Mercado Dos Lavradores (Farmers' Market)

The Mercado dos Lavradores, the Farmers' Market, is the best place in Funchal to see the island's produce in one building. It opened in 1940 and was designed by the architect Edmundo Tavares in the Art Deco style of the period, with a trapezoidal plan around a large open courtyard, balconies on two levels and a facade in pale stone. Tile panels by the artist Max Römer decorate the entrance and the walls, showing scenes of Madeiran life, crops and trades in blue and polychrome azulejo. The building is a monument as well as a market, and it is protected as part of the city's heritage.

The ground floor and courtyard are devoted to fruit, vegetables and flowers. Stalls pile high with tropical and subtropical fruit that thrives in Madeira's mild climate: bananas, which are smaller and sweeter than the usual export varieties, passion fruit, custard apples, mangoes, avocados, papayas, and the fruta delicioso, the fruit of the monstera plant, which tastes like a cross between pineapple and banana and needs to be fully ripe before eating. Spices, honey, dried fruit and preserves fill other stalls, along with the island's garlic, onions and chillies. Vendors usually offer a taste of the fruit, which is a pleasant way to learn what each one is, though it is wise to compare prices, as some stallholders aim at tourists.

At the entrance and along the edges, flower sellers dress in the traditional Madeiran costume, with a red striped skirt, white blouse and small hat, and arrange orchids, strelitzias, proteas and anthurium. Madeira is known as the island of flowers, and the market is where this reputation is most visible. Visitors often photograph the women in costume, and it is polite to buy a flower or ask permission first.

The fish hall at the back is a separate area and is the most dramatic part. Long marble slabs hold tuna, swordfish, bonito and, most strikingly, the espada preta, the black scabbardfish, a long, eel-like deep-sea fish with huge eyes and sharp teeth, caught in deep water off the island and served at almost every restaurant. The fishmongers cut and clean the fish in front of you. Early morning is the best time to see it, as the fish is freshest and the activity at its peak, and by early afternoon the stalls begin to close.

The market is free to enter, and it is busiest in the morning, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, when locals shop for the weekend. Opening times are shorter on Saturdays and the market is closed on Sundays, so check before you plan a visit. Allow an hour. It is within walking distance of the Zona Velha, so it combines easily with lunch in the old town. The market suits food lovers, photographers and anyone curious about daily life in Madeira.