We enjoyed four days in Funchal, Madeira. Madeira is an autonomous region of Portugal, located approximately 500 miles southwest of the mainland.
Here are some highlights. Photos from the Monte Palace Tropical Garden are in a separate post.
Thankfully, we didn’t have to drive much on downtown Funchal’s narrow roads. The newer parts of the city were a bit easier to navigate, although we would have been helpless without Apple Maps.
Driving was a bit easier thanks to Madeira’s approximately 150 tunnels, both in Funchal and throughout the island. We drove through at least 100 of them. The downside was that sometimes we spent so much time in tunnels we didn’t see as much scenery.
Driving in the mountainous countryside was still challenging.
It was worth it to get to the Fanal Forest. (That’s Dave’s opinion. Jeff might disagree.) Fanal is the most extensive laurel forest in the world. Its roots are said to go back 40 million years. The ancient trees take on fantastic shapes under the weight of age and northerly winds.
While en route to the Fanal Forest, we stopped at Cabo Girão, a cliff reaching 589 meters above the ocean. We ventured onto the glass-floored skywalk, the highest cliff skywalk in Europe.
In addition to the Monte Palace Tropical Garden, Madeira has a botanical garden. It wasn’t as ornate, but still worthwhile.
The Museum of Modern Art of Madeira (MOMMA) was right around the corner from our rental apartment. Modern/contemporary art museums are often hit or miss (“This is art???”), but this one was a hit. More than 300 works were on display, mostly created by the artist Rui Sá, divided into 14 thematic zones and a temporary exhibition hall. The museum also contained a performance venue that seemed to focus on jazz.
After visiting a few rooms, we saw signs prohibiting photography. Oops.
And, of course, we ate. We didn’t notice any restaurants or dishes that might be considered Madeiran cuisine, so we enjoyed a variety of food, including a Cuban restaurant.
Madeira is known for its wines. We tried this white wine with a meal; it was good. That appetizer is anchovy bruschetta.
We discovered a sort of “food court without a mall” place near our apartment, which had six restaurants and a bar with a common seating area. One night we ordered from Restaurante Sabores da Nossa Ilha (Flavors of our Island). The second night, we ordered pizza. Of course, we ordered sangria both nights.
We decided not to eat here.
