RunCity

Funchal on foot: a self-guided walking route

This route takes you past 8 of Funchal's best-known sights, including Town Hall Square, Funchal Cathedral, São Lourenço Palace and more. It is about 6.5 km on foot, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Follow the list on your own, or play it as a free GPS checkpoint game with RunCity and race the clock on the Funchal leaderboard.

  • 8Stops
  • about 6.5 kmDistance
  • 2 hoursWalking
  • about 55 minRunning
Play Funchal in RunCity

Free during launch. Runs in your phone's browser; the app is in English, German and Hungarian.

Funchal
Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak · CC BY-SA 4.0

Funchal is Madeira's capital, climbing steeply from the harbour into the hills, and this route of about 6.5 km runs from Monte down to the sea. It starts at the bonus stop, the twin-towered Our Lady of Monte Church at the top of its steps, reached by the cable car from the seafront; the famous wicker toboggans run down from here. In town, the patterned pavement of Town Hall Square, the cathedral with its carved cedar ceiling and the São Lourenço Palace above the harbour road are close together.

The Municipal Garden is a shady break, and the marina wall is covered in paintings left by visiting sailors. The Mercado dos Lavradores, with blue tile panels at its entrance, sells exotic fruit and the morning's fish, and the route ends at the yellow Fort São Tiago at the edge of the old town, where the doors of Rua de Santa Maria are painted by local artists.

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Download the route as GPX (for Komoot, Strava or a watch)

The stops

A suggested order. In the game you can visit them in any order.

  1. Our Lady of Monte Church

    Our Lady of Monte Church Bonus Photo

    The twin-towered church at the top of the steps on the hill.

    Photo: Olbertz 21:33, 7. Dez. 2010 (CET) · CC BY-SA 3.0

  2. Town Hall Square

    Town Hall Square

    The patterned pavement of the square in front of the town hall.

    Photo: Ввласенко · CC BY-SA 3.0

  3. Funchal Cathedral

    Funchal Cathedral Photo

    The cathedral's stone tower and its pointed spire.

    Photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

  4. São Lourenço Palace

    São Lourenço Palace Photo

    The fortress-palace with its corner towers above the harbour road.

    Photo: H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0

  5. Municipal Garden

    Municipal Garden

    The shady garden with its pond and fountain.

    Photo: Dr. Thomas Liptak · CC BY-SA 4.0

  6. Marina do Funchal

    Marina do Funchal

    The yachts and the wall painted by visiting sailors.

    Photo: Stephen Colebourne · CC BY 2.0

  7. Mercado dos Lavradores

    Mercado dos Lavradores Photo

    The market hall's entrance with its blue tile panels.

    Photo: Luke H. Gordon · CC BY 2.0

  8. Fort São Tiago

    Fort São Tiago Photo

    The yellow fort on the sea front at the edge of the old town.

    Photo: H. Zell · CC BY-SA 3.0

Play Funchal in RunCity

Leaderboard

    Questions

    Can you see Funchal on foot in one day?

    Yes. The 8 stops on this route add up to about 6.5 km, roughly 2 hours at an easy pace with short stops. Some stops are far apart, so you may want public transport for a leg.

    Is this self-guided walking tour free?

    Yes. The route and map on this page are free, and the RunCity game for Funchal is free during launch.

    How does the RunCity game work in Funchal?

    Open Funchal in RunCity, walk to a stop and tap Validate: your phone's GPS confirms you are there. Some stops also ask for a photo. Timed runs go on the Funchal leaderboard.

    Where does the route start?

    This page suggests starting at Our Lady of Monte Church and finishing at Fort São Tiago. In the game you can take the stops in any order.

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