Things to do in Caniço

Caniço sits on the east coast about 15 minutes from Funchal by car, and it reads less like a village than a residential and holiday-let sprawl that grew up around a diving coastline from the 1980s onwards. The reason to base here is Caniço de Baixo, one of the island's two reference dive sites, with visibility that holds up well and water running 18-24°C depending on season.

Rooms in the aparthotels along the seafront cluster around 70-110 EUR a night in summer, noticeably less than central Funchal. There is a natural lido with saltwater pools and a short lava-rock promenade, but no real beach and no historic centre to walk around. Garajau's marine reserve and its groupers are a five-minute drive east; Camacha's wickerwork and rural views sit inland.

Caniço itself is best treated as a quiet, sea-facing overnight stop rather than a sightseeing stop in its own right.