Funchal Madeira Island Portugal

660 Cruises availables At departure or passage at this port

Celebrity Cruises (26 Cruises)

Costa Cruises (77 Cruises)

Costa Smeralda

6900 Passengers
182700 tons
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1 March 7 days Round-trip Canary Islands Costa Smeralda Sta Cruz Tenerife
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1 March 7 days Round-trip from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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5 March 8 days Round-trip from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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12 March 8 days Round-trip from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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12 March 8 days Round-trip Canary Islands Costa Smeralda Las Palmas Gran Canaria
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14 March 6 days Round-trip Canary Islands Spain Madeira Costa Smeralda Sta Cruz Tenerife
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15 March 7 days Round-trip Canary Islands Spain Madeira Costa Smeralda Sta Cruz Tenerife
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15 March 7 days Round-trip from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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26 March 8 days Round-trip from Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain
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28 March 11 days One-way from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Genoa
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28 March 5 days Round-trip Canary Islands Madeira Costa Smeralda Sta Cruz Tenerife
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28 March 17 days One-way from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Civitavecchia-Rome
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29 March 5 days Round-trip Canary Islands Madeira Costa Smeralda Sta Cruz Tenerife
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29 March 18 days One-way from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Civitavecchia-Rome
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29 March 6 days Round-trip from Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain
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29 March 12 days One-way from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Genoa
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29 March 11 days One-way from Santa Cruz de Tenerife to Marseille
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Cunard (57 Cruises)

Cruise Cunard Queen Victoria Ship

Queen Victoria

2057 Passengers
90000 tons
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Explora Journeys (27 Cruises)

Explora II

Explora II

63900 tons
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MSC Cruises (189 Cruises)

msc fantasia cruise ship

MSC Fantasia

4363 Passengers
137936 tons
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Norwegian Cruise Line (14 Cruises)

Oceania Cruises (38 Cruises)

Ponant (19 Cruises)

Princess Cruises (35 Cruises)

Regent Seven Seas Cruises (38 Cruises)

Seabourn Cruise Line (30 Cruises)

Silversea Cruises (22 Cruises)

Viking Ocean Cruises (14 Cruises)

Windstar Cruises (40 Cruises)

Wind Spirit

Wind Spirit

249 Passengers
5736 tons
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Funchal Madeira Portugal | Atlantic Cruise Destination Guide

Madeira rises out of the Atlantic like a green mountain, and Funchal occupies the island's finest seat: an amphitheatre of cultivated hills running down to the ocean. On approach, orange rooftops are tiered among the gardens, banana plantations climb the slopes, and the peaks catch the clouds. Few island capitals offer such an entrance from a ship's deck.

From the Pier to the Heart of the City in Fifteen Minutes

The terminal sits about a kilometre from the centre, reached on foot along the seafront promenade, between palm trees and flower beds. A pleasant quarter-hour walk is enough to reach the first shopping streets, the Sé Cathedral with its precious wood ceilings, and then the lively Mercado dos Lavradores. Beneath its azulejo-tiled galleries, this farmers' market overflows with the island's fruit, ten varieties of passion fruit, custard apples, mangoes, all there to sample on the spot, while fishmongers carve up the long black scabbardfish pulled from the deep waters offshore. The flower stalls add their birds of paradise and orchids to the morning scene.

Riding the Cable Car Up to Monte

Funchal's signature experience begins at the cable car station, on the edge of the old town. Over about fifteen minutes, the cabins rise above rooftops and ravines up to the village of Monte, offering a sweeping view over the bay, the blue of the Atlantic, and, often, the ship quietly moored below. Up there, the air cools by a few degrees, the gardens overflow with flowers, and shaded paths invite a slower pace. Wander among the frangipani and agapanthus, lean on the lookout railings, and then comes the most memorable part of the descent.

The Monte Toboggan, a Tradition on a Downhill Slide

For more than a century, Monte's carreiros have been sending passengers gliding down the slope aboard wicker toboggans mounted on wooden runners. Dressed in white, straw boaters on their heads, these two drivers steer the sled down the sloping streets for about two kilometres, braking with the soles of their shoes using a skill passed down through generations. The ride ends at Livramento, about two kilometres above the centre: from there, it's back down by taxi, or on foot for the sturdy-legged. Smiles are all but guaranteed at the finish, even among the most skeptical riders.

Wandering the Old Town

Back down below, the old town is well worth lingering in. Its cobbled lanes line up restaurants and workshops, and Rua de Santa Maria has made a specialty of doors painted by local artists, an open-air gallery that keeps changing from year to year. Between the façades, narrow passages offer glimpses of the ocean, a constant reminder that Funchal lives facing out to sea. It's the perfect neighbourhood to sample Madeiran flavours: beef skewers grilled on bay laurel branches, warm bolo do caco slathered in garlic butter, and the famous Madeira wine, dry or sweet, offered for tasting in several cellars around the centre.

An Island That Makes You Want to Stay

Many passengers head back aboard with the same confession: one day simply isn't enough. The levadas, those irrigation channels turned hiking trails, the villages of the north, the cliffs, and the natural pools will have to wait for another visit. That may well be Funchal's true strength: packing into just a few hours a sampler so convincing that visitors leave already planning their return, hiking boots in the suitcase this time.

Frequently Asked Questions

At the Funchal cruise terminal, about one kilometre from the city centre. Ships come alongside: no tender is involved, you step straight onto the pier.
Yes, in about fifteen pleasant minutes along the seafront promenade, between palm trees and flower beds. The route is flat and well signed; a taxi or shuttle only matters for those who walk with difficulty.
The classic trio: the farmers' market, the cable car up to Monte, then the wicker toboggan ride down. With the time left, the old town and Rua Santa Maria. It fits into half a day without rushing, provided you start early.
The farmers' market, under azulejo-tiled galleries right in the centre. The stalls overflow with island fruit, ten varieties of passion fruit, custard apples, mangoes, all tasted on the spot, while fishmongers slice the long black scabbardfish from the deep. Flower stalls add birds of paradise and orchids.
The station sits on the edge of the old town and the ride takes about fifteen minutes. Cabins rise above the rooftops and ravines to the village of Monte, with a sweeping view over the bay and, often, over your ship berthed below.
A descent in a wicker sled on wooden runners, steered by two carreiros dressed in white with straw boaters. The run covers about two kilometres through the sloping streets and ends at Livramento, roughly two kilometres above the centre: from there you continue by taxi or on foot.
The euro. Cards are taken everywhere in shops, restaurants and attractions downtown. Keep some cash for market stalls and tips.
Portuguese. English is widely understood in tourism, hotels and taxis; French less so, but it turns up. Madeira has welcomed cruise passengers for a long time and staff are used to foreign visitors.
Almost any time of year: Madeira has a mild, steady climate with no dead season. Spring brings the gardens to their peak and autumn stays warm. The peaks catch cloud in every season, so the view from Monte can come down to a matter of minutes.
Very much so. The cable car and the wicker toboggan appeal to children and adults alike, the centre is walkable, and the market takes no effort. Just be aware the toboggan is not a supervised ride: two men brake it with the soles of their boots.