48 hours in FUNCHAL
Homes & Antiques|November 2024
Jenny Oldaker discovers Madeira's capital to be an elegant, artistic place with wide open spaces, verdant beauty spots and a picture-perfect sea-facing location...
48 hours in FUNCHAL

Dogged by a dismissive characterisation as the domain of 'newlyweds and nearly deads', Madeira is, these days, rightly shaking off its staid reputation. This sub-tropical Portuguese island has all the exotic flora, epic scenery and historic places that have long attracted visitors, but its lively gastronomic scene, burgeoning culture of arts and impressive line in active pursuits are gaining renown, and today the island offers a much livelier getaway than one might imagine.

Its capital, Funchal, is leading the charge in changing the island's standing. This refined, welcoming place is, in many ways, a tickall-boxes holiday destination, balancing all the culture and excitement of a city break with seafront tranquility, green spaces and endless views - not to mention an alluring climate, particularly its mild winter temperatures.

Funchal's geographic position - gently spread down the mountainside and across a natural 'amphitheatre' - is part of its charm, giving the place an open feel as it gazes out towards the Atlantic. Cable cars roll languidly up from the seafront to the district of Monte, while Funchal's streets are packed with bars and restaurants, and its sophisticated centre boasts shops, galleries and museums that could keep any visitor occupied for days.

See Museums

This story is from the November 2024 edition of Homes & Antiques.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2024 edition of Homes & Antiques.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HOMES & ANTIQUESView All
48 hours in FUNCHAL
Homes & Antiques

48 hours in FUNCHAL

Jenny Oldaker discovers Madeira's capital to be an elegant, artistic place with wide open spaces, verdant beauty spots and a picture-perfect sea-facing location...

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
LUKE HONEY'S Enthusiasms
Homes & Antiques

LUKE HONEY'S Enthusiasms

On an autumn day in 1783, a sheep, a duck, and a rooster became the first living creatures to fly in a hot air balloon.

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Collecting NUTCRACKERS
Homes & Antiques

Collecting NUTCRACKERS

Not just for Christmas, these nostalgic keepsakes come in an abundance of novelty shapes and styles, offering character and affordability for budding collectors

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
WHY I COLLECT Medals
Homes & Antiques

WHY I COLLECT Medals

Oliver Miller, managing director of Bishop & Miller Auctioneers and Valuers, is fascinated by medals - for him it's all about the preservation of stories for future generations...

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
Fashionably CURATED
Homes & Antiques

Fashionably CURATED

Roni Lang's home in Deal, situated above her clothing store, is every bit as creative and stylish as you'd expect from a fashion designer

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Work life balance
Homes & Antiques

Work life balance

Lucy and Guy Rutter - a ceramicist and artist respectively - have found the ideal place to live and work: a Victorian property in Faversham attached to a once-neglected studio...

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
Farm FUSION
Homes & Antiques

Farm FUSION

A farmhouse near Cape Town has been given a rustic-meets-industrial makeover, using found materials and objects, as well as treasures brought back from afar

time-read
2 mins  |
November 2024
SAVVY Sophistication
Homes & Antiques

SAVVY Sophistication

Affordable and intriguing charity shop and eBay finds are teamed with statement pieces in this impressive Victorian home in West Yorkshire

time-read
3 mins  |
November 2024
DARREN APPIAGYEI
Homes & Antiques

DARREN APPIAGYEI

The wood artist talks to Dominique Corlett about seed pods, creative reinvention and the life-enhancing feeling of turning a lathe

time-read
4 mins  |
November 2024
Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS
Homes & Antiques

Collecting Dioramas MINIATURE WORLDS

From elaborate taxidermy museum displays to humble folk art creations, a diorama can transport us to another time and place

time-read
4 mins  |
Special 2024