| Funchal | |||
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Funchal
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| Coordinates: 32°39′4″N 16°54′35″W / 32.65111°N 16.90972°W | |||
| Country | Portugal | ||
| Region | Madeira Autonomous Region | ||
| Founded | 15th century, 16th century as city | ||
| Government | |||
| - Presidente da Câmara Municipal do Funchal (President of the City Council of Funchal) | Miguel Filipe Machado de Albuquerque (PSD) | ||
| Area | |||
| - Land | 76.25 km2 (29.4 sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 277.32 km2 (107.1 sq mi) | ||
| Population | |||
| - City | 100,847 | ||
| - Density | 1,323/km2 (3,426.6/sq mi) | ||
| - Metro | 186,929 | ||
| - Metro Density | 674/km2 (1,745.7/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | WET (UTC+0) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | WEST (UTC+1) | ||
| Postal code | 9000 | ||
| Area code(s) | 351 (Portugal) + 291 (Madeira) | ||
| Website | [1] and [2] | ||
Funchal (Portuguese pronunciation: [fũˈʃaɫ]), population 100,526[1], is the chief city of Madeira Island and the capital and largest city of the Madeira Autonomous Region, Portugal.
With its neighbouring boroughs (municipalities) of Câmara de Lobos, Santa Cruz, Machico and Ribeira Brava the town has over 150,000 inhabitants. It is the most populous Portuguese city outside mainland Portugal. The Funchal conurbation includes the cities of Funchal, Câmara de Lobos, Caniço and Santa Cruz, all on the south side of Madeira.
Funchal lies in a natural "amphitheatre"-shaped geographic bowl, with gentle slopes beginning at the harbour and rising almost 1200 metres. This provides a natural shelter that attracted the first settlers. Funchal is a cosmopolitan and panoramic city, with parks, shops and hotels.
Funchal has been Madeira's capital for more than five centuries, and is said to have been named because of the abundance of fennel (funcho in Portuguese) growing there.[2]
The Funchal Municipality includes the Savage Islands (Ilhas Selvagens), a nature reserve 160 km (100 mi) south of Funchal.
A highway provides access to Câmara de Lobos and Ribeira Brava to the west, and Santa Cruz and Machico to the east.
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Funchal was founded by João Gonçalves Zarco in 1421 and was elevated to city status by King Manuel I of Portugal in 1508. In the early 1400s, Álvaro Fernandes was the commander of Funchal. In the 16th century Funchal was important as a stopping place between the Indies and the New World.It was the port for Madeiran sugar and wine. As the Catholic Encyclopedia relates:[3]
Funchal was once to the Portuguese what Gibraltar, St. Helena, and Malta now are to the English. Therefore they garrisoned the city, though naturally defended by its rugged cliffs, and built there four impregnable fortresses.
The harbour of Funchal is the busiest in Madeira. Cruise ships, boats and yachts call there, as it has been for many years, being also the second busiest one in Portugal, after Lisbon.
Madeira Airport, often known as Funchal Airport/Madeira/Santa Catarina Airport (code: FNC), is located east of the city, in the municipality of Santa Cruz. The airport was one of the most dangerous airports in the world due to the limited flat space in close proximity to cliffs, but the extension of the runway on concrete pillars in the sea has improved safety.
The municipality (Município) and city (Cidade) of Funchal coexist as one. Its urban area sprawls from the harbour on the Atlantic to the mountain and hills above. There are ten parishes/paroquias:
The most populated is Santo António. Sé is where the cathedral is located, in the old city center.
The see of the Roman Catholic Bishop of Funchal includes all of the Autonomous Region of Madeira. The diocese is a suffragan see under the Archdiocese of Lisbon. The cathedral of the diocese is the Cathedral of Funchal, located in the freguesia of Sé.
| Weather data for Funchal | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) |
19.1 (66) |
19.1 (66) |
19.5 (67) |
19.6 (67) |
20.9 (70) |
22.3 (72) |
24.3 (76) |
25.6 (78) |
25.7 (78) |
24.2 (76) |
22.0 (72) |
20.0 (68) |
21.8 (71) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) |
16.1 (61) |
16.0 (61) |
16.2 (61) |
16.5 (62) |
17.7 (64) |
19.4 (67) |
21.1 (70) |
22.2 (72) |
22.3 (72) |
20.9 (70) |
18.8 (66) |
17.0 (63) |
18.6 (65) |
| Average low °C (°F) |
13.1 (56) |
12.8 (55) |
13.0 (55) |
13.4 (56) |
14.6 (58) |
16.5 (62) |
18.0 (64) |
18.9 (66) |
18.9 (66) |
17.6 (64) |
15.6 (60) |
13.9 (57) |
15.5 (60) |
| Precipitation cm (inches) |
10.27 (4) |
8.72 (3.4) |
6.36 (2.5) |
3.89 (1.5) |
1.89 (0.7) |
1.19 (0.5) |
0.25 (0.1) |
0.31 (0.1) |
3.67 (1.4) |
7.50 (3) |
10.08 (4) |
9.99 (3.9) |
64.12 (25.2) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 91 |
| Source: World Meteorological Organization (UN)[4]. | |||||||||||||
Today Funchal is a major tourist town, with hotels, port, and an international airport Funchal Airport (FNC), located in the nearby municipality of Santa Cruz.
