Monte, the hill above Funchal
Up by cable car, down in a wicker toboggan, with a church and a tropical garden at the top.
Monte at a glance
A hillside parish above Funchal, reached by cable car, with an 18th-century church, a tropical garden and the wicker toboggan ride down.
- Where
- Funchal, on the hill above the city
- From Funchal by car
- about 10 min
- Time to allow
- 2 to 3 hours
- Cable car from Funchal
- €16 one way, €22 return
- Toboggan ride
- €30 for one person, €40 for two, €60 for three
- Monte Palace garden
- €18 for adults; children up to 14 free with an adult
Go there with us
- Your own route, half day Your own route 4 h €1601–4
- Your own route, by the hour Your own route 2 h minimum €501–4
- Cruise day, about 4 hours Private tour 4 h €1501–4
Prices are for the whole car, not per person. Each page has the price for 5 or 6.
What you see and do
Monte is a parish on the hill above Funchal, and most visitors come for three things.
The cable car up. The Funchal–Monte cable car starts on the seafront by the old town and rises 3.2 km, about 15 minutes, 560 m up over the roofs of the city. It runs 08:45 to 17:45 every day except 25 December.
The church and the garden. The 18th-century church of Nossa Senhora do Monte stands at the top of a long stairway, and inside is the tomb of Charles I, the last Emperor of Austria, who died in Monte in 1922. Next to the cable car station, Monte Palace Tropical Garden fills a steep valley with paths, lakes, tile panels and an oriental garden.
The toboggan down. Two carreiros in white with straw hats steer a wicker sledge down the road, braking with their boots. The run is 2 km, about 10 minutes, and it ends at Livramento, not in central Funchal.
A second cable car leaves from Monte across the valley to the Madeira Botanical Garden. It is a different company with its own tickets.
Before you go
- Two cable cars, two tickets. The one from Funchal costs €16 one way, €22 return. The one to the Botanical Garden costs €11 one way, €16 return; 09:00 to 17:00, last boarding 16:50. No ticket covers both.
- Toboggan tickets are sold at the start for the same day only, no online booking. Rides run Monday to Saturday, 09:00–18:00, and the toboggans are closed on 14 and 15 August, 25 December, 1 January, Good Friday and Easter Sunday.
- Plan the bottom of the toboggan. It ends at Livramento, Caminho do Monte 82/84, so plan a ride from there. With us, your driver waits at the bottom.
- Cabins are shared at busy times. Each cabin takes up to 7; when there is a queue, at least 6 board each cabin.
- Monte Palace is open 09:00 to 19:00 April to September, 09:00 to 18:00 October to March. The paths are steep, so the garden is hard going with a pushchair or a wheelchair.
Monte with us
Monte is ten minutes by car from the centre of Funchal, so it fits into a half day with a driver, or the cruise day from the ship. A good order: your driver takes you up by road, you visit the church and the garden, ride the toboggan down, and your driver collects you at Livramento. Or ride the cable car up from the seafront and meet your driver at the top. Book the hours on the private driver page.
Nearby, on the same day
All places-
Funchal market and old town
Funchal's oldest quarter: the 1940 farmers' market and the painted doors of Rua de Santa Maria, a short walk from the Monte cable car.
-
Pico dos Barcelos
A viewpoint 355 m up in Funchal's hills that looks over the whole bay, and on clear days out to the Desertas islands.
-
Curral das Freiras and Eira do Serrado
A village at the bottom of a deep valley ringed by peaks, and the Eira do Serrado viewpoint high above it.
-
Câmara de Lobos
A fishing town just west of Funchal, with boats in the bay Churchill painted in 1950 and the bars where poncha was first made.
Monte questions
Where does the Monte toboggan ride end?
At Livramento, on the Caminho do Monte, about 2 km down the road from the start. It does not end in central Funchal or at a cable car station, so plan a ride or a walk from there.
Is the Monte cable car the same as the Botanical Garden cable car?
No. The Funchal–Monte cable car runs from the seafront up to Monte. The Botanical Garden cable car runs from Monte across the valley to the garden. They are separate companies with separate tickets.
How long do you need for Monte?
Two to three hours covers the cable car up, the church, the toboggan ride and a walk in the Monte Palace garden. The cable car takes about 15 minutes each way and the toboggan about 10 minutes.
Monte in a half day with a driver
Up by car or cable car, down by toboggan, with your driver waiting at the bottom. Send us a date and we reply within 60 minutes, 07:00–22:00, with the price for the car.
Your own route, half day €160 per car for 1 to 4 people, €180 for 5 or 6