The Botanical Garden: worth it, and how to do it right
Written from a visit with a botanical collector's eye: what's genuinely good, the one weak spot, the honest prices and the order that lets you fit Monte and the toboggans into the same day.
Is the Botanical Garden worth it?
A resounding yes. There are beautiful specimens throughout, and the strongest sections are the succulents and cacti terraces and the glasshouse with bromeliads and orchids; around them you get amazing views over Funchal and the bay, and — rare for Madeira's big sights — peace and tranquility away from the crowds. The operator's own guidance says the visit takes about 1h30–2 hours, which matches our experience. There is a small café for a good coffee and a traditional pastel de nata halfway through.
Agathis robusta (Queensland kauri) towering over other trees in the arboretum section of the Botanical Garden. Picture: Mayke De Freitas Santos.
Why hunt out the endemics at all? Madeira belongs to Macaronesia, and its laurel forest is a UNESCO World Heritage site: the laurels, the ferns, the wild blueberries and the wild olive trees grow here and almost nowhere else on Earth — there is a wild olive in the garden itself, right by the endemics section. Which brings our one honest criticism, from an avid botanical collector's eye: that section is small — too small, in our view, for the island that owns this flora. Go for the collection and the setting, not for an endemics masterclass.
Argyranthemum pinnatifidum ssp. pinnatifidum — one of the labelled Madeira endemics. Photo: Mayke De Freitas Santos.
A drawback to know before you go: the garden sits on the island's dry southern side. Even high above Funchal it is much drier and hotter than the Serra do Faial — the central massif of Pico do Areeiro and Pico Ruivo — so what thrives here is the sun-loving collection, not the cloud forest. For the living laurel forest, walk a levada: the best levada walks.
How much does the Botanical Garden cost?
Entry is €10 for visitors over 12, €3 for ages 6–12 and free under 6; Madeira residents enter free (Portaria 48/2026). The garden is open 09:00–17:30. The better buy for most visitors is the combo ticket of the garden cable car, which includes the entry: €19 one way or €24 round trip (children 7–14: €9/€12).
Ticket
Adult
Child
Garden entry alone
€10
€3 (6–12), under-6 free
Cable car + entry, one way
€19
€9 (7–14)
Cable car + entry, round trip
€24
€12 (7–14)
How do I get to the Botanical Garden?
The scenic way is the garden cable car from Babosas, a short walk from Monte's centre (09:00–17:00, nine minutes across the valley) — with the entry included in its ticket. Leaving, you don't have to ride back: taxis wait at the garden's exits, and the trip down to the Funchal cable-car station is about €12 (indicative — confirm with the driver). With time to spare you can instead walk down from the lower gate to the CAM Meio Papagaios D bus stop (line 310A) and take the bus; not worth the hassle if you're on the clock.
The ride in: the garden cable car crosses the João Gomes valley with Funchal and the port below. Photo: Mayke De Freitas Santos.
Can I do the garden, Monte Palace and the toboggans in one day?
Yes — but only in this order: go up early, see the Botanical Garden first, ride the cable car back to Monte, do Monte Palace, and finish with the wicker toboggans. The order matters because the toboggans only run downhill from Monte (Monday–Saturday, 09:00–18:00): leave the garden last and you come back to Monte too late, or not at all. Early start, garden before lunch, Monte Palace after, toboggans as the grand exit.
And if you do end up at the Botanical Garden late, or keep it as the final attraction, there is no trap: simply exit and take a taxi from there — they usually wait outside, about €12 all the way down to the Funchal cable-car station (indicative). If you'd rather experience vertigo on a bus, walk a little further down to the Meio Papagaios stop (line 310A) — it's marked on the day-two map.
Different gardens for different people. Monte Palace (€18, under-15s free) is the designed spectacle — koi lakes, tile panels, drama — and the obvious family pick since the children enter free. The Botanical Garden is the plant collection proper: cheaper, quieter, better labelled, with the cacti terraces and the orchid glasshouse, and views Monte Palace doesn't have. A plant lover should not skip the Botanical Garden; with two days in Madeira, do both — they are one cable-car ride apart.
