Our Last Port in Europe: Madeira, Portugal

By

 


Funchal, Madeira, was our last port of call on the European side of the Atlantic. We had never been to Madeira before, so we were looking forward to seeing a little of the island.

Madeira is a Portuguese island in the Atlantic Ocean, known for its dramatic volcanic landscape, green mountains, mild climate and beautiful coastal scenery. Funchal, the island’s capital, is the main port and the centre of much of its activity.



We decided we didn’t want a particularly busy day, so rather than book an excursion, we simply got off the ship and walked from the pier into town.

We spent a little time wandering around Funchal, taking in the streets and getting a feel for the place. After a while, we decided to take an Uber to the nearby town of Câmara de Lobos.

Câmara de Lobos is a traditional fishing town just west of Funchal. It is known for its sheltered harbour, colourful fishing boats and little streets that wind around the waterfront. It has a very different feel from a larger town, with fishing still an important part of its character.



We enjoyed wandering around the harbour and through the little town. It was a pleasant place to explore without having a particular destination in mind. Since the town isn’t especially large, we had seen what we wanted to see before too long.

By then, it had started to rain a little, and we were getting hungry. Rather than spend money on lunch off the ship, we decided to make our way back to the port and return to the ship for a late lunch.

We enjoyed Madeira and are glad we had the opportunity to visit. At the same time, we left feeling that we had seen everything we wanted to see on this visit. Not every port has to be a full day of sightseeing, and this was a nice, relaxed way to spend our last day in Europe.

Sailing out of the port felt a little different this time. We knew we won’t see land again for six and a half days as we cross the Atlantic. That’s a long time to be out at sea, even for those who enjoy cruising!

We’ve done two Atlantic crossings before, and both were relatively smooth, so we’re hoping this one will be just as good. There’s something rather exciting about knowing that the next time we see land, we’ll be on the other side of the ocean.

For now, we have six and a half days at sea ahead of us. Time to settle in, enjoy the ship and see what the crossing brings.


Comments

  1. Liz A.October 23, 2026 at 12:52 PM

    That is a long time to be at sea. Although, not as long as in days gone by, before airplanes and the like.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Danwil ReyesOctober 23, 2026 at 3:29 PM

    This is my kind of place to be and explore. Coastal areas with mountains and mild weather are attractive to me. Thank you for sharing the photos and your travel experience in this location.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lynn and PreciousOctober 23, 2026 at 3:57 PM

    A simple wander on your own at port sounds like a good way to finish off all the touring you've experienced. I do wonder how I'd feel floating out there for 6 1/2 days. Hopefully at peace.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lily LeungOctober 23, 2026 at 4:16 PM

      Madeira always make me think of wine. A charming name and harbour.

      Delete
  4. Diana WalkerOctober 23, 2026 at 4:32 PM

    Oh, what beautiful photos. Looks like a charming place and I love the brilliant and varied colours of the homes and the fishing boats. Wow! I can't imagine being at sea for 6.5 days now... It sounds like you are enjoying yourselves!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Jeanine ByersOctober 23, 2026 at 4:56 PM

    I would definitely be nervous about being out to sea for that long!! Glad you have done it before and I, too, hope it goes smoothly. I'm glad you got a chance to see those beautiful, colorful boats.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnvilcloudOctober 23, 2026 at 7:33 PM

    I am sure that you will find ways to enjoy the crossing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. ShwetaOctober 23, 2026 at 8:21 PM

    Beautiful, charming town!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Ruby Rose and the Big Little Angels 3October 24, 2026 at 1:37 AM

    My native Homeland which I don't know enough about at all

    ReplyDelete
  9. TamaraOctober 24, 2026 at 4:51 AM

    What a lovely, relaxed way to spend your last day in Europe, Barbara! Sometimes just wandering around without a fixed itinerary is the best way to explore a new place. The colorful boats look so nice.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

When It All Becomes a Blur

By
Image
  Photo by Mingwei Lim on Unsplash We're coming to the end of our Adriatic cruise, and after four consecutive days of visiting ports, I'm beginning to appreciate the value of a sea day. Don't get me wrong. We've enjoyed exploring the places we've visited, and each has had its own character and history. But when you're visiting one beautiful old town after another, with narrow streets, historic buildings, churches and squares, some of the experiences inevitably begin to blend together. By the fourth day, it has become a bit of a blur. When we plan a trip like this, we're excited about all the places we'll get to see. Each port offers something new, and we want to make the most of our time there. We head ashore, explore the town, take in the sights and try to absorb as much as we can before it's time to return to the ship. Then we do it all over again the next day. The trouble is that there's only so much sightseeing you can take in before i...
Read more

Beyond Amsterdam

By
Image
It’s October first and the beginning of another blog challenge month with The Ultimate Blog Challenge.  It’s a month long challenge where participants  try and share a blog post everyday along with supporting fellow participants.  I’ve signed up to participate, but since I’m currently travelling with my family by both land and sea, I’m not sure whether I’ll be able to make everyday.   If you’re interested in joining, you can find the challenge here: Ultimate Blog Challenge Beyond Amsterdam Yesterday we decided to leave Amsterdam behind for a day and see a little more of the area around the city. We hopped on a train and made two stops, each very different from the other. Our first stop was Zaandam. Zaandam is only a short train ride from Amsterdam, but it felt like we had stepped into a different world. The town has a long connection with shipbuilding, timber and the industrial development of the Zaan region. At one point, more than 600 windmills were operating her...
Read more

The Port of Napoli: Part One

By
Image
  We had been looking forward to our day in Naples, or Napoli as the Italians call it. We had a special day planned for the whole family, with a private tour that would take us to Mount Vesuvius, Positano on the Amalfi Coast, and Herculaneum. There was one thing that made the day a little bittersweet, though. This would be our last full day together as a family before Son #3 and our daughter-in-law headed home after the cruise ended the following day. We wanted to make the most of it. Unfortunately, Mother Nature had other ideas. The forecast called for rain all day long. What can you do? We decided to make the best of it and hoped the forecast was wrong. We met our driver, Alex, at 7:30 a.m. The rain had already started, although it was only spitting at that point. We crossed our fingers and climbed into the van, hoping things would improve as the day went on. Alex was a local Italian man who spoke perfect English, complete with the most beautiful Italian accent. I know I don'...
Read more

Where are we now?

Currently we are on a 5-week long trip through Europe and ending with a trans-Atlantic cruise.

Where’s are we going next?

We plan on staying home until January

Where We've Been

Red Flags have corresponding blog posts. White Flags mean I still have yet to write about it