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A city of light
Every year in early December, Funchal switches on its Christmas lights: avenues of illuminated trees, light tunnels, nativity scenes and decorations climbing the hills of the city. They stay on until early January, so you can see them over both Christmas and New Year.
Where the lights are
- Avenida Arriaga — the main avenue through the centre, lined with lit trees and decorations.
- The Old Town — narrow lanes with lights strung between the houses.
- The seafront and the marina — with views back over the lit-up city.
- The hills above Funchal — from up high you see the whole amphitheatre of lights at once.
Traditions worth knowing
Lapinhas are Madeira's traditional nativity scenes, often built in tiers and decorated with fruit and wheat. In the nine days before Christmas, early-morning Missas do Parto are followed by music, coffee and cake outside the churches. On 23 December, the Mercado dos Lavradores stays open late for the Noite do Mercado, the busiest and most festive night of the year in Funchal.
Stay for New Year's Eve if you can: Funchal's fireworks over the bay are among the biggest in the world, and the whole amphitheatre of the city becomes a grandstand.
See the lights by tuk tuk
The open tuk tuk is the ideal way to see the lights: no roof between you and the decorations, and no hunting for parking in the busiest weeks of the year. The tour runs in December only.
