Funchal City Square Madeira MadeiraAday October 6, 2024 I haven't spent much time in Funchal's old town on this trip. I got to know it well on my last visit but this time I'm staying far west of town. I thought I would spend some time there today, to check out some shops. This is the municipal plaza. There was a concert here on my last visit. The distinctive yellow and purple flags on the building in the back are the Funchal City flags. They're probably out because it's Republic Day weekend in Portugal. Funchal Municipal Square
Machico Madeira is actually pretty big. Much bigger than I realized before I visited the first time. That means there's a lot to see, but it also means you have to figure out how to get there. The town of Machico wasn't even on my radar before this trip, but I heard about it and figured out how to get there.
Tunnel Thanks to the levadas (irrigation weirs), which sometimes have to go through hills rather than around them, Madeira is no stranger to carving tunnels through the basalt that makes up most of the island. So, when it came to connecting up the cliff-top ocean walk with Formosa Beach, carving a pedestrian tunnel through about 100 yards of rock was no big deal.
Sunset at Formosa Beach It seemed only fitting to complement yesterday's sunrise with a sunset photo from today. It's the same beach, but taken on the opposite end as yesterday. The sun setting beyond Formosa Beach.
Sunrise over Sao Martinho Another walk along the beach this morning. At the end of Formosa beach is a small rocky area that leads out to an outcropping. Steps allow you to precariously get to the top of the rock, although this picture was taken near the bottom.
Trash Art Fair This morning I returned along the Ocean Walkway to Camara de Lobos. Since it's Sunday, I didn't need to rush back and was able to take a good look around. It turned out they were having an art fair featuring things made from “trash.