Catherine Starr Enterprises

Funchal is the capital city on the island of Madeira. It was the first stop after a transatlantic cruise from Sao Paulo, Brazil to Lisbon. And what a treat! After five days of watching the sea, we landed at a garden paradise. Here are some of my highlights of visiting Funchal.

One of the first things I did was take the cable car to the small village of Monte that overlooks the port.

At the top, there are several gardens, a church and an interesting way to get back down to Funchal.

Toboggans!

In the center of Funchal, there is the Mercado dos Lavradores. It is a market that has stalls for flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, local crafts and one are for fish. It is a very interesting place to visit. The produce is very fresh, especially the locally grown bananas and very good wine. I had an amazing lunch at the outdoor cafe next to the market.

Here are more sights from Funchal. It is truly a beautiful place to visit!