We spent three hours in the market and the old streets with Paul and left knowing things about this city that most visitors never find out. The Bual was a revelation.
Private guided walks in Funchal, Madeira
Private walks through Funchal's old city, Mercado dos Lavradores, and the wine lodges of the Zona Velha — led by Paul, booked direct.
Paul. Funchal. Every morning.
Your guide
I came for a week. Thirteen years later, I know where the good Bual is kept.
Paul arrived in Funchal in 2012, planning a short stay between contracts. The city had other ideas. The market pulled him in on day two, the wine lodges on day four, and the Zona Velha on the weekend. He never quite left.
He spent several years working in hospitality across the island before someone asked, on a long slow morning at Mercado dos Lavradores, whether he ever showed people around. He said he would think about it. He did not think very long.
Now he walks small groups through the parts of Funchal that reward a slow pace: the cellars where Verdelho and Sercial age in relative quiet, the covered stalls where the flower sellers arrive before sunrise, the steep back lanes of the old centre that most visitors pass without stopping. One group at a time. Never more than four people.
He does not use a microphone.
Book direct. No agency, no commission.
The walks
Two to three hours in Mercado dos Lavradores and the old centre. Tastings included throughout.
Up to 4 people · 2-3 hours
A half-day through Funchal's wine lodges. Verdelho, Sercial and Bual tasted where they belong.
Up to 4 people · 3-4 hours
Market, wine session, sit-down lunch and a slow afternoon in the quieter quarters of the city.
Minimum 2 people · Full day
A full day designed around your request. Tell Paul what interests you and he will build the day with you.
Minimum 2 people · Full day
Guests on the walks
We spent three hours in the market and the old streets with Paul and left knowing things about this city that most visitors never find out. The Bual was a revelation.
Paul planned our full day around my partner's interest in Madeiran wine history. By lunch we had walked through two cellars, tasted Sercial and Verdelho side by side, and understood the difference. A genuinely good afternoon.
Mercado dos Lavradores at eight in the morning with someone who knows the vendors by name. That alone was worth booking direct.
Book direct
Tell Paul which walk interests you, roughly when you are visiting, and how many people are in your group. He responds personally within 24 hours to confirm availability and answer any questions.
Prefer email? funchal-tours-jx79@sogoodmail.co