Madeira's almost five-century-old capital is said to have been named 'Funchal' because of the abundance of fennel (funcho) that was growing there.

Funchal is located in an absolutely unique area. The amphitheatre of Funchal city begins at the harbour and rises almost 1200 m high on gentle slopes. This provides a natural shelter and was what once attracted the first settlers.

The best harbour and the best climate combined with an excellent geographical position allowed Funchal to have a rapid population growth.
Today Funchal is a very modern city with over 104.000 inhabitants. This does however mean that traffic congestion in the centre can become sometimes quite confusing.

The city can easily be explored by foot and no matter where your hotel is located (as long as it is in the Funchal tourist area) you will find no difficulty in walking into the city centre to delight at its sights and sounds.

Probably the most central point is the ‘Sé’ Cathedral. Built between 1493 and 1514 by Gil Eanes it represents one of Madeira's numerous treasures.