Whoever says that Madeira is not the place where you find nice things to shop will be proven wrong! During the last years a big development has taken place in this field, so that we are very sure you will find something special for you to take home – to prolong your memories of an excellent time passed in Madeira – or for family and friends to give them an appetite for visiting Madeira and discover this beautiful island for themselves!

Here are some suggestions for extensive and enjoyable shopping sprees!

Shopping Centres
Shopping centres are really not what is missing in Madeira as there are plenty of them and most of them are located in the centre of Funchal. The good thing about shopping centres is that they are usually open throughout the week from 10.00 to 22.00 hours.

Let’s start at the beginning of the ‘Avenida Arriaga’ with the ‘Marina Shopping’, the biggest shopping centre in downtown Funchal, opposite the marina. Then a few steps further along towards the Cathedral, you’ll find to the right the ‘Galerias de São Lourenço’, a small but attractive shopping mall.
Again, only a few metres further, on the right side of the Municipal Park, there is the ‘Arcadas de São Francisco’. This shopping area is the most recent one of all those in the city centre; it is also quite small, but there are some nice shops, fruit and snack bars and it has a connection to the Madeira Wine Company (or Blandy’s Wine Lodge), which you can visit at the same time.
Near the Sé Cathedral, in the heart of the city centre, you’ll find two of the longer established, small shopping centres, ‘Tavira’ and ‘Sé’, with very diversified shops and interesting offers.
Continuing your way towards the market, before crossing the streets ‘Rua 31 de Janeiro’ and ‘Rua 5 de Outubro’, you’ll find the ‘Bazar do Povo’, the city’s only department store, which, with its wooden floors and spacious wooden stairs, is still maintaining its ‘good, old world charm’ from the time when it was opened.
One of the more recent and also bigger shopping centres is the ‘Anadia Shopping’, which you will find to the left at the end of the street ‘Rua Fernão Ornelas’, opposite the local market in the old town.
Still in the centre, but a bit further east of Funchal in the street ‘Rua do Bom Jesus’, there is the small shopping centre ‘Europa’, which, due to its location, is mainly frequented by locals and therefore maintains a nice local touch. A totally different ambiance and shopping opportunities you will find in the Monumental Lido shopping centre, very centrally located in the hotel zone of the Lido area!

Madeira Shopping, opened in the end of 2001 and is located in Santa Quitéria, in the heights of Funchal, and provides splendid views over the town and the sea. Built in an attractive modern style blending with typical Madeiran features, this spacious shopping centre offers 83 shops, 20 restaurants, coffee shops and snack bars, 7 cinemas (in Portugal films are shown in their original language with Portuguese subtitles) and the Microlândia entertainment centre (with bowling, virtual-reality attractions and mini-golf) for a varied and diversifying shopping experience. In total, there are around 970 free parking spaces available both an open parking terrace and an underground garage.

Forum Madeira, opened only in 2005 and you will find it in the tourism zone of Lido/Ajuda to the west of the city centre in direction of the village of Câmara de Lobos. With its modern and airy gallery-style architecture on several levels, grouping around a central tower and open square, the Forum Madeira also boasts an attractive roof garden from where visitors can enjoy stunning views over the Atlantic Ocean. With 86 shops, including 17 restaurants, cafés and snack bars, 6 cinemas and a hypermarket, the Forum Madeira provides everything for a modern and extremely pleasant shopping experience. There are around 800 underground parking places available.

The latest and most modern shopping centre in Madeira is the Dolce Vita, opened in October 2007. It has an excellent central location right in downtown Funchal, next to the Santa Caterina Park and just 2 minutes away from the Marina. It is a modern looking building with plenty of glass, open spaces and around 70 shops (both national and international) distributed in three levels. There is also a Health Club and a large Pingo Doce Supermarket and on the same level many cafés, restaurants and bars. The spacious car park has a capacity of 900 cars.

Main Shopping Streets in Funchal’s City Centre
Here are some of Funchal's most established shopping streets with very diversified shops and interesting offers: Avenida Arriaga, Avenida Zarco, Rua da Carreira, Rua de João Tavira, Rua da Queimada de Cima, Rua da Queimada de Baixo, Rua dos Ferreiros, Rua Fernão Ornelas… Just take a city map and set out to find that special little something for you to take home!

However, also strolling along Funchal’s narrow back streets can be a very pleasant shopping experience as you will be surprised to discover some attractive, little shops hidden there!

Madeira Souvenir Shopping
Wicker products are offered everywhere in the city of Funchal – you will find one of the biggest shops in ‘Rua do Castanheiro’ – and all over the island, but the main centre for wicker products with the biggest choice is located in the village of Camacha.

Embroidery shops – often connected with a factory – are to be found everywhere in the city centre of Funchal.

There are several specialised Madeira Wine Lodges and Shops in Funchal and surrounding areas, where Madeira Wine tasting is offered, and where your purchases will be professionally packed for safe transport home (such as Diogos Wine Shop, Madeira Wine Company, Oliveiras).

Madeira flowers, such as orchids, birds of paradise, king proteas, flamingo flowers etc… are the favourite souvenir to take back home to make the holiday feeling last a little bit longer. These flowers can be purchased anywhere in Funchal, at the local market, the flower stands in the city centre or the flower shops. In all these selling points they will pack your flowers in special boxes for a safe transport for you to enjoy them back home as long as they last.