Other than St. Maarten this is our favorite island in the world, and one of our all time favorite places of anywhere we have been.  We have been there four times on different cruises, each for the day.

We were able to explore different parts of the island each time and it is absolutely fantastic.  It seems to be 99% mountains and every square inch something seems to be growing there.  The port of Funchal is the capital.   The island is not that old in historical terms and the downtown area just has a great vibe.

You can take a cable car up in to the hills above the city and then take a traditional and very unique sled ride back down the hills on city streets.

The little mountain and seaside towns have a charm all their own. Cabo Cirao sea side cliff is one the highest in the world and offers amazing views.  One of the few places we visited more than once.

In the center of the island the views down into the valleys look more like Switzerland than an island in the middle of the Atlantic.

I have a lot of pictures and videos so it may take a while everything to see but I think it is worth it.