Funchal, the capital of the island
of Madeira, discovered in 1418
under the reign of King Joao I, was a blessed placed for the intrepid
sailors of the great Portuguese discoveries. We say blessed, because
it was a safe port and harbour with excellent weather which reminded
them of their mainland country before arriving there. Now, when the
name of Madeira is mentioned almost everyone relates it to the famous
wine from this island. However, if you dare to adventure into the
heart of this enchanting subtropical paradise, you will uncover antiquated
forest, green hillside slopes dotted with cozy villages and magic
waterfalls. Madeira and especially in Funchal, you can live in luxury
but still keep you adventurer spirit.
Do not lose out on Funchal
Those interested
in architecture can also feel at home; the capital of the island,
as mentioned before, Funchal is known as the ´little
Lisbon´. The impressive Palace de Sao Lourenco from the 16th
c. is facing the port and the magnificent avenues all lined with
houses from the 18th c. dominate the centre of the city. The port
area is lined with low buildings so if you are lucky to view Funchal
from a boat, the mountains which frame the city can be easily seen;
a beautiful picture, indeed! Towering over the city is the Church
of Our lady of the Mountain. Other than having religious and artistic
importance, since the end of the 19th c., this densely forested area
has become the preferred place for the Fuchal people to gather and
stroll leisurely. To reach the top, you can take a cable railway,
but to get down the ´sled´ system was invented.
Travelling at high speed in a wicker and wooden sleigh is an
experience no on would want to miss! And speaking about wicker,
the skillsmen of the island, especially the ones from Camacha
are best at this.
Greenery and
fresh air from Funchal
Although the
best and quickest way to get to Madeira is by plane, landing at
the very well prepared Funchal airport, do not limit yourself to
just visiting this city. Pull out your explorer equipment and head
for unknown territory. Whatever part of the island you wish to
visit, even though it may be a small fishing village or a mountain
town, there is always a little hotel or hostel to be found.
There are various routes you can do on different days.
You can start out from the capital and head west bordering
the coast and make your whole day trip just doing the
seashore or you can break it up and do part of the
day visiting beaches, ports and coastal villages and then
at midday head towards the mountains and spend the
night in a cozy hotel there. Or you can head directly north
from Funchal to the other side of the island to Santana,
where you will be witness to the famous triangular houses
with thatched roofs painted in live colours and only
found on this island. And then from there you can do
the other side to the east and return to one of the
fabulous hotels waiting for you with all the comfort and luxury
you have ever dreamt of in Funchal, Madeira.
Additional Links to sites on Funchal: Funchal on Madeira-Web
City of Funchal on Wikipedia and The weather in Funchal and Madeira on Wunderground
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