Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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Hotel Zone
A Day in Old Funchal
Morning
A visit to the
cathedral
will introduce you to the
two main styles of Madei-
ran church architecture:
16th-century Gothic and
18th-century Baroque.
West of the city, you can
stroll through a succession of
parks
(see p44)
and enjoy the
varied architecture of the Art
Deco mansions from the 1920s
and 1930s lining the Avenida do
Infante. As the road crosses the
ravine of the Ribeira Seco (“Dry
River”) and curves past Reid's
Palace, the island's most prestig-
ious hotel
(see p112)
, mansions
give way to big hotels which
march along the clifftops above
the city, interspersed with shop-
ping centres and restaurants.
d
Map Q1
Walk three blocks north to
the
Sacred Art Museum
,
where the island's finest
works of art demonstrate
how rich Madeira became
when it was Europe's main
source of sugar.
Enjoy Funchal's laid-back
café life in one of the
pavement cafés on
Praça
do Município.
)
Seafront and Marina
Everything in Funchal looks
out to the sparkling sea and
bustling harbour, where private
yachts, container ships and
cruise ships on transatlantic
voyages call in. A stroll along
Avenida do Mar allows you to
soak up the sunshine, sample
coffee and cakes at the onion-
domed kiosks along the seafront,
or wander out along the marina
walls for a different view of the
city.
d
Map Q3
Follow Rua C Pestana and
Rua da Carreira westward
out of the square to enjoy
the lace-like balconies that
decorate the upper
storeys; allow half an hour
to see the ceramic tile
collection at the
Freitas
Museum
before it closes
at 12:30pm.
Afternoon
Take your pick of the res-
taurants along
Rua da
Carreira
for a leisurely
lunch, or head in the direc-
tion of the market and
explore the
Zona Velha
.
Returning to Calçada de
Santa Clara around 2pm,
visit the shady gardens
and art-filled rooms of the
Quinta das Cruzes
; then
take a guided tour of
Santa Clara Convent.
Wind down after a day of
culture by taking the
4:30pm tour of the St
Francis Wine Lodge - the
oldest on Madeira.
Finish the day with a stroll
along Avenida do Mar, or
enjoy the harbour view
from Santa Catarina Park.
Funchal Marina
Funchal is best explored between Tuesday and Friday. Churches and
museums are closed during lunch, but shops and cafés stay open.
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