Rua de Santa Maria (Santa Maria Street), Funchal

Santa Maria Street is in the parish of Santa Maria Major, the very first parish on the island of Madeira. The street is basically a stone path, approximately 2,000 feet (~609 meters) in length. When the area was first settled, a small church, Santa Maria of the Pebble (Santa Maria do Calhau), was built. A rough square extended to the beach and a street grew parallel to the shore.

The street is a mixture of residential houses and commercial establishments. The families that reside here have been on the street for generations. Well known and not so well known artists have painted the doors of private houses. The illustrations are masterful, adding a feeling of liveliness and color to the street.

The famous Mariazinha Bakery is here. It is crowded from morning until night. Cream Cakes, Fruit Cakes, sandwiches, croissants and espresso, every tasty baked thing in Funchal can be found in this five-star cafe/bakery.

The street is jammed with restaurants and cafe terraces. There are a variety of menus, traditional or international. There are bars to drink poncho and houses to hear fado.