PORT OF CALL : MADEIRA
A PORT VISIT TO FUNCHAL, MADEIRA
CRUISING TO MADEIRA
Madeira is one of those places I had heard a lot about, but had never visited.
Lots of friends have stayed on the island for holidays and told me good things.
Many people say it is one of their favourite ports of call on a cruise.
It was clearly somewhere that I needed to add to my list of places to see.
Then 2022 came along and in the space of a year I have visited not once, but twice.
I don’t really know about Madeira as a destination for a longer holiday. With cruising you pop in and out.
However I can give ideas of things to do if a day in Madeira is a port of call on a cruise.
This is what I got up to on my cruise visits.
GEOGRAPHY
Madeira is the largest island in a small archipelago. They are located in the North Atlantic Ocean, north of the Canary Islands and to the west of Morocco.
The islands are an autonomous region of Portugal however.
Its capital city Funchal is actually the port of call you visit, but cruise lines like to keep things simple, so the itineraries almost always say Madeira.
Canary Islands, Spain
Funchal, Madeira, Portugal
CRUISING TO MADEIRA
I cruised into Funchal in February 2022 aboard Marella Explorer, whilst Madeira was also a port of call for my recent Iona cruise in October.
This actually gives a contrast which is useful to consider when planning your visit to the island.
With Marella Funchal was the highlight in the middle of a week long Canary Island cruise. We arrived early in the morning and left late in the evening. It meant we had a long day in port.
I always think that is good, because you can take your time. If you are exploring on your own, rather than on a formal shore excursion, you have the comfort of knowing you have all day to get back to the ship.
In contrast Madeira was only the first stop on our two week adventure aboard Iona.
We were in port by 7am, but all aboard time was 4pm. Still plenty of time to explore, but if you are planning bigger adventures you do need to be up and out early to get the most of them. And you always need to keep one eye on the time.
Top Tip: Check how long you will have in port when planning your day. It varies by itinerary.
Either way the ships both docked at the cruise terminal that sits in front of the city.
If, like me, you are mobile it is a fairly flat, leisurely walk into town. It takes about half an hour to get to the centre. But you are sightseeing on the way and there is more to see in every direction from there.
For those less mobile, or if you just want a quick trip to town, both ships provided shuttle buses to the centre for a small fee. I assume that’s fairly standard on all cruises.
THINGS TO DO IN MADEIRA
A SIGHTSEEING WALK FROM THE SHIP
On my second visit I had already done the big adventure activities Funchal is famous for, so the shorter day in port didn’t actually bother me.
In fact having been before I knew there were lots of places that I still had to see. I was glad to find Madeira was a port of call once more.
So for my shorter visit I decided to explore Funchal on foot.
From the cruise terminal
Both times my day began with a walk from the ship along the sea front.
To the left the white buildings of the city rise up the hillside, their red roofs shining in the sunshine or rain. Like any place Madeira has varied weather.
On the right is a great opportunity for that selfie with the ship as you walk past the cruise ship berths across the water by the cruise terminal.
Then for football fans you come to the CR7 Museum. Football legend Cristiano Ronaldo was born in Funchal and they are proud of their famous son. I’m not sporty enough to care about visiting the museum, but it couldn’t be easier to get to if you are. I was content with a photo of his statue outside.
From there you reach the built up area of Funchal and have options to turn into the city centre or carry on along the seafront.
A walk along the sea front
I continued my walk along the sea front promenade.
Its a lively place, especially with thousands of extra tourists in town.
Along the way I passed the colourful and artistic “Madeira” sign, always nice for a tourist photo to remind you where you are!
Then I just carried on along the sea front, watching boats go by on the sea side, or looking across at interesting buildings inland.
Out to sea you could spot other islands of the archipelago in the distance.
This walk also takes you to the Telerifico do Funchal, or cable car station. It is a fair distance from the ship, but you can’t miss the modern glass and steel building, not least because the cable cars lift off from here too.
On my first visit this was as far as I had walked, I’ll come back to that later. For now I decided to carry on along the bay.
São Tiago Fortress
Ahead of me a bright yellow fortress marked the end of the promenade along the sea front.
The São Tiago Fortress is free to wander around and dates back to the 1600’s. A restaurant now sits in the grounds too.
There is not much to see, aside from the walls of the fortress, but it was a pleasant place to stop and explore and take some photos looking back across the bay of Funchal.
Being a fortress it comes with great views.
The Historic Old Town
The fort was the end of the walk along the sea front, but rather than retrace my steps I walked a couple of rows inland to wander through the Old Town.
I followed a long narrow street. At the other end is a sign announcing this as the Zona Historica do Funchal.
It is known for the painted doors of the houses and shops. Not just painted in bright colours, like you would see in many a port of call, in Madeira they have proper artistic designs.
The doors include portraits of real people, animals, cartoon characters, or different trades highlighting the use of the building.
Its not all in your face, just an added decoration in a narrow street filled with restaurants and art shops. The cable cars pass overhead as you wander through it.
Mercado dos Lavradores
Wandering around a market may not sound like the most touristy thing to do.
And yet I have been to many places around the World where you just have a look in the local market to see if other countries do anything different to home, and they invariably do.
In Madeira I was fascinated by the fruit and vegetable stall. Splendid and colourful and filled with things that I couldn’t name.
There were more familiar market stalls too, but the fruits stood out, so I was glad I called in while passing.
The city centre
Crossing the road from the market took me into the centre of Funchal.
Here the buildings start turning into the shops and businesses you expect in any town or city.
And being by the sea there are restaurants and pavement cafes and bars along the way. It was busy and lively. I enjoyed stopping off for a beer, while a busker played nearby.
Whilst here I called into the local cathedral for a look. Small and ornate, with gilded altars lining the sides.
Then on through the centre, looking at the buildings, past the queue for the shuttle buses back to the ship, which pick up and drop off in this area.
From there up to a small park, with flowers like birds of paradise, and a small lake. You could see the ship again from here.
And that was a good reminder that it was time to head back to the ship again.
A very pleasant way to spend a short day in our Madeiran port of call.
HIGHLIGHTS OF MADEIRA
You cannot beat exploring and sightseeing in any port of call. Unless of course the place is famous for its own novel activities, which you really have to see and do.
In the case of Funchal that meant going up the hill.
As I’ve mentioned I had a long day in port on my first trip, so I decided I could be adventurous with DIY sightseeing on my own.
That said both ships offered organised shore excursions for the following trips.
Telerifico do Funchal
I’m sure I have said this before, but I love a ride in a cable car.
The cable car station is a fair walk from the ship, but as I mentioned you are seeing things along the way.
There will also be queues, as each car only holds around four or maybe six at a squeeze, so get there early if time is short. However the cars are constantly moving so the queue moves fairly quickly.
The cable car takes you to the top of the hill, over those red tile roofs climbing up the hillside, for some splendid views over the island.
Tickets are available as returns, although I only got a one way ticket, as there is more than one way to get back down!
Botanic Gardens
Leaving the cable car at the top you have options.
Two involve the gardens that Madeira is famous for.
There is a pleasure garden right next to the cable car station, although I didn’t visit this.
Instead turning right I headed for yet another cable car.
This one leads across to the Botanic Gardens, which are built in terraces on the hillside.
Again you can get one way or return tickets. The ticket seller told me it was possible to walk down through the Botanic Gardens and come out at the bottom a walkable distance from the town.
Helpful Hint: Its worth noting that this cable car stops at the top of the Botanic Gardens, which wind their way down the hill, and so if you choose a return ticket you have to walk back uphill to the station.
The gardens include a variety of flowers and plants that thrive in the warm temperatures. There are ferns and cacti too.
Then there are ornamental gardens laid out in patterns as well.
Its quite pretty if you like that sort of thing and all the time there are strategic points where you can look down on the city below and the cruise ships in the distance.
There is a bar and cafe with a terrace, which is a nice place to have a rest and a drink after your wandering.
I needed one before marching back up the hill for the return cable car trip to the top.
My plan involved a uniquely Madeiran way of getting back down the hill.
Toboggans
Most people would think you were mad if you said you were going to slide down the main road in a wicker basket pushed and pulled by two men.
Yet on a trip to Madeira that is exactly what tourists pay to do, the highlight of this port of call.
Toboggans, that look like baskets, can be hired for one, two or three people. As a solo a basket for yourself is a bit more expensive, but not as much as paying for two.
Solos Tip: It may be cheaper per person if there are two of you, but it is still definitely well worth the cost as a solo.
Once you have plucked up the courage to get in a basket (I did think about it!) the men in their traditional uniforms of blue jackets, white trousers, sturdy boots and straw boaters set off.
They push you down the hill, the wooden runners of the toboggans sliding over the ordinary tarmac of the roads.
You whip around the first corner and you are sliding down the hill, steered by the men at the back.
The ride lasts for a decent length of time, as you slide, with cars overtaking at some places, down the roads. Crazy, I know.
At a slower spot the guys come to the front and pull you while you catch your breath, before you are off again.
On the way a cameraman at a vantage point takes a photo, which you can buy if you like at the small souvenir hut where the ride ends.
At the end of the ride…
They do only take you halfway down the hill however.
Just beyond the souvenir hut is a taxi rank and also a bus stop where you can get a lift back to town.
Helpful Hint: I just missed the bus. Check out bus times online before you go.
I decided to walk the rest of the way down the hill. The road to the bottom is very steep and not the most scenic of routes, but it does take you back to the centre. With hindsight I wouldn’t walk it again. My legs were like jelly by the time I got to the bottom.
Riding down the hill in a basket is exciting, exhilarating and worth every penny in my opinion. Something that you really can only experience in Madeira.
On my YouTube Channel you can watch the Short video of my trip down the hill in a basket!
MADEIRA AS A PORT OF CALL
I now understand why Madeira is such a popular port of call on a cruise itinerary in this part of the World.
Its lovely to explore on foot if you like something easy and relaxed.
There is a bit of adventure if you want that too.
I never even considered the shore excursions that explore the island beyond Funchal, but heard positive reports from those who did.
Maybe that’s an adventure to consider if I ever return to Madeira.
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