Madeira Street Art in Old Town

The countdown is already in the low single digits, in only a few days I will be in the Canary Islands and I CAN NOT wait.  Before moving to Europe I had heard of them but did not know where they were and in case you are in the same boat, while technically part of Spain they are a group of volcanic islands off the coast of northwestern Africa.

I bring up the location because Madeira is similar in this regard as it is part of Portugal but also off the coast of Africa, just 300 miles North of the Canaries.  My trip there a year ago was a great experience and one of the parts of the island – famous for being the birth place of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo – was the Funchal street art.  All over the city there are beautifully painted murals and designs on buildings and doors but the most beautiful ones I found were in the Old Town.  I took so many photos of these doors that it was hard to narrow down which to include in this post. My favorites included depictions rainbow houses, lions, and a mermaid but take a look at these 15 shots of the Funchal Street art and let me know your top pick.

If you are planning a visit many of the murals pictured above are on Rua de Santa Maria (Santa Maria Street) which Google maps describes as both notable street and a storied street acclaimed for vibrant art and those are more eloquent descriptions of this Funchal street art then I would have managed so I will leave it there.