Fodor's Expert Review Mercado dos Lavradores

This vast art deco building will delight architecture buffs, while the interior is a riot of colors and scents. In the center patio of the market, vendors sell orchids, bird-of-paradise flowers (the emblem of Madeira), anthuriums, and other blooms, alongside enormous piles of fruits and vegetables. The bustling lower-level seafood market displays the day's catch. (Note the rows of fierce-looking espada: their huge, bulging eyes are caused by the fatal change in pressure between their deepwater habitat and sea level.) On the upper floor—where you can stand and watch the colorful market scene below—you will find handicrafts and a handful of cafés and coffee shops that offer a chance to refuel with a bica (espresso) and a sandes de carne vinho e alhos (pork, wine, and garlic sandwich).