As you arrive in
Funchal on an MSC cruise, your ship will cast anchor in a bay protected by mountains rising straight up behind the port. The name,
Funchal, derives from that of the fennel plant, the
funcho still used today in the traditional sweets known as
rebuçados de funcho, that one can find anywhere on the island of
Madeira.
An excursion will take you around the town centre, to visit historic churches, from the
A Sé Cathedral, with its inlaid ceiling, to the
majestic Church of the Incarnation, to the church of
Carmo without a vault.
Another MSC
excursion will take you up to the village of
Monte, from where one can admire a
spectacular view of the Funchal bay. You can visit its
18th century church and the tomb of the last Austrian emperor, Charles I, and stroll around the
magnificent botanic gardens. But if you like heights, there's nothing more impressive than the
Cabo Girão and its
589 metre tall cliffs, amongst the highest in the world, at the foot of which lie the cultivated lands known as Fajãs do Cabo Girão.
If you're looking for an equipped beach during your MSC
cruise, another excursion will take you to Machico. Founded in the 15th century, it hosts the oldest religious building on the island, the Capela dos Milagres, and the fortresses of São João Baptista and Nossa Senhora do Amparo built in the beginning of the 16th century.
The more lively tourist attraction is instead in Calheta, on the south-west coast. Splendid yachts cruising across the Atlantic are moored in the port and if you want to go for a swim there are two beautiful beaches of golden sand; in spite of the modern structures Calheta dates back to the mid-15th century. This is where they make the "Aguardente", the best white rhum, and fundamental ingredient of Madeira's typical drink, the "Poncha" .
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