Funchal is the capital of the Atlantic island of Madeira and is situated in a natural, picturesque bay, surrounded by steep mountain slopes. With churches, palaces, mansions, museums and magnificent gardens, it is a city of both character and history.

The Museum Of Religious Art is to be found in the former bishop’s palace. The sugar trade with Antwerp meant that paintings and other works of art could be used as payment. Madeira has long been famous for its wine, stored in wooden barrels to mature and then exported all over the world. In the old rooms of a former monastery, it is pressed, matured and celebrated.

At the beginning of a valley, São Vicente lies hidden beyond the steep slopes of the northern coastline. The tastefully restored centre of the village contains a seventeenth century church with a Baroque interior. There are gilded carvings, tile pictures and paintings on the altar.

At an amazing acute angle, the gondola from the mountain station below the village of Achadas Da Cruz travels three hundred metres down to the coast and back. This most beautiful Baroque church on the north coast was established in São Jorge. Its external simplicity gives little hint of its internal beauty: gilded wood carvings and illusionist paintings adorn the church and its altar.

To the east of Madeira is the natural bay of Machico, the oldest settlement on the island. Today, Madeira’s third largest city extends from the coast to the hills of the wide and fertile valley of the Machico River whose inhabitants live from the cultivation of fruit, vineyards and fishing.

Its extraordinary landscapes and exotic fragrances have been captivating visitors for centuries. Madeira, wild beauty amid the Atlantic Ocean!