Gardens, Sleds & More

Today we finally took it easy. Slept in, had a late breakfast, and then hopped on the bus straight into Funchal – the stop is right outside the hotel, super convenient.
We took the cable car over the city, which was such a cool ride, and at the top we wandered through the tropical garden. It was beautiful up there. In the morning it was cloudy and cold, almost like walking through a jungle. The 15 euros entrance fee isn’t exactly cheap, but I’d say it was worth it.

Going back down, we tried the wicker sleds. My friend really wanted to, so I went along. It was fun, but honestly? 35 euros plus a tip for the two guys pushing us felt like a lot. And of course, in proper tourist fashion, we also bought the photos – two of them – for another 10 euros. In the end we spent 48.50, which felt a bit too much. Especially since we still had to walk down a long, steep street afterwards. I think I would’ve preferred the round-trip cable car for 20 euros and just ended up back at the harbor.

Later we wandered around the old town, peeked into the cathedral, stopped at the Ritz for a cocktail and some garlic bread, and checked out the big Madeira sign by the harbor – loved it.
Our last stop was the Mercado dos Lavradores. Unfortunately, we were too late for the fish market, which I really would’ve liked to see.Read more