Experience in Funchal, Portugal by Mariana

What is it like to live in Funchal? Would you recommend it? What is the city like?

I was born and raised in Funchal, so I might not be the most objective person to talk about it. However, I can say that I loved growing up there. Funchal is a small, beautifull city. Most of its inhabitants are very nice but only the youger population will be able to talk to you in english. So learning portuguese is a must if you want to live there. Funchal is the third major city on Portugal, so you will have all your necessities fulfilled with the plus of having a nice view and a lot of green around you all day, all year. It is also a city with lots of beaches and the climate is moderate during all year, so you will probably be able to take your first swim of the year right in the beggining of january. You can also drive for 30 minutes and find yourself above the clouds, in the middle of a tropical florest or in a completelly desert beach. However, when it comes to entertainment, there is not much to do. You can always take 'levadas' (long walks through the mountains) or go to the beach but appart from tham there are not many museums and special attractions. Madeira is a place to relax and take life easily!

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How much does it cost to live in Funchal?

Funchal uses the Euro and the cost of living is not very high, just like in the rest of Portugal. That is because the salaries are very low too.

What is the food like? What are your favourite dishes?

Madeira people have a long and rich food culture. We have our own bread - bolo do caco - which we heat on the stone and serve with garlic butter. There is the 'espetada', that consists of pieces of meat roasted on the barbecue, served with 'milho frito' (fried corn). We also have the 'picado' which is a dish with small and tender peaces of meat, mushrooms and chips with lots of sause. There is also 'bolo de mel', a cake made with sugar cane honey, and 'poncha', a traditional and very alcoholic drink.

Is it good to eat out in Funchal? Can you tell us your favourite spots?

We have lots of great restaurants through the island. Try to avoid the hotels area since the food is 'for tourists' and is usually expensive and not that traditional. You should ask people from Madeira where to eat. You can eat a great espetada with milho frito and bolo do caco for a fare price at Reastaurante As Vides, on Estreito de Câmara de Lobos. You can find a good picado at Beer Garden restaurant, near Praia Formosa. You can drink a great poncha at Venda Velha or Number Two.

Is the nightlife good in Funchal? Where is good to go?

The nightlife in Funchal is not very interesting. You can go to Copacabana in the Casino or to Vespas, a large space divided in three separate clubs: Vespas plays commercial music, Jam plays music from the 80's and 90's and Marginal offers electronic music. You can also go to Zona Velha to hang out on the street, where there are a lot of bars. The peak of Funchal's nightlife is during august, when the 'arraiais' take term. Throughout all the island there are popular parties going on, and a lot of people gathers to listen to popular music and to drink poncha and vinho seco. The most popular parties are on Santo da Serra and Lameiros, at the begging of the month, or São Vicente at the end.

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