Zona Velha (Old Town)
On Gingerguide's self-guided Funchal audio tour, Zona Velha (Old Town) is a stop worth about ~40 min. Stand in front of it, press play for a short narrated story, and put any follow-up question to the built-in AI guide.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~40 min
- Funchal Funchal guide
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About Zona Velha (Old Town)
Funchal's oldest quarter, the cradle of the city, now a maze of cobbled lanes where artists have painted the doors of Rua de Santa Maria and restaurants fill the evenings.
The Zona Velha, the Old Town, also called the Núcleo Histórico de Santa Maria, is where Funchal began, among the first areas of the city to be settled in the 1400s. Its spine is the long, narrow Rua de Santa Maria, and since around 2010 and 2011 its doors have become an open-air gallery: the Arte de Portas Abertas project turned the doors of old and abandoned houses into painted artworks, around two hundred of them, in every style, by artists working with the city council.
The quarter keeps a few of Funchal's oldest buildings, among them the 15th-century Capela do Corpo Santo, the old fishermen's chapel, which stands where the street widens into a square. Once run-down, the Zona Velha is now the city's main district for restaurants and nightlife, its cobbled lanes lined with terraces and lit with lanterns. It runs between the Mercado dos Lavradores and the seafront Fortaleza de São Tiago, with the cable car to Monte setting off from its edge.
Did you know? The Zona Velha is where Funchal was first settled in the 1400s; the little 15th-century Capela do Corpo Santo, the fishermen's chapel, is one of the few buildings to survive from that age.
How much time do you need at Zona Velha (Old Town)?
Around ~40 min works well for Zona Velha (Old Town) — time to look properly and listen to its story on the spot. Linger if you like; nothing on a self-guided walk is on a clock.
Should you stop at Zona Velha (Old Town)?
Yes — Zona Velha (Old Town) made the cut as one of 13 places the Gingerguide team researched and narrated across Funchal. The story tells you why it is worth the stop, and the AI guide fills in anything you still wonder.
Nearby stops in Funchal
Day 1 of the Funchal in 2 days itinerary →
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Hear the story of Zona Velha (Old Town)
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