Tourist Attractions & Monuments Madeira

With a celestial vocation but choosing other ways to reach the altitude, the 16th century parish church dedicated to São Salvador has a beautiful Gothic entrance and a rose window, and is worth a small detour. It is the second largest church on the island, after the one in Funchal. On the outside, we find the characteristic immaculate facade of the local churches, contrasted with gray stone corners, topped by an elegant Manueline bell tower. Its Gothic portal opens onto a three-aisle vessel that ends with a gilded high altar.

Built in 1425 on the initiative of the captain-donor Tristão Vaz Teixeira, the church of Nossa Senhora da Conceição has undergone several modifications over the centuries. Preceded by a five-arched portal, it now combines a single Manueline-style nave, a Mannerist apse decorated with gilded wainscotting and a Baroque style high altar in carved and gilded wood (17th century). Its rectangular bell tower decorated with a clock dates from the 19th century. The three marble columns of the side door would have been offered by King Manuel I.

This elegant Church of the Socorro, with a black lava portal emphasizing white plaster and wooden doors, opens onto an interior with four allegorical paintings with gilded frames, trompe l'oeil painted ceiling and traditional azulejos. Every May ^1st it is the starting point for a procession in honour of Santiago Menor, patron saint of Funchal, fulfilling a vow made in 1538 to stop the plague epidemic that ravaged Funchal.

The picturesque landscape between Faial and Porto da Cruz dominated by Penha d'Águia (Eagle Rock), a large green rock, is a bestseller in Madeira's postcards. A narrow road leads there, offering beautiful views over the valley. On the road (cul-de-sac) is the Galé restaurant and along the building is a popular levada for walkers. If you follow the direction "Guindaste", you will reach a mirador (superb view of the jagged coastline). For experienced walkers, the ascent of the Eagle Rock is a real challenge!

At the foot of the church of Monte, sturdy men(os carreiros) wait for the customer next to their wicker wagon, all dressed in white, with a straw hat on their head and leather boots on their feet. They guarantee a safe descent in their sled and run behind it to guide it, turn it and brake it if necessary. If the folkloric carros de cesto, these wicker sleds, are used to take tourists in search of sensations down the slope that goes to Funchal (2 km), their ancestor was for a long time the main means of locomotion in Madeira.

Next to the square, in one of the small typical houses, the tourist office of Santana is not always the most efficient, but you can still get some information, if it is not overrun by buses of excursionists and other tourists. It is also the occasion to observe a little more closely the traditional Santana houses(casas de colmo), characterized by their triangular thatched roof. Only a few houses, painted in red, white and blue, for the happiness of the tourists!

Just before the tunnel to Caniçal (at the top of the village), a path to the right leads to the peak of the peak. The opportunity for a walk or picnic. There are well-equipped tables on the Machico bay, the airport and the points on the southern coast of the island. this slope is sheltered from the wind in general, which storm on the other side.

Caniçal owes its reputation to "Prainha" (small beach), one of the few natural sandy beaches in Madeira. This one is as famous as it is tiny, the black sand adding to its charm. It is hidden in a small isolated cove, which is reached by a staircase that starts from the cliff. 300 steps to go down and then up again! Some will find the pools more pleasant, because the beach can be very quickly crowded during the beautiful days. The crystal clear water allows you to observe some fishes (if necessary, bring a mask and snorkel).

This amusement park (you have to call it that!) will appeal especially to children. On site, three multimedia pavilions ("Discover the Islands", "Fantastic Journey to Madeira" and "A World of Islands, Islands in the World"); Monte wooden carts, typical Santana houses; a craftsmen's corner and a walking tour. You can also sail on a pond with replicas of small fishing boats... In short, life is beautiful in the land of artificial paradises!

Vicente Gomes da Silva was the pioneer of photography in Portugal: he established his first workshop here in the centre of Funchal in 1848. Amateurs will discover objects dedicated to this art, as well as beautiful photos of the age, sometimes over years old.

Many walks organized (among others), due to a different one every day. The guides speak French.

Surmounted by a belvedere, the small black sand beach, Praia da Lagoa nestles in the hollow of a pretty little bay dominated by a huge rock. When the tide is high, it disappears under the waves. Swimming is possible when the water is not too choppy, preferably on the left side (facing the sea), because on the right side there is a small marigot running down from the village... Surfers take over on stormy days. On the wooden esplanade in front of the beach there are sanitary facilities. Be careful and attentive when swimming!

A natural swimming pool has been set up at the bottom of the village, at the "Foz da Ribeira do Faial". If it is less attractive than that of Porto da Cruz, its environment is more striking: a tiny bay with black sand, closed by pebbles. We can try to find a curious geological phenomenon there: basaltic oranges, perfectly regular prisms formed from the cooling of a lava sink. Don't expect a show like the Giant Carriageway in Northern Ireland.

On the western side of Porto Santo, it is, without doubt, the most beautiful cove of the island. Sunny in the afternoon (in the shade after 4 pm!), its transparent turquoise waters, caught between two cliffs, will delight both swimmers and divers. Pebble beach. It is said that it is here that Zarco landed for the first time in Porto Santo. Between the two sites of Ponta da Calheta and Zimbralinho, don't miss the Pico de los Fiores, a 183 m high lookout, offering, when the weather is clear, beautiful views of Porto Santo and the Desert Islands.

Unique on Madeira's archipelago, it is the only tide lake with rich biodiversity, a passage in their migratory path for species such as the garcia-branca-pequena (small white-sided eagle) or the macrolabel.

In a word: breathtaking! But it is one of the most difficult itineraries of the island, without being insurmountable. It is necessary to bring adequate equipment. If you don't want to do the whole hike, you should know that the Fajã da Nogueira ("Buzzard's nest") lookout point, after only a few minutes, already offers interesting views of the Fajã da Nogueira, São Roque do Faial and the central cordillera. The rest of the way, steep slopes, vertiginous paths, tunnels, stairs... You'll be amazed by the view and the experience!

It's the other tourist bus in Funchal. Hop on board this big red double-decker bus, stop wherever you like and get on whenever you like (21 stops in total). The buses leave from Avenida do Mar, in the city centre of the capital. Among the main stops are do Povo Square, da Autonomia Square, the cable car, picos dos Barcelos, the Lido hotel area and the city of Cámara de Lobos. An option to consider for those in a hurry. Audioguides in English. Departure every 30 minutes approximately.