First things first. What I repeatedly forgot, until my last day there. When visiting Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, dress in layers, or pack warmer clothes in your bag. It might be nice and sunny down by the sea, but a short trip away, up in the mountains, it can suddenly shift into showers and wind, cold. During my outing to Monte and Madeira Botanical Garden, before I knew it, the rain was pouring down. Also, wearing shoes suitable for walking/easy hike is a must. There might be slippery