Marina do Funchal on Madeira: arrival, harbour information and trip destinations

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Marina do Funchal is located right in the island capital of Madeira, directly on the waterfront avenue Avenida do Mar between the old town and the harbour mole. Here you can read how to get from the airport to the marina, where to shop, what wind to expect, which sailing destinations from Porto Santo to the Desertas lie ahead and what skippers should know when entering.

Where is Marina do Funchal located?

Marina do Funchal is located in the harbour of Funchal, sheltered behind the long Pontinha mole where cruise ships berth. The basin opens westwards into the harbour, and on the landward side the marina borders directly onto Avenida do Mar with its waterfront promenade.

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It's about a kilometre east to the old town Zona Velha, with the cable car base station to Monte and the market hall along the way.

Arriving at Marina do Funchal to start your trip

Funchal is the easiest of all Madeira's harbours to reach: buses, taxis and the ferry to Porto Santo all terminate in the centre.

From Madeira airport to Funchal

Madeira airport is on the island's east coast near Santa Cruz. By taxi or hire car you drive west along the south coast into the centre of Funchal; the route is longer than the roughly 14 kilometres as the crow flies.

The Aerobus, route number 500, is cheaper. It runs from the airport via the centre to the hotel zone in the west of the city and stops at Avenida do Mar, the market hall and the Lido, among other places. According to the timetable, the bus takes 24 minutes to reach the Avenida do Mar stop. At the airport, the first bus leaves daily at 8:30 am and the last at 10 pm, with a bus roughly every 30 to 60 minutes in between. The Aerobus does not run on 25 December (as at November 2026). You can find the current timetable in the regional government's timetable portal.

The airport is well known for its windy location. In strong winds, flights are regularly diverted or cancelled there. If you have a fixed start date, it's better to arrive a day earlier.

By bus or ferry

Funchal is the hub for urban and inter-city buses on Madeira. The routes around the city were renumbered in March 2026, so line 701 now runs to Machico and line 702 via Caniçal to the eastern tip of the island, for example.

The car ferry Lobo Marinho shuttles between Funchal and Porto Santo, departing from Funchal harbour just a few minutes' walk from the marina. The crossing takes a good two hours. This is handy if someone from the crew is joining or leaving on Porto Santo. In winter the ferry takes a few weeks' break every year for overhaul.

Parking

By car you reach the marina via Avenida do Mar, the waterfront road in the centre of Funchal. Public car parks can be found around 600 metres west of the marina (Avenue Park) and around 700 metres northeast at the Hotel Windsor.

Arrived early: promenade and market hall

Time passes easily right by the marina until your trip starts: restaurants and bars line the basin, with the waterfront promenade of Avenida do Mar in front. A few minutes further east are the market hall and the old town with many cafés.

Showers and sanitary facilities

The marina has showers, changing rooms and toilets as well as a laundry.

Shopping for the trip

A small grocery shop is only around 100 metres from the marina, a Spar supermarket around 200 metres and a Pingo Doce around 400 metres.

For fresh produce you go to the Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal's market hall around 700 metres northeast of the marina. There you'll find fruit, vegetables and tropical produce from the island and a separate fish hall. Opening hours are Monday to Thursday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday until 8 p.m. and Saturday until 2 p.m.; the market hall is closed on Sundays.

Chandlery is available at the ship's suppliers by the marina.

Doctor, pharmacy and emergency services

The nearest pharmacies are around 400 metres from the marina. The island's large hospital with A&E, the Hospital Dr. Nélio Mendonça, is around 1.2 kilometres to the west.

• If you arrive early you can pass the waiting time in the bar and restaurants of the shopping arcade. The marina also has a hotel if you arrive the evening before.
• At sea: VHF channel 16 and DSC. Maritime rescue around Madeira is the responsibility of the Portuguese Navy's maritime rescue sub-centre in Funchal (MRSC Funchal). It is manned around the clock and operates within the network of the maritime rescue coordination centre MRCC Lisboa.

What does Marina do Funchal offer?

Marina do Funchal has around 210 berths on floating pontoons and at the quay wall, with electricity and water, a fuel berth and 24-hour security. The key details (as of October 2026):

Feature	Details
Location	Avenida do Mar, 9000-055 Funchal, Madeira
Berths	around 210 for yachts
Water depth	1.9 to 4 m in the basin
Boat length	up to 21 m
VHF	Channel 09
Phone	+351 291 232 717 or +351 912 304 508
Email	geral@marinadofunchal.pt
Electricity and water	at berth
Fuel	Diesel and petrol, daily 8 am to 5.30 pm
Owner	Madeira Region Port Authority (APRAM)
Madeira Airport	approx. 14 km as the crow flies

Equipment

Electricity and drinking water are available at the berths, and fuel is available at the marina's fuel station. There are also showers and changing rooms, a laundry, internet, a sail repair service, a workshop for boat engines and shops selling boat supplies. The marina is guarded around the clock.

The marina is owned by the port authority of the Madeira region and is operated by the company Marina da Baía do Funchal, which is backed by water sports clubs from Funchal. The concession agreement was signed in May 2025 and runs for 15 years.

The marina also includes the Cais de Recreio, a pontoon to the east of the basin with around 30 berths for boats offering excursions.

What wind can you expect from Funchal?

Around Madeira the prevailing trade wind usually blows from north to north-east, particularly steady in summer. The north coast gets the full force of it, whereas Funchal on the south coast lies in the lee of the mountains. In front of the town the wind is therefore often light and variable. At the headlands, especially at Ponta de São Lourenço in the east, the trade wind picks up noticeably and the sea becomes rougher.

Between autumn and the end of winter the trade wind is less consistent. Swell from west to south-west can then reach even the normally sheltered south coast. In strong winds and high seas the harbour authority in Funchal issues warnings based on the IPMA forecast and advises boats in the harbour to strengthen their mooring lines.

IPMA issues warnings for Madeira at three levels. For wind, yellow applies to gusts of 70 to 90 km/h, orange to 91 to 130 km/h and red above that. For sea state, yellow begins at a significant wave height of 4 to 5 metres, orange applies at 5 to 7 metres and red at more than 7 metres.

What destinations can you reach from Marina do Funchal?

From Funchal you sail along the south coast heading east or west, across to the Desertas or round the eastern tip to Porto Santo. The distances are rounded sea miles on the usual course; refer to the chart for exact passage planning.

Destination	Distance	Route
Machico	around 10 nm	along the south coast heading east, past the airport
Marina Quinta do Lorde	around 13 nm	along the south coast heading east as far as Ponta de São Lourenço
Calheta	around 16 nm	along the south coast heading west
Ilhas Desertas (Doca bay)	about 22 nm	south-eastwards over open water
Porto Santo	about 40 nm	heading east, round Ponta de São Lourenço, then north-east
Las Palmas (Gran Canaria)	around 280 nm	heading south, a passage of several days

Quinta do Lorde and Machico

The passage to the east runs along the cliffs towards the island's eastern tip. Just before Ponta de São Lourenço lies Marina Quinta do Lorde with around 140 berths, set apart at the edge of a nature reserve. More about it in the profile of Marina Quinta do Lorde. Machico lies in a bay shortly before that and has a small, sheltered marina.

Calheta

Calheta on the south-west coast has a large marina with around 340 berths. On the way there you stay on the sheltered south coast.

Ilhas Desertas

The Ilhas Desertas lie to the south-east of Madeira and are a nature reserve where, among other species, the rare monk seal lives. To visit you need a permit from the regional nature conservation authority IFCN. With your own boat you may only anchor in Doca bay on Deserta Grande; overnight stays and anchoring at other locations are permitted only with a specific permit. There is no sheltering harbour there, so go across only in settled weather.

Porto Santo

Porto Santo is the smaller neighbouring island to the north-east, known for its beaches. The marina lies in the harbour on the south coast and has around 140 berths for boats up to 30 metres. On the way there you round the eastern tip of Madeira and then sail across open water with Atlantic swell. Start early so that you arrive in daylight.

Onward to the Canary Islands

For many yachts, Madeira is a stopover on the way south. It's about 280 nautical miles to Las Palmas on Gran Canaria – depending on the boat, two to three days at sea. You can read about what goes on in the harbour there in the profile Las Palmas harbour for sailors.

What can you do on a harbour day in Funchal?

The old town, market hall and cable car are all within walking distance along the waterfront road east of the marina. Distances are as the crow flies from the marina.

Mercado dos Lavradores

The market hall opened in 1940. The façade, entrance and fish hall are decorated with large tile pictures from the time of construction depicting scenes from Madeira. Inside, traders offer the island's fruit and vegetables; in the fish hall lies the day's catch. The market hall is closed on Sundays.

Old Town Zona Velha and Rua de Santa Maria

The Zona Velha is the oldest quarter of Funchal, about a kilometre east of the marina. In the Rua de Santa Maria, artists from Madeira have painted around 200 doors of old houses and shops, turning the street into an open-air gallery. In the evenings you can sit in the restaurants and bars of the narrow lanes.

By cable car to Monte

The cable car to Monte starts on the edge of the old town, just under a kilometre from the marina. Over about 3.2 kilometres it climbs 560 metres and takes 18 minutes on average. From the top you can see across the whole of Funchal Bay. The cable car runs daily from 8:45 am to 5:45 pm and is closed on 25 December (as at November 2026).

For skippers: Berthing and sea weather at Marina do Funchal

Call Marina do Funchal before entering on VHF channel 09 or by phone. Channel 16 is the distress and calling channel; for the marina itself use channel 09.

Registration and Berthing

The marina is often fully booked and has only a few visitor berths. Register about a week in advance by email or via the marina's website. You moor at floating pontoons or at the quay wall; the marina will assign you a berth. The basin is only 1.9 to 4 metres deep, so check when registering whether a berth suits your draught.

The marina takes boats up to 21 metres in length. After mooring, report to the marina office with your boat documents. It is open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5:30 pm and closed at weekends and on public holidays.

A daily rate applies to visiting boats, and the berthing day begins at noon. A boat of 10 to 12 metres pays €24.63 per day and one of 12 to 15 metres pays €34.92, in each case plus VAT. For multihulls the rate is doubled (as at: tariff valid from 1 March 2026).

A maximum speed of 2 knots applies in the harbour, in the marina and in the entrance. Swimming and fishing are prohibited in the marina.

If the marina is full, you can anchor off the harbour. Expect swell there, however.

Approach

The marina lies north of the Pontinha breakwater, whose head bears a red light with the characteristic Fl.R.5s. The narrow entrance to the marina basin opens westwards; its breakwater heads carry a green fixed light to the east and a red fixed light to the west. Watch out in the harbour for the ferry to Porto Santo and for cruise ships berthing and leaving. Coming from seaward, head for the bay of Funchal, which lies between Ponta da Cruz to the west and Ponta do Garajau to the east. The roughly 280-metre-high cape Ponta do Garajau, about 3.5 nautical miles east of the harbour, is a good landmark.

Which marine weather forecast applies around Madeira?

The official sea weather report for Madeira is issued by the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere IPMA. Two reports are important: the coastal report covering up to 20 nautical miles off the archipelago and the high seas report for the Madeira sea area. Both are available on the IPMA marine weather page, also in English, with warnings, weather situation and forecast for wind, visibility and sea state.

At sea you receive weather and navigational warnings via NAVTEX. The Portuguese navy transmits them from its radio station on Madeira on 518 kHz in English and on 490 kHz in Portuguese, with a range of about 400 nautical miles. For Porto Santo and the Desertas the coastal report is sufficient; for the passage to the Canaries take the high seas report as well.

Trips from Funchal on Törnfinder

All current offers are in the trip overview. Trips around Madeira, Porto Santo and the Desertas can be found under Cabin Charter on Madeira, further sailing areas in the country under Sailing in Portugal.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get from Madeira airport to Marina do Funchal?

By Aerobus (line 500) to the Avenida do Mar stop, where the marina is located, or by taxi and hire car. The marina is about 14 kilometres as the crow flies from the airport.

Are there showers at Marina do Funchal?

Yes, with changing rooms and sanitary facilities. There is also a laundry.

Where can I shop for the trip in Funchal?

A Spar supermarket is about 200 metres away, a Pingo Doce about 400 metres from the marina. You can get fresh fruit, vegetables and fish at the Mercado dos Lavradores market hall about 700 metres to the northeast, Monday to Saturday.

Where can I park near Marina do Funchal?

In the public car parks Avenue Park about 600 metres west and at the Hotel Windsor about 700 metres northeast of the marina.

How far is it from Funchal to Porto Santo?

About 40 nautical miles by sea round the eastern tip of Madeira. The ferry from the port of Funchal takes a good two hours for the crossing.

Which VHF channel can be used to contact Marina do Funchal?

Channel 09. As the marina is often full, it's best to register about a week beforehand by email.

Can you refuel at Marina do Funchal?

Yes, the marina's fuel station has diesel and petrol and is open daily from 8 am to 5:30 pm.