Funchal's hill village: the island's most famous church, a palace garden, the wicker toboggans — cable car up, and better ways down than the way you came.
Four things, honestly timed. The church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, whose staircase is the postcard — a short visit. Monte Palace Madeira, the main event: a steep tropical garden with koi lakes, tile panels and a mineral museum (€18, under-15s free with an accompanying adult; garden 09:00–19:00 April–September, 09:00–18:00 October–March; museum 09:00–17:30; closed 25 December) — allow 1.5–2 hours and expect stairs. The Carreiros do Monte wicker toboggans, below the church. And Largo da Fonte under the plane trees, where the village catches its breath.
Take the cable car from Funchal's Old Town: €16 one way, €22 return, children 0–6 free and 7–14 half price; it runs 08:45–17:45 every day except 25 December. Don't drive up — there is nothing worth parking for, and the fun of Monte is arriving over the valley. The bus is the budget way down, not the way up.
Monte is day two of our two-day itinerary — the timed version of this page.
The price is per sled, not per person: €30 for one person, €40 for two, €60 for three. They run Monday to Saturday, 09:00–18:00 — no rides on Sundays. Two runners in straw hats steer you down the asphalt on wicker and wood; the ride is about 2 km and 10 minutes, and it ends at Livramento (Caminho do Monte 82/84), not in Funchal.
| Sled | Price |
|---|---|
| 1 person | €30 |
| 2 people | €40 |
| 3 people | €60 |
Tickets are sold at the start, below the church, for the same day only: no online booking, no reservations. The desk at the top closes at 17:45 and may close earlier when the queue is long or the weather is bad. In rain or on a wet road there are no three-person sleds, so a group of three rides in two (€30 + €40). Besides Sundays they are closed on Good Friday, Easter Sunday, 14–15 August, 25 December and 1 January.
Bus 19 (Horários do Funchal) stops about 50 m from the finish and runs down to the city centre, by the Palácio de São Lourenço on the seafront, in 15–20 minutes. The fare is €2.05 bought on board, or €1.45 pre-paid on a GIRO card (the card costs €0.50). On weekdays it leaves every 25–45 minutes, on Saturdays every 30–60 minutes. On foot it is about 2 km downhill to the cathedral, roughly half an hour; a taxi is a short metered ride.
Back to a cruise ship: Livramento is about 4 km from the cruise terminal, just under an hour on foot, and once you count the wait the bus barely saves time. Leave the toboggan at least 1.5 hours before all-aboard. More on the Madeira cruise port page.
Usually no. The €22 return only pays off if you plan to come back to Monte, and the best of Monte is leaving it downhill: the toboggans (Mon–Sat), the garden cable car to the Botanical Garden, or the public bus. Buy €16 one way up, then decide at the top.
Take the garden cable car from Babosas, a short walk from Monte's centre. The combo ticket includes the Botanical Garden entry: €19 one way, €24 if you ride back to Monte (children 7–14 €9/€12; 09:00–17:00). From the garden's exits taxis wait, and the trip down to the Funchal cable-car station is about €12 — indicative, confirm with the driver. That one-way-plus-taxi combination is how our two-day plan does it.
It is the most content-rich stop in Monte, and under-15s go free, which makes it the obvious family pick: for two adults and two children the €36 covers everyone. It is also the island's steepest single entry fee, and the garden itself is steep on the legs. If you only have one day in Madeira and the viewpoints matter more to you, our one-day plan skips it without regret; with two days it earns its place.
Madeira Cable Car · Monte Palace Madeira · Carreiros do Monte · Teleférico Jardim Botânico · TIIM