Set on a glittering bay against a background of soaring green mountains and nestling picturesquely into the shelter of the verdant hillside, the enchanting city of Funchal attracted Madeira’s earliest settlers in the 15th century.
The age-old custom of hurtling visitors downhill at breakneck speed in something resembling an over-sized laundry basket is thankfully very much alive on the Atlantic island of Madeira.
One of the jewels in Madeira’s glittering tourism crown is without doubt the magnificent Jardim Botânico (Botanical Gardens) located a short drive east of the centre of Funchal.