This is the urban face of the best island in the world
You have to forgive the Funchal airport (yes, now his name is Cristiano Ronaldo) the first shock that the traveler receives when finding his bones in Madeira. It must be done not only because it is one of the most complicated runways on the planet but also because this spectacularity, this drama, anticipates the peculiar beauty that hides throughout the island. This has only started.
Madeira is the best island destination in the world, as sentenced, for the sixth consecutive year, by the World Travel Awards 2020, the most prestigious awards in the tourism sector. A title that is justified by containing one of the biggest explosions of nature in the Old Continent, which turns the island into a garden in the middle of the ocean.
Funchal is a trip in itself that should not be underestimated
Located on the south façade and hidden among rugged landscapes, the capital is not only the gateway but also a trip in itself that should not be underestimated. Because in this city, conceived to the size of a village, It is not only possible to take a discreet bath of urban leisure but also to discover the secrets of its traditions, its wine and its gastronomy.
FLOWERS AND BUTTERFLIES
In Funchal life runs in spring mode. And nothing better to verify it than to walk through the Municipal Garden, the oldest in the place, where Plants grow from all corners of the world. The convent of San Francisco was erected here at the time of the discovery, when Madeira was an obligatory stop for those sailors who arrived with exotic specimens willing to make a famous local saying come true: "In these lands you plant a stick and immediately flowers come out."
The truth is jacarandas and tipuanas perfume walks through the old town, always in the direction of Cathedral, once a symbol of Portuguese maritime power and today epicenter of commercial transfer. In the Manueline style, it was built in the 15th century with the stones of the nearby cape Girau, the highest cliff in Europe, at the top of which one defies vertigo by walking on a suspended glass platform.
DELICIOUS BITES
The Town Hall and the Jesuit Church They are other landmarks of the center, very appropriate to awaken that gusa that promotes the transit without rest through the cobbled streets. By then the sweet tooth will have chosen between the artisanal chocolates of UauCacau (the one with pitanga and English tomato is irresistible) or the typical bolo de mel de the Santo Antonio Factory, which has been making these and other delicacies since 1893 (jams, cinnamon cookies, ginger, beer...) with the usual recipe.
Exotic fruits, flowers of a thousand colors, vendors in traditional costumes...
For those who are not weak with sweets, the option will be to have an aperitif on the terrace of Or Calhau or opt for a black sword fish sandwich (the king of fish in Madeira) in the informal Cristalina Chique bar.
TROPICAL EXPLOSION
Thus, with a relaxed palate, we will have reached the famous Two Farmers Market. Better, because here the prices are not the cheapest, although the visit itself is well worth it. Exotic fruits, flowers of a thousand colors, vendors in traditional costumes and a cheerful and popular noise as in a constant party.
Now yes, you want a drink. And since we are in Funchal, let it be from poncha, the drink for which there is always the perfect moment: at the aperitif, in the afternoon, after work... A mix of rum, honey and lemon that in the bar Bento Pharmacy They serve fresh and delicious, accompanied by lupins.
If it is too strong, it will always remain Madeira wine, to which Napoleon himself is said to have fallen exhausted. A wine whose history is perfectly understood in Blandy's cellars, in the heart of the old town, where a British family has been making its wines since the 19th century.
Two kilometers of zigzag slopes on which the 'carreiros' slide wicker sledges
CLIMB TO HEAVEN
Funchal must be seen from above, chaotic and motley, a labyrinth of rooftops and plane trees that plunge into the ocean. This is how it is currency from the cable car that ascends to Monte, the small town perched on top of the hillside at 550 meters above sea level.
Fifteen minutes are what it takes to stand next to the church of Nossa Senhora da Assunção, where the island aristocracy built their mansions and where it is preserved intact the Tropical Garden of Monte, with about 100,000 plant species.
Then of course it comes the exciting descent in charge of the famous carriers. Two kilometers of zigzag slopes on which wicker sledges slide pushed by friendly gentlemen dressed in white and wearing straw hats.
This tradition is in Funchal's DNA as is the art of hand embroidery, which is still domestic and is passed down from mother to daughter. Must visit Bordal's workshop to discover the secrets of this trade (design, cut, dye...) developed by some 400 embroiderers, who not only create table linens and bedding but also they also serve Chanel, Dior and royal houses.
IN SEARCH OF ART
Funchal also boasts of street art in the Santa Maria street, once an ugly and degraded area that some young artists managed to revitalize. For this they created THE OPEN DOOR ART PROJECT, with which they covered the doors of houses and shops with color, giving the place a breath of fresh air.
The arTE portas aBertas project covered the doors of houses and shops with color
Today is fashion street, flanked by bars and restaurants such as Santa Maria. Here we can taste a delicious menu that combines the best sushi in town with the classic bolo do caco, a typically Madeiran bread spread with garlic butter.
Art is what we also find in the Design Center by Nini Andrade Silva , in a wonderful building open to the waters of the Atlantic. a multispace (exhibition centre, laboratory of ideas, restaurant...) in which the artist, interior designer and decorator brings together a permanent collection of pieces that are pure inspiration. She is the most famous character on the island for a reason, with permission (of course) from Cristiano Ronaldo.