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Funchal got its name from a Lisbon Italian sailor who lived in the 16th Century. His name was Joao Zarco and he was exploring the island at that time. Funchal has three beautiful rivers named Ribeira de Joao Gomez, Ribeira de Santa Luzia and Ribeira de Sao Joao. It is truly refreshing to see them while sightseeing. Apart from the natural set up, Funchal consists of urban holiday resorts. Hotels and resorts here offer good amenities and great ambience and some have swimming pools too. Regarding travel, you can expect to travel by air as there are more than 20 flights to Funchal available every day from several international cities and about 50 flights from Funchal to other cities. Funchal is located at 15 minutes distance from the airport.

Funchal town has a commercial centre and a market along with malls containing souvenir shops. Funchal also boasts of a golf course with 18 holes. You can also try your hand at sailing and windsurfing at the marina. There are numerous casinos, bars, regular shows and cabarets. So, whatever you hope to see at Funchal you can split your trip into 5 days with nature and 2 to 3 days at the amenities that your hotel or resort offers. One of the most exciting activities of Funchal is the walk at Levada.

Levada is actually a Portuguese word that comes from a word levar that means to carry or is understood as carriageway. It also stands for a mini canal that is a part of the irrigation system created to carry water accumulated due to rainfall occurring at the wet regions towards the northern part of Madeira.

Rainwater is generally accumulated in reservoirs which are then redirected or channeled over a wide range of winding canals. These small water carriageways distribute precious water through far distances to vegetable gardens, banana plantations, vineyards and fruit orchards. The water from here also reaches the hydro electric power stations that are located all over the island. The walking path at Levada crisscrosses along the mountains and spans over 2500 km. the walking path belongs to the early 16th century and continues to be a fascinating location for numerous visitors and tourists all over the world.

The Levada Walks are mainly walking trails that run almost parallel to the maintenance paths next to the Levadas. Although these waterways were built mainly for agricultural purposes but they have become a great spot for tourists.