About a four-hour flight away, Funchal sits on Madeira’s sunny south coast overlooking the Atlantic. The city’s houses dot the slopes of a 3,900ft mountain range like a huge amphitheatre. Historic buildings, museums and classy boutiques line streets leading to the attractive, palm-fringed promenade. Throw in a buzzing restaurant scene, a labyrinthine old town, bags of sunshine and temperatures that rarely dip below 18C and it’s clear why more than a million tourists visit annually. It’s also a year-round kaleidoscope thanks to the abundance of flora and fauna on the island — but especially so during May’s glorious flower festival.
What to do
● Funchal Bay’s deep waters are rich in sea life. Book a catamaran trip and