Funchal

Funchal needs 3 days: the Mercado dos Lavradores and the historic center on one, a descent in the traditional wicker toboggans (basket cars) from Monte down to the center on another, and a hike along a levada -centuries-old irrigation channels turned into trails through laurel forest- on the third. April-October brings the best weather, though the island has mild temperatures nearly year-round. It's mid-to-high priced, with flights often pricier than to other Portuguese destinations. Its laurisilva forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a remnant of the subtropical vegetation that covered southern Europe millions of years ago, and its over 2,000 km of levadas -built to carry water from the rainy mountains to drier farming areas- today form Portugal's most extensive hiking network.