Mercado dos Lavradores (Farmers market) is one of the most visited places in Funchal, where tourists and residents look for fish, vegetables and fruits produced in Madeira, some of them with very exotic flavours. One can also find flowers, handicraft and wine shops in this market place.

The market building was designed in the 30’s by the architect Edmundo Tavares and its first public opening was on the 24th of November 1940. Mercado dos Lavradores was an interesting construction that occurred on an urban renovation period of Funchal.

This presents a very animated scene, especially early in the morning when a large variety of local fish can be seen.

Photos by Catarina Fagundes

Penha d’Águia, which means Eagle Rock, is the headland that splits waters descending the mountain towards the sea. Some of these waters go to Faial’s bay and others go to Porto da Cruz.

This noble isolated cliff, with 1915 feet, requires a stiff climbing but after one is up there the view rewards every efforts with the sight of the highest peaks of Madeira, Ruivo, Torres and Arieiro. This sight is like the reverse of what you see in Balcões – Ribeiro Frio.

Photos by Catarina Fagundes

Arriving to Caniçal, a 9km long by 2km wide peninsula is presented to you, this is Ponta de São Lourenço, the less mountainous and most arid part of Madeira island.

The fishing center of Caniçal, with almost 4 thousand habitants, is situated on the widest part of the peninsula. On this village houses are all close to one and others, only leaving space for small sinuous roads or lanes.

Near to the fishermen houses there is the Madeira Free Tax Industrial Complex, still with some lots available for companies. Added to this industrial area there is the new commercial harbour of Caniçal, that lodges all facilities for cargo ships, and that made the port of Funchal available to port only cruise ships.

Photos by Catarina Fagundes

Chão da Ribeira, on the North of Madeira Island, is an almost plain area crossed by a small river that meets the sea in Seixal and surrounded by high green mountains, covered by the Laurel Forest.

Photo by Catarina Fagundes

Some years ago, Chão da Ribeira was like the cellar of Seixal, when there were no cars, people from the village climbed all the way up to cultivate cabbages, potatoes, beans, corn or wheat and when these works were harder and took more than one day they took shelter on the small cellars.

Photo by Catarina Fagundes

Today, many of the agriculture lots are abandoned and, as landscape is so amazing, it become fashionable to transform these cellars into weekend houses.

Photo by Catarina Fagundes

Fajã da Nogueira is a valey, surrounded by inland cliffs and ridges and divided by a water course, named Ribeira da Metade (River of Half), in Santana. It is included in Madeira Natural Park as an Integral Nature Reserve and it is also a Biogenetic Reserve.

Fajã da Nogueira habitats include alpine scrub and grassland, below which is transitional forest, with Laurel forest occuring in the lower parts of the area, where it is possible to find ancestral trees, that date before the discover of the island.

Photo by Catarina Fagundes

This site is a water catchment for the town of Funchal, where a hydroelectric power plant works since 1971. Close to the power plant there are some houses that were built to host its workers as it is a difficult access area and far from the main villages.

Photo by Catarina Fagundes