn’t only one answer… As a souvenir, you can get a bottle of Madeira’s delicious wine and some tasty fruits, a unique honey cake or exclusive cork products, or even whale bone souvenirs.

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Farmers’ Market

After leaving the market, we proceed to Santa Maria Street, which is usually called “street of the painted doors”. Here started the history of the city and, perhaps, of the whole archipelago! Even Zarco and other nobles lived in this street with the people.

The production of sugar in the beginning of the fifteenth century and the convenient bay contributed to the concentration of settlers in Funchal and, over time, it became one of the main cities in the island. In 1450, the Portuguese Crown assigned Funchal the “town” status – an urban-type settlement. That was when Zarco ordered the preparation of the town for a new status: the old wooden houses were replaced by stone and clay tile, a sewage system was built and the road you are now walking on was made. Funchal became a beautiful rich city that is now an attraction for all Europe. Madeira lured, above all, pirates. According to the documents, more than 100 attacks from pirates on the south side of the island were registered during that time.

Since 1475, due to the sharp increase of piracy in the Atlantic, Madeira persistently requested the King of Portugal the construction of defences and forts. Only in 1493 did King Manuel give the permission, and merely in 1513 did the arrangements for the construction begin, under orientation of royal master João Cáceres, which ended in 1542. A wall with towers was erected near the coast.&nbsp;

One of the most brutal attacks to the island happened in the year 1566, when French corsairs, in a little flotilla, seized and held Madeira for 15 days. That was the incident in the origin of the tale about the nuns that escaped to the crater of the volcano. And the village located there was named “Curral das Freiras” (“Pen of the Nuns”).&nbsp;

This is the historic part of the city that attracts hundreds of visitors daily, to observe the slow pace of the locals, along with a glass of white wine. You can even become a witness to a lively debate about football, by simply going to a local tavern and asking a glass of the delicious poncha.&nbsp;

And for the lovers of exclusive things, and maybe even rarities, a so called “mercado de pulgas” (flea market) opens every Saturday at the old part of town. Here, you can certainly find something that will remind you of your visit to Madeira.

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👣  Santa Maria street

And, almost inconspicuously, we approach the cable-car – the departure station.&nbsp;

This trip offers wonderful panoramic views over the bay and the valleys of Funchal. The cable car connects the centre of the city to Monte parish in 20 minutes, rising to an altitude of 500 meters. At the beginning of the development of the island, this land belonged to one of the first native Madeiran families. Famous for its gardens, for the colourful basket cars and, naturally, for Nossa Senhora do Monte church, Patroness of Funchal. Montes’s park, inaugurated on the 2nd of August of 1894, attracts visitors with its shadowed alleys and beauty. The Austro-Hungarian Emperor Carlos I was buried in Monte church, having been in exile after renouncing the throne.&nbsp;

The famous Tropical Garden of Monte was also installed there, founded in the eighteenth century by the English consul Charles Murray.

Thenceforth, going up the mountain, we can get to one of the highest peaks in Madeira – Pico do Areeiro.

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Funchal Cable Car

This audio-excursion allows you to personally discover the central part of Funchal. You will see places that Funchal is most known for and others, less known but equally as beautiful, places you couldn´t even imagine existing here.

During this little tour, our main idea is to show you the cultural richness of Funchal, which was preserved for 6 centuries. This audio-excursion is not only the result of a meticulous gathering of information, but also accompanies you through a great journey, during which you will see the main famous places in the city.

You can check for yourself how history have entangled with the present through the examples of architectural diversity. You will know some particularities about the construction of the Cathedral in Funchal and in which style the Mercado dos Lavradores was built. You will see how the Madeirans carefully take care of the plants which arrived from various points of the planet. You will know the art of gardening from the capital’s parks…

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Audio tour developed by Atlantialicerce Unip Lda 
Image by Atlantialicerce Unip Lda

Madeira

Funchal City Center

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