Favorite Corners - Funchal
Usually, I put Favorite Corners posts at the end of a destination as a catch-all for things that didn’t quite make it into other posts. However, since the island of Madeira didn’t make it on our travel itinerary through the usual ways, it feels fitting to kick off this leg of the blog a little differently as well.
Originally, we were planning to stick to the mainland. However, in an attempt to use up some travel credits on one of the small European airlines, we discovered that one of the destinations available was a Portuguese island that floated between the coasts of Portugal and Africa. Of course, we had to check it out!
Funchal is the current capital city of Madeira and was the perfect place to establish a home base while we were here.
I have to watch my step on cobblestones because I have twisted many ankles on them. This time, my caution was doubly rewarded with the discovery of these small signs embedded in the street that guided us to new points of interest.
The Miradouro Quintas Das Cruzes is a short walk from shore and a steep hill climb away (this is still Portugal after all). A great place to overlook the city and watch the cruise ships come in.
While you can totally go into the Museu Quintas das Cruzes and check out their collection of antiques…
…what we actually came for was the free garden area which holds old architectural remnants from other buildings.
Livraria Esperança is a fascinating maze of a bookshop. On the outside, it looks like a small entrance at the foot of a building, but inside leads to winding staircases, gutted rooms, connecting houses and three floors of books.
Located right in the center of town, the Jardim Municipal do Funchal is a little peaceful green space.
We love a good coast walk, and this man-made peninsula out to this little light house (aptly named Green Lighthouse) give a great view looking back at Funchal.
The Fort of São Tiago was once all that stood between Funchal and pirates. It is now temporarily closed, but this 17th century building still makes a bright presence along the shoreline.
Santa Maria Street is a walking street with restaurants, bars, shops but is most famous for its many doors painted by local artists.
The Farmer’s Market in Funchal has piles of fresh fruit, adorable flower shops and a wet fish market.
Also found in the Farmer’s Market was this adorable little fruit smoothie place. Perfect for sipping and watching the shoppers go by.
This was by far our most favorite corner in Funchal. We went to this little restaurant nearly every day (can’t beat 2.60€ for a breakfast sandwich of fresh made bread, presunto ham, and egg).