Funchal
Mercado dos Lavradores, and the price of cut fruit upstairs
The short answer
The Mercado dos Lavradores is Funchal’s central covered market, opened in November 1940 to a design by Edmundo Tavares, with tile panels on the façade and fish hall. It is the city’s main point for tropical fruit, flowers and fish, and it is operated by Câmara Municipal do Funchal.
The facts
| Where | Funchal |
|---|---|
| Type | Culture, markets and the wine |
| How long | An hour |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Cost | No admission charge published |
| Best season | Year round. Friday morning is the biggest trading day. |
| Permit | No permit recorded |
The building
The market opened on 24 November 1940 to a design by Edmundo Tavares. The façade, main door and fish hall carry tile panels from that year painted with regional scenes by João Rodrigues, and the architecture is Estado Novo.
It is operated by Câmara Municipal do Funchal. No admission charge is published, which is recorded here as an absence rather than a claim that entry is free.
When it is open
Monday to Thursday it trades 07:00 to 19:00, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026, Friday 07:00 to 20:00, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026, and Saturday 07:00 to 14:00, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026. It is closed all day Sunday.
Friday morning is the biggest trading day, and the Saturday close at 14:00 is early enough to ruin a lazy weekend start.
The upstairs stalls
Some of the fruit sellers on the upper level press samples on passers-by and then charge steeply for cut fruit. It is a long-standing complaint and it is not a rumour.
The remedy is unglamorous: agree the price before accepting anything, including a sample.
What is not perfect about it
Aggressive sampling and steep prices for cut fruit from some of the upstairs stalls are a long-standing complaint. Agreeing the price before accepting anything is the whole defence. The market also closes at 14:00 on Saturday and all day Sunday, which catches out weekend visitors.
Questions people actually ask
Is Mercado dos Lavradores open on Sunday?
No. It is closed all day Sunday and closes at 14:00 on Saturday.
Is there an entrance fee for the market?
No admission charge is published by the tourism board or the municipal operator.
What is the problem with the fruit stalls?
Some upstairs sellers offer samples and then charge steeply for cut fruit. Agreeing a price before accepting anything avoids it.
Where this came from
- Visit Madeira: Mercado dos Lavradores. visitmadeira.com/en/what-to-do/culture-passionates/heritag Read August 26, 2026.