shopping in Funchal: Historical Shops and Modern Stores you Can’t miss
When I travel, I always like to shop. But, no matter what I go, central streets seem filled with the same stores: Zara, Ale Hop, Mango, Pizza Hut. And Madeira, which used to have mostly local stores, has more international brands each passing year. With this in mind, I prepared a list of my favourite historical shops in Funchal, along with some modern ones. These stores are not only interesting because they’re traditional and charming, but also because you may actually find something unique.
Pretinha do Café at Rua Fernão Ornelas.
Traditional products and historical shops in Funchal
Fábrica de Santo António
Fábrica de Santa António (est. 1893) is my favourite historical shop in Funchal because you can feel the smell from a block away. It’s a cookie factory which still produces Marie biscuits daily, along with traditional molasses cookies (broas de mel), ginger cookies, hazelnut, lemon, and many other flavours. The store itself couldn’t be more charming, with old-time wooden cabinets and very nice shop attendants. If you’re looking for a Madeira souvenir or for a gift for someone special, it’s a great place to start.
Open from 09:00 to 19:00 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 09:00 to 13:00
A Mercadora
A Mercadora is small, traditional grocery store (est. 1943) near Mercado dos Lavradores. It keeps the style of the era, with wooden cabinets filled with dried beans and pulses, spices by the kg and dried herbs. If you’re visiting the market, taking a peak to Mercadora allows you to imagine what the city was like in the forties, when the market was inaugurated as well. Assuming you don’t want to rinse, soak, and boil beans at your accommodation, the spices are the only thing you may want to take as a souvenir from Madeira.
Open from 09:00 - 13:00, 15:00 - 19:00 Monday through Thursday, Fridays and Saturdays from 09:00 to 13:00
Pretinha do Café
At Rua Fernão Ornelas 78, a Pretinha do Café (est. 1956) was the place where Madeirans would buy coffee and barley (ersatz coffee). These days, besides coffee, this historical shop in Funchal sells dried fish, including cod and skipjack tuna, dried figs and nuts, beans and pulses, wine, and other traditional products. Again, like at Mercadora, there may not be a lot you’re interested in cooking right now. But if you’re looking for Portuguese flavours, this is where you get them.
Open from 09:00 to 19:00 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 09:00 to 13:00
Bordal
Bordal is the go-to local shop for Madeira embroidery. Local embroidery features intricate floral and natural motifs on fine fabrics like linen, delicately sown by hand. It first caught the attention of English traders in the 1850s, and it became a vital source of income for households when wine production was plagued by both mildew (in 1851) and phylloxera (1872-1885). To this day, many brides want to have embroidered details on their dresses. And for you, it can be an unique souvenir from Madeira.
Open from 09:00 to 19:00 Monday through Friday, Saturdays and Sundays from 09:30 to 18:00
Blandy’s Lodge Store
Blandy’s Wine Lodge (est. 1811) is one of the best wine cellars you can visit in Funchal, since they have a central location, original equipment, a tasting room with a Max Romer mural, and affordable tours. In fact, it’s one of the activities I recommend for a rainy day in Madeira. Inside the lodge there’s a shop – focused mainly on wine, of course – which is well-worth checking out, at least if you like Madeira wine.
The lodge is open from 10:00 to 18:30 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 10:00 to 18:00, and Sundays from 10:00-13:00, and from 14:00 to 18:00.
Mercearia do Bento
Other than wine, poncha is the local drink. Poncha is a cocktail consisting of aguardente (similar to rum), honey, lemon juice, and sugar. And there’s nowhere better to try it in downtown Funchal than Mercearia do Bento, at Rua dos Tanoeiros 2. Looking at the assorted goods, you wouldn’t suspect it. Originally named “Pharmacia do Bento” (because, you know, one poncha a day..), it’s been there for 150 years and counting. And at the end of the day, I guarantee there will be a line for poncha.
Open from 09:00 to 19:00 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 09:00 to 16:00
Livraria Esperança at Rua dos Ferreiros
Bookshops and Photography Stores in Funchal
Livraria Esperança
Another shop you don’t want to miss in Funchal is Livraria Esperança (est. 1886) at Rua dos Ferreiros 160. It’s the oldest bookshop on the island, and it’s unlike any bookshop you’ve probably seen. Instead of being sideways, books are displayed with their covers facing customers. They have a lot of old books that may be hard to find elsewhere, although they tend to be a little on the expensive side. The bookshop also has some books in English, French, and Spanish, so anyone can find something interesting.
Open from 09:00 to 19:00 Monday through Friday
Foto Sol
Foto Sol is a tiny, tiny shop in the hallway of the building at Rua Fernão Ornelas 7. Despite being so small that you may need to wait outside to let people come through the stairs, you’ll find dozens of old black and white photos from Madeira, magnets, and postcards. Since I know a lot of people like to collect postcards and the retro aesthetic, I figured this the most central place in Funchal to get them. Google Maps says it’s closed, but it’s not.
Open from Monday through Friday, not sure about the hours – If it’s open, there will be a ton of postcards outside
Atelier Vicente’s
Atelier Vicente’s, at Rua da Carreira 43, is Madeira’s Photography Museum. The belle époque building houses the oldest photos of the island, and their collection is impressive. I really recommend photography and history enthusiasts visit (again, a great activity for a rainy day). However, even without visiting the museum, you can go to the coffee shop (a hidden gem) and to the souvenir shop on the ground floor. The souvenir shop has lots of photography books, along with other publications about Madeira.
Open from 10:00 - 13:00 and 14:00 - 17:00 Tuesday through Saturday
Shops in Funchal With traditional Portuguese products
Jacarandá
Jacarandá, at Rua dos Ferreiros 17, is a curated store selling a ton of different things: soap, home fragrances, bags, dishware, jams, cork products, preserves… that all have one thing in common, “Portugality”. If you’re shopping in Funchal, I’m sure you’ll find a couple of things that will surprise you. And who knows if it’s here that you’ll choose a souvenir that will remind you of Madeira for years to come.
Open from 08:30 to 19:30 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 09:00 to 17:00, Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00 (at Rua Queimada de Baixo). The stores in shopping centres follow the centre’s schedules.
Boutique Portuguesa
In the same vein as Jacarandá, only more focused on dishware, Boutique Portuguesa at Rua do Surdo 4 is another shop in Funchal that you can’t miss. You’ll lots of quality dishware made in mainland Portugal, including the iconic trompe-l’oeil dishes with the shape of vegetables (like cabbages or tomato) and fruits (like watermelon or melon). I don’t know if you can fit this in your bag, but I’m sure you’ll want to!
Open from 10:00 to 14:00, 14:30-18:30 Monday through Saturday
Old Souvenir Stores in Funchal For treasure Finders
Guanabara
Guanabara is a gift shop at Rua Bom de Jesus 12. It’s not out of your way in the least, but a lot of people stick to the main road and never find this place. Because of this, you can find souvenirs at fair prices, including magnets for 1€, pencils at 0.75€, small bottles of poncha and wine (100 ml, perfect to take on your flight) for 1.95€, and several embroidered kitchen towels for 2.95€. If you’re looking for a Madeira souvenir or a gift for someone, give Guanabara a try.
Open from 09:00 to 18:30 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 09:30 to 14:00
Universal Store
Finally, in terms of souvenir stores, I’ll include Universal Store at Rua João de Deus 14. This store used to be a pentecostal church, or so I was told, and they have a wide selection of Madeira wine – including some very old ones (1845!) – porcelain, embroidery, regional products, and much more. You need to go in with an open mind and a treasure-find disposition. I’d recommend this one for vintage lovers.
Open from 09:30 to 18:00 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 09:30 to 14:00
Lillie Ceramics at Rua Latino Coelho
Modern Shops in Funchal Where you can find Unique, Locally Made Products
These are independent shops in Funchal, run by local entrepreneurs. You can’t find these anywhere else in the world!
Uau Cacau
Speaking of flavours, if you’re looking for something delicious, traditional, and great to take home with you as well, hit the Uau Cacau store at Rua da Queimada de Baixo 11 (there are also stalls at Fórum Madeira, Madeira Shopping and at Mercado dos Lavradores). They have bonbons with dozens of fillings, including a few Madeiran-inspired, including Madeira wine, passion fruit, honey cake, tamarillo, poncha, surinam cherry, guava, banana, and sour cherry.
Open from 08:30 to 19:30 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 09:00 to 17:00, Sundays from 10:00 to 17:00 (at Rua Queimada de Baixo). The stores in shopping centres follow the centre’s schedules.
Oh My Dough!
Oh My Dough! is an American cookie store at Rua Queimada de Cima 18. It’s so popular that’s now opened a second store at the Fórum shopping centre, and they’re often at local events. Their cookies are made daily on location, and their drinks are pretty great too. I’d recommend a tiramisu cookie with an expresso, although their traditional choc chip cookie and their Ferrero cookie (seasonal!) are very good as well. Even their take away boxes have design and care, so the owner deserves all her success.
Open from 10:00 to 18:30 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 11:00 to 18:00. The stall at Fórum Shopping Centre is opened every day.
SOU.authentic Madeira
SOU (I am) is a store with apparel inspired by Madeira’s nature located at Rua de Santa Maria 63 (the street with the painted doors behind the market). Their clothes are very high quality and most of it is locally made, so it’s a way to support local brands, local designers, and buy something you will actually wear on your day to day or even during your trip, like a hat (always important in Madeira!), beach bags, sweatshirts to go up the mountains, and much more.
Open from 13:00 to 18:30 every day
Lillie Ceramics
It’s easy to miss this pottery atelier on the a building near the Mercado, at Rua Latino Coelho 39. But Lillie Ceramics is another little gem that you shouldn’t skip! This shop and work studio sells handmade ceramics with topical motifs, including birds of paradise, African lillies, magnolias, hibiscus flowers, warm sunsets, and little boats. And because everything is artisanal, every piece is unique. If you can’t find enough space on your baggage, they ship worldwide.
Open from 09:30 to 17:00 Monday through Friday, Saturdays from 09:30 to 13:00
Arttia Pottery Studio
Another dreamy pottery studio, and not far from Lillie Ceramics, is Arttia Pottery at Rua de Santa Maria 33. You can buy small pottery items as well as handmade jewellery, and the atmosphere of the place is so cosy that you’ll want to know what else is going on. They organise ceramic painting and wheel throwing experiences for tourists, as well as workshops for groups and events. If you like creative spaces, this is one definitely up your alley.
Open from 11:00 to 20:00 every day
These shops are part of what gives Funchal its identity. Some are historical, others are modern, but all are locally rooted and worth your time. If you want to shop beyond international chains and support independent businesses, you know what I’m going to say… this is Madeira!