Besides the city of Funchal, tourist destinations include: Ribeira Brava, Curral das Freiras, Porto Moniz, Santana, the Laurisilva forest, a UNESCO Natural Site, in the center of Madeira Island and the beaches in Porto Santo island. There is also a passenger gondola lift (Funchal Passenger Ropeway), that transports people from the lower section of the city to the suburb of Monte.
Funchal is twinned with:
Gibraltar
Honolulu in USA Oakland in
USA New
Bedford in USA Maui in USA
Herzliya in Israel
Saint Helier in Jersey
Leichlingen in Germany
Cape Town in South Africa
Santos in Brazil
Marrickville in Australia| North: Santana | Northeast: Machico | |
| West: Câmara de
Lobos |
Funchal | East: Santa Cruz |
| South: Atlantic Ocean |
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Coordinates: 32°39′04″N 16°54′35″W / 32.65111°N 16.90972°W
Funchal is the capital and main city, of the autonomous region of Madeira, on the island of Madeira, situated in the south between Santa Cruz and Camara de Lobos cities.
The city's name comes from the abundance of fennel (funcho) found on the island. It was an important shipping center during the 15th-17th centuries. It is one of the most beautiful cities in Portugal.
Funchal Airport (IATA: FNC) is in nearby Santa Cruz, sometimes known as Madeira international/Santa Catarina/Funchal. Once famous for its hair-raisingly short runway ending at a cliff over the Atlantic Ocean, the airport has been expanded to handle all sizes of aircraft. There are several daily flights from most major cities in Portugal (Lisbon,Porto). Flight time from Lisbon is 1 1/2 hours. Also, there are good connections from London (mostly Gatwick)(LGW), with TAP/ Air Portugal(TP) and British Airways(BA); its flying time is estimated at 3 1/2 hours.
The city centre is small enough to explore on foot. Orange city buses can take you around and up to Monte (lines 20, 21). Buy a giro card from the office for 2,20€, it is already preloaded with two journeys and can be topped up with additional journeys for 1,50€ a piece. Most city buses start from the waterfront area.
Must go places to visit in Funchal Top places to visit in Funchal
Visit the fair/market; old port; jardim; casino. Enjoy Birdwatching.
Flowers & fruit (check with the airline/ship if they can be brought abroad).
The island is world-famous for its wines. Several stores offer varying selections. Consult Wikipedia [2] and other sites for details.
Funchal has an abundance of good, if not necessarily cheap, eating places. Most places serve traditional Madeiran and Portuguese food, which is well-prepared and well-tasting, but not terribly exciting. One of the most typical dishes and served almost everywhere, is espada com banana, scabbard fish with banana. It is usually served with fresh salad and potatoes. A bit more expensive, bacalhau (dried, salted codfish) is served in many restaurants. One of the more common, and best, varieties is "bacalhau com natas", codfish in cream sauce.
Inquire at the hotel for English, Germanic, Scandinavian pubs/bars.
Not the party capital of the world. Most of bars are very quiet. No decent Irish bars. Some think the best bar is Glorias Latino.
During low season (winter) prices may drop significantly, e.g., from 50€ to 35€. Time around Christmas is high-season.
Remember...it`s an island...
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Category: Outline articles
FUNCHAL, the capital of the Portuguese archipelago of the Madeiras; on the south coast of Madeira, in 32° 37' N. and 16° 54' W. Pop. (1900) 20,850. Funchal is the see of a bishop, in the archiepiscopal province of Lisbon; it is also the administrative centre of the archipelago, and the residence of the governor and foreign consuls. The city has an attractive appearance from the sea. Its whitewashed houses, in their gardens full of tropical plants, are built along the curving shore of Funchal Bay, and on the lower slopes of an amphitheatre of mountains, which form a background 4000 ft. high. Numerous country houses (quintas), with terraced gardens, vineyards and sugar-cane plantations occupy the surrounding heights. Three mountain streams traverse the city through deep channels, which in summer are dry, owing to the diversion of the water for irrigation. A small fort, on an isolated rock off shore, guards the entrance to the bay, and a larger and more powerfully armed fort crowns an eminence inland. The chief buildings include the cathedral, Anglican and Presbyterian churches, hospitals, opera-house, museum and casino. There are small public gardens and a meteorological observatory. In the steep and narrow streets, which are lighted by electricity, wheeled traffic is impossible; sledges drawn by oxen, and other primitive conveyances are used instead (see Madeira). In winter the fine climate and scenery attract numerous invalids and other visitors, for whose accommodation there are good hotels; many foreigners engaged in the coal and wine trades also reside here permanently. The majority of these belong to the British community, which was first established here in the 18th century. Funchal is the headquarters of Madeiran industry and commerce (see Madeira). It has no docks and no facilities for landing passengers or goods; vessels are obliged to anchor in the roadstead, which, however, is sheltered from every wind except the south. Funchal is connected by cable with Carcavellos (for Lisbon), Porthcurnow (for Falmouth, England) and St Vincent in the Cape Verde Islands (for Pernambuco, Brazil).
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| | Street map from Mapquest - Map of Latitude: 32.633 Longitude: -16.9833, by MapQuest |
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