Funchal Sports & Outdoors

It you want to enjoy an easy Levada walk not far from Funchal and visit a delightful tea house then the Levada Dos Tornos is a great choice. The walk is easy and only takes about 90 minutes. Take the number 29 yellow town bus to Curral dos Romeiros Terminus. Go up the steps to the levada and turn right, just follow the water and you can't go wrong and its well signposted along the route. It passes some delightful colonial style private houses - called quintas -on route too. After about 90 minutes you will see the sign for Jasmin tea houses with steps down to it on the left hand side).

To return to Funchal there is a bus stop right outside the front drive of the tea house - number 47 takes you back into town.

Snorkeling to find Lapas. Lapas are a sort of clams that live on the rocks in the ocean. Once every two weeks we go to the rocky shores with our bags and gear. We also bring some charcoal and have a little nature BBQ. It's nice to end the day by drinking from one of the natural springs.
Optional you can take a harpoon with you and try to catch some fish to throw on the BBQ. A crab is easily caught too.
But you need a license to harpoon... but keep the beach clean *

Equipment: Mask
Tube
diving bag
Knife

The compact town of Funchal is easy to get around, and the ideal place to explore on foot. Funchal is Portugal, and yet it is a culture unto itself. Historical buildings to stroll around include the 15th century cathedral, numerous churches, elegant colonial houses and the charming cobbled streets reveal delights at every turn. Nature lovers will appreciate the rich array of tropical plants found throughout Funchal. Time to explore it!

We can honestly state that the best way to explore Funchal is by foot and the second best way is also by foot! Besides giving you the opportunity to roam the narrow streets and the cosy squares, it is the quickest way too. If you really want to, you can cross the city in approximately 45 minutes. Remember that sometimes it might be quicker (and nicer!) to take a few short-cuts into picturesque alleys instead of following the masses of tourists. Maybe this is easy for us to say as we stayed for a longer period of time and not like most of the tourists only for one day. But even when your stay is rather short, do try to get away from the crowds and just have a 'look around'. Funchal is simply a perfect place to walk for a few hours and pretending to know where you are.

Equipment: Have a look at our Funchal Packing List.

Madeira has two golf courses. I went to the Palheiro Golf. This is situated on the top of a mountain and gives a spectacular view on the ocian in 3 directions from any hole.

Equipment: You can bring your own clubs, but it seems that the club can provide you with some equipment as well.

Most people try to rush Funchal on a budget so they end up missing some of the highlights in a whirlwind. The key to seeing Funchal properly is a game plan, you must know what you want to see before setting out. Before we visited Funchal we saw on a city map that the small town of Funchal is divided into three district areas - the historical downtown, the Marina / Funchal Promenade and the residential areas in the hills. We visited the city three times, every time we hiked our way through one of the districts.

Our first hike was the area where the city is built against the stunning backdrop of the magnificent hills. It was quite strenious, but definately worth while! We had some beautiful views at the city and saw a number of very charming little quintas. While most tour guides don't recommend getting lost in the hills, this part of Funchal is the place to get hopelessly lost for half a day. We wondered off through mysterious and steep alleyways leading us away from the crowds. We ended up at Quinta Vigia, Santa Catarina Park, Fortaleza do Pico, Quinta das Cruzes, mazes of hilly backstreets and deserted gardens. The real Funchal?

Equipment: Have a look at our Funchal Packing List.

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Take time to meander - losing yourself in the maze of alleys, streets and lanes is one of the "Zona Velha", the Old Area's principal pleasures. Throughout the Zona Velha we saw the curious mixture of architectural styles left by the previous inhabitants of the islands - Venetians, British and French. The streets wind and wander with no discerrible order or object. Picturesque cobblestone alleyways are interspersed by statues, graceful churches, fountains and a great selection of local cafés where we had our lunch and by the end of the day had a nice cold beer.

The Zona Velha is about 500 years old. Because of its dependence of its defences and the mountains in the back, it was forced to develop within their narrow confines. The development in the area of this town, therefore, was very limited. So ... do meander, because the cluster of sights around Praça do Municipio are hearthclutchingly beautiful, but the more secret pleasures of the hushed backstreets are just entrancing. All this may seem very though as finding your way in Funchal might be difficult, but in really distances are short and the signs will help you in getting around. Enjoy!

Equipment: Have a look at our Funchal Packing List.

The stadium in Funchal is just next to the tourist area called 'Lido'... So if you are a football fan and on a holiday in Madeira. It's maybe worth to check out if Maritimo doesn't play at home and if you're lucky you could see games against Benfica, Porto or Sporting!

The atmosphere in the stadium is nice and non-violent!

Snorkeling to find Lapas. Lapas are a sort of clams that live on the rocks in the ocean. Once every two weeks we go to the rocky shores with our bags and gear. We also bring some charcoal and have a little nature BBQ. It's nice to end the day by drinking from one of the natural springs.
Optional you can take a harpoon with you and try to catch some fish to throw on the BBQ. A crab is easily caught too.
But you need a license to harpoon... but keep the beach clean *

Equipment: Mask
Tube
diving bag
Knife