Mercado dos Lavradores, Funchal

A photo from the fresh fish market in Funchal this morning. The Mercado dos Lavradores is a busy fruit, vegetable, flower and fish market that has been trading since 1940. It's worth visiting, if only to see the Art Deco architecture and the colourful tiles (Azulejo) showing regional scenes.

It is traditional for locals to meet on the night of 23 December for Noite do Mercado (market night) where people sing Christmas songs, drink in the bars nearby and buy fresh fruits and vegetables from stalls set out in the streets. It's a very busy night, but if you're visiting Madeira at Christmas time, it's definitely worth a walk around that area to watch everyone out celebrating.