The story goes that this is where the first settlement of the city was born.
This Old Town is characterised by its narrow cobbled streets (not accessible to all wheelchairs, especially those with small wheels) and old house fronts.
The Old Town is considered a historic area of great architectural and heritage value, it was once the site of the great Arsenal, where the traditional fishing boats were built.
In the heart of the Old Town is the Capela do Corpo Santo, one of the few surviving fifteenth century buildings.
This is also the site of one of the oldest streets in the city, Rua de Santa Maria, which is home to several local businesses, such as the typical Hat Factory, which has been operating for over 60 years in the same space, or the Boots Factory of Vilão.
As you walk along the cobbled street, you will come to the beautiful Igreja do Socorro.
At the top, there is also a small belvedere, which allows you to enjoy a beautiful view of the city.
In the Old Town is the Old Fortress of São Tiago, one of the places that used to protect the City of Funchal.
The nightlife in the Old Town is currently a major attraction where art and entertainment are joined, since the streets of this area have undergone an artistic intervention by local and foreign artists (a project “Arte de Portas Abertas”) which represents one of the facets of culture and urban art of the city.
We can say that one of the landmarks of the old zone is this Art of Painted Doors, where several artists were invited to colour the Old Zone of the City.
In this place you will find many restaurants, some with a lot of tradition where nowadays the typical Portuguese fado is sung and birthplace of many Madeiran artists such as Max.
A mandatory stop.
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♿🔴-Accessibility: Problematic (Because of the ground, pavements are not lowered, car circulation, we share the road with traffic, objects such as rubbish bins, restaurant tables).
