Funchal Madeira

The Ritz Café   

After our rather pleasant tour around the Blandy’s Madeira Wine Lodge we decided to take a wander around Funchal to walk off some of our excesses. It’s a lively and cosmopolitan city with lots of character and a wide variety of different eras of buildings. We didn’t know that there is a Ritz Café in Funchal until we stumbled upon it, and rather grand it is too!

Our route took us back along the seafront and past BV just as a cruise ship was honking its farewells.

São Tiago Fortress    

At the eastern end of the promenade is the distinctive São Tiago Fortress, or ‘Yellow Fortress’, that we had seen as we arrived at Funchal in BV a couple of days before.

Socorro Church (R) just east of the old town   

From the fortress we walked a few streets north, away from the seafront. This took us through the old town, the eastern end of which is marked by the Socorro Church. We passed that and continued along cobbled streets with low old buildings seemingly mainly owned by fishermen [Ed: certainly in a previous era].

Corpo Santo Chapel in the old town   

The area is now a focal point for nightlife with numerous cafés, bars and restaurants. Their tables spilled out onto the picturesque streets from the square outside the Corpo Santo Chapel all the way back to the newer part of the city.

As we walked along the Rua de Santa Maria enjoying the atmosphere we were, of course, accosted by nearly every restaurant maître d’ asking if we wanted to dine.

Ruined foundations of part of the southwestern rampart of the Fortress of São Filipe   

At the end of the Rua de Santa Maria we found the remains of a small fragment of the Fortress of São Filipe. It was built in 1581 to try to protect Funchal’s bay after it had been attacked by French corsairs in 1566. The fort was in constant use and the focal point for defences until the last quarter of the 19^th century when it was sold off and demolished to make way for the large warehouse pictured above behind the ruins.

Fortress of São Lourenço    

Back in the main part of the city, we passed by the Fortress of São Lourenço which had been built between 1529 and 1540 and was Funchal’s first fortress. It was overrun during the attacked by French corsairs in 1566 and so its weak land-side was fortified and expanded from 1567-95 and then further defences added in 1600. The fortress has always been where the captains and governors of the island reside. Today it continues as the official residence of the Portuguese Republic Representative for the Autonomous Region and of the Military Commander and, as such, houses the support services for these 2 offices.

Replica of the Santa Maria,
Christopher Columbus’ ship    

That brought us neatly back to the marina area where we watched an apparently authentic replica of the Santa Maria, Christopher Columbus’ ship, [Ed: except for the engine!] make its way back into port. Happy that we had had a successfully touristy day we retreated back on board BV for sundowners.

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal