MERCADO DOS LAVRADORES

The "Ploughmen's Market" is located in the square of the same name, at the entrance to the old town. It's the biggest market on the island... and also the most popular with tourists! It's impossible to miss this building, inaugurated in 1940 and representative of the New State (Portuguese Salazarist fascist period). A must-see, at least for the pleasure of your eyes and to take some great photos! Particularly lively in the mornings and on Fridays, the market charms with its festival of colors and smells, attracting large numbers of tourists around 10:30 a.m.: come earlier if you don't like crowds (as we said, it's very touristy after that!).

Flowers. Take a stroll through the flower market in the central patio, with its saleswomen in traditional costumes. They can pack the pretty flowers (birds of paradise/estrelícias, tongues of fire/antúrios, orchids/orquídeas, proteas...) for your return trip (if this is, of course, authorized by your airline).

Praça de peixe. In the morning, the fish market is also worth a visit. A cheerful fishmonger, with a 30kg tuna in one hand and a machete in the other, harangues the shoppers, while next door, an "espada" is weighed dead, its tail curled in its beak. Now's your chance to see this fish cooked to perfection!

Tropical fruits. Upstairs, you'll find a profusion of colorful, fragrant exotic fruits (including the little-known English tomatoes, banana-pineapples, banana-apples, anones, Cayenne cherries...) and tropical vegetables (chayote, manioc...), as well as a small herb market; downstairs, a few other greengrocers and stores selling spirits, liqueurs, sweets, postcards and souvenirs. Don't miss this market on traditional Christmas Fridays, for the Market Festival, a major event in Funchal's festive season, captivating crowds well into the night with carols, entertainment and kiosks spilling out into the heart of town.

Too touristy? Beware: even if some of the stalls offer you a friendly taste of their products, compare prices and quality before making up your mind, and avoid stalls without price signs, which often operate on a customer-by-customer basis. Many visitors cry "rip-off" after having their hand forced and having bought a maracujá at full price! Beware, or take a look around for the pleasure of your eyes... Fruit is generally much cheaper at the small stalls that set up shop on the street (with much less choice, however!).