Things to Do in Funchal, Madeira (2026 Prices)

Funchal, Madeira’s sunny capital, climbs up a natural amphitheatre from the Atlantic, with gardens bursting with flowers, a colourful market, painted doors in the old town and a famous wicker toboggan ride down the hill. Here are the best things to do in Funchal, with 2026 prices.

Quick answer: take the cable car to Monte (about €16 one way), see the Monte Palace Tropical Garden (€18), ride the toboggan down (€30 for one, €40 for two, cash only), browse the Mercado dos Lavradores, wander the painted doors of Rua de Santa Maria and taste Madeira wine at Blandy’s. Add the Cabo Girão skywalk (€5) and Câmara de Lobos nearby.

Funchal is compact at sea level but very steep behind, so plan your day by height: do Monte and the gardens up the hill in the morning, then spend the afternoon in the flat old town and along the seafront.

Monte

The cable car

Fly over the rooftops from the seafront up to Monte in about 15 minutes, with amazing views. About €16 one way and €22 return; half price for ages 7–14, free for under-7s. Since its 2026 upgrade there are also glass-floor cabins (about €26 one way) if you want a thrill. Check the latest fares on the operator’s site.

The lower station is at the eastern end of the seafront, by the old town. The line closed for three months in early 2026 for new cables and cabins and reopened in April with more capacity, but queues still build from mid-morning when cruise ships are in, so go early. It usually runs daily from about 8.45am to 5.45pm.

Monte Palace Tropical Garden

Terraced gardens full of exotic plants, koi ponds, Asian pagodas, azulejo panels and a mineral collection. €18, free for children aged 14 and under with an adult. Allow 2 hours. See our Monte Palace guide.

The garden is steep, with lots of steps, so wear good shoes. It usually opens at 9am and closes at 7pm in summer and 6pm in winter.

The Monte toboggan

Funchal’s most famous ride: sit in a wicker basket sled while two carreiros in white with rubber-soled boots steer you down the steep streets. Since May 2026 it costs €30 for one person, €40 for two or €60 for three, cash only, Monday to Saturday. It ends partway down the hill at Livramento, so take a taxi or bus onward.

The ride lasts about 10 minutes. Taxis wait at the bottom, and the walk back down to the centre takes about 30 to 45 minutes on steep roads. See our Monte toboggan guide.

Also at Monte: the Nossa Senhora do Monte church, with views over the city.

In the city

Mercado dos Lavradores

The busy market hall with exotic fruit (try the passion fruit varieties and the “monstera” fruit), flowers and a fish market full of black scabbardfish. Go in the morning, and be aware that some fruit sellers charge tourist prices for tastings.

Look up at the azulejo tile panels at the entrance. The market is closed on Sundays, and Friday is usually the busiest day, when farmers from around the island come in to sell. Ask the price per kilo before you buy fruit.

Zona Velha and Rua de Santa Maria

The old town’s doors are painted with colourful artworks, part of a project to bring the area back to life. Lots of restaurants and bars too.

Rua de Santa Maria is the oldest street in Funchal and runs east from the market towards the little yellow Fort of São Tiago. Walk it in the late afternoon, then stay for dinner. See Funchal Old Town.

Blandy’s Wine Lodge

Learn about Madeira wine in historic lodges in the centre, with tours from about €17 at Blandy’s (2026) and tastings of vintages. See wine tours.

The cathedral and the seafront

The Sé has a beautiful carved wooden ceiling. Then stroll the marina promenade and the gardens of Santa Catarina park.

CR7 Museum

Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal. Fans can see his trophies at the museum by the marina (about €5), next to his statue.

Botanical Garden

Formal gardens and the famous patterned flower beds, with great views. Reach it by a second cable car from Monte or by bus.

The garden has more than 2,000 plants from around the world, including many found only on Madeira. Allow an hour or two. See the Botanical Garden.

Swim in the sea

Funchal has few beaches, but there are excellent sea-water pool complexes: the Lido and Ponta Gorda, and the natural rock pools at Doca do Cavacas.

In 2026 the complexes cost €6 for adults (€2 for ages 7 to 17, free under 7), while Praia Formosa is free. They are busiest in summer. Out of season, check opening times, as some close or open fewer days in winter. The sea itself is about 18°C in winter and 22 to 24°C in late summer.

A one-day route

• Morning: the market at opening time, then the cable car up to Monte.
• Late morning: Monte Palace Tropical Garden and the church.
• Lunch: ride the toboggan down, then a taxi to the old town.
• Afternoon: the cathedral, Blandy’s and the seafront.
• Evening: dinner on Rua de Santa Maria.

Near Funchal

• Câmara de Lobos: a colourful fishing village 15 minutes west, where Churchill painted. Try a poncha (rum, honey and lemon).
• Cabo Girão skywalk: a glass platform 580m above the sea on one of Europe’s highest sea cliffs. €5 since 2026, free for under-12s.
• Whale and dolphin watching: 2–3 hour trips from the marina, from about €40 on a catamaran to about €70 on a small RIB. See dolphin watching in Portugal. See whale-watching trips.
• Levada walks: see Madeira levada walks (book your slot first).

Most official trails now need a SIMplifica booking before you walk: €4.50 for most routes and €10.50 for the PR1 from Pico do Arieiro to Pico Ruivo, which reopened on 1 May 2026 after being closed since the August 2024 wildfires.

Food

Try espetada (beef skewers cooked on bay-leaf sticks), black scabbardfish with banana, bolo do caco (garlic flatbread), limpets and, of course, a glass of Madeira wine. See Funchal food tours.

When to go and festivals

Funchal is mild all year, around 19°C by day in winter and 25 to 26°C in summer, so there is no bad month. The big events fill hotels, so book early:

• Flower Festival (spring): flower carpets, markets and parades through the centre. In 2026 it ran from 30 April to 31 May, with two parades instead of the usual one, on 3 and 17 May.
• Wine Festival (late summer): grape harvest events in Funchal and the villages, from late August to 13 September in 2026.
• Christmas and New Year: lights across the city and one of the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve firework displays. See New Year’s Eve in Madeira.

Getting there and around

• From the airport: about 20 to 30 minutes by taxi. The Aerobus, a named service on the island’s SIGA bus network, links the airport with the main hotels and costs €6.70 one way, cash on board.
• In town: the centre is walkable, but the hills are steep. Yellow city buses and taxis cover the upper districts, including Monte and the Botanical Garden. All Madeira bus routes were given new three-digit numbers in March 2026, so ignore older route numbers you find online and check the current timetable.
• Cruise passengers: the ship terminal is a short walk from the centre. See Funchal cruise port.
• Exploring the island: see getting around Madeira.

FAQ

How do you get from Funchal to Monte?

The easiest way is the cable car from the eastern end of the seafront, which takes about 15 minutes and costs about €16 one way or €22 return. You can also take a taxi or a city bus up the hill.

Is the Monte toboggan worth it?

Most people love it as a one-off: about 10 minutes of sliding down steep streets in a wicker sled. It costs €30 for one, €40 for two or €60 for three, cash only, and ends at Livramento, so budget for a taxi or bus onward.

Does Funchal have a beach?

Only pebble and dark-sand ones, such as Praia Formosa on the west side of the city. Most people swim at the sea-water pools of the Lido and Ponta Gorda or the rock pools at Doca do Cavacas, and head to Porto Santo for a proper sandy beach.

How many days do you need in Funchal?

One full day covers the highlights, and two lets you add the Botanical Garden, a wine lodge and Câmara de Lobos without rushing. Most visitors use Funchal as a base for 5 to 7 days on Madeira. See 3 days in Madeira.

Where to stay

The Lido area is great for pools and sea views, the centre and Zona Velha for restaurants. See places to stay in Funchal.

Plan the rest of your trip with our Madeira travel guide, or browse Madeira tours.

See also: the best tours in Madeira, the Monte toboggan ride, Camara de Lobos, the Madeira wine guide, Funchal Old Town, the Botanical Garden, Madeira airport to Funchal, the best beaches in Madeira, the Mercado dos Lavradores, the Madeira Flower Festival and what to eat in Madeira.

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