Last year, I offered this thoughtful observation, “…if you are like me, and the first image that comes to mind when someone says Carnaval is half-naked women wearing an elaborate headdress sambaing down the street…then it would appear that Madeira is your best bet.” Once again I was right.1
10 Days of Carnaval
I had consulted the 2024 Carnavel calendar online before making our reservations. While I couldn’t be sure exactly what all the activities listed were, I wanted to attend the Saturday night parade. Our traveling companions had done research and suggested that we “buy tickets” at the Visitor’s Center in Funchal. After settling into our apartment we walked there. We found that the tickets were €20 each for a grandstand seat. We asked if we could view the parade from the street and were told we could, but to make sure we arrived at least 1 hour early.
Uncertain of what to do, we headed down to the parade route. We located a restaurant with tables about 7’ above street level directly across from one of the grandstands. We asked if one could reserve a table for the night of the parade. “Yes, table 8 is still available,” replied the hostess pointing to a table just one row back from the railing. “You will be charged a minimum of €50/per person which of course will be applied to your food and drink.” It seemed like a no-brainer to us and we reserved the table on the spot. There were pros and cons to our approach. On the plus side: the food was very good, and given the fact that the restaurant was full, the service wasn’t bad. On the negative side, the people seated at the railing tables stood throughout the parade making photo-taking difficult. Also, people with tables behind us occasionally jumped in front of our table. However, all and all, I would do it again as the grandseat seats did not come with Poncha.2
Of course, there is more than a parade during Madeira’s Carnaval celebration. The booths above opened each day at 10:00. Street musicians and local bands appeared on the street nearby throughout the day. There was also a covered stage that offered short plays, magicians, clowns, and musical acts. Locals, young and old, dress in costumes throughout the week.
This is truly a party! And before I leave this series on Madeira permit me to offer some recommendations for your next visit.
If You Like Good Food
If you like good food, please allow me to recommend two restaurants in Funchal. The first is Portaliano, an Italian restaurant which will not disappoint. We happened upon this restaurant next to Jardim Municipal do Funchal just as they opened their doors for lunch. It turns out this was lucky for us, as the restaurant filled quickly and we watched as others were turned away again and again. Denise and I shared a lovely eggplant dish and a salad. The waiter kindly divided the portions for us before presenting them to us. Our companions enjoyed Risotto with duck sausage and pepperoni, and a pepperoni pizza.
During one rainy day, we also enjoyed a lovely lunch at Terra-Food Concepts. We selected this restaurant because they offered vegetarian, vegan, and carnivore dishes. They offered an amuse-bouche before the meal which we followed by an appetizer of various hummuses. Carl had the Vegan Makhani Comfort, a creamy chickpea curry over rice. Thomas had the Barbados Bajan Fish Cake, made of cod, onion, potato, and coriander. Denise and I shared a very tasty broiled head of cauliflower with a vegan sour cream. When we all declined desert we were offered small eclairs before we left.
If You Like Jazz
Finally, if you are fortunate enough to be in Madeira on a Thursday you could cap off the day at a jazz concert at the Mamma Museum of Modern Art. We purchased tickets for the concert scheduled for 19:30 and were encouraged to arrive 1 hour early to browse the museum. We did, and while I’m not particularly eager to criticize another artist’s work…I wouldn’t go back again. But after walking through the museum halls we all enjoyed a complimentary glass of wine and a great concert. A trio of talented musicians accompanied a female singer who sang her favorite songs from jazz divas such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and Nina Simone. The one-hour concert did not disappoint!
So there you have it. Thanks for reading my three-part series on Madeira.3
Até à próxima vez, tchau
Nanc
If you are interested in the history of Carnaval celebrations in Europe and Portugal please consult this post. And please note, this year I am using the Portuguese spelling for the holiday.
Poncha is Madeira’s official cocktail with citrus juice, honey, and rum.
The consummate salesperson! Remember - it's supposed to be a secret! :-)
Thanks for your thoughts and opinions on Madeira, Nancy. I'm keeping your information on hand as we're hoping to visit there later this year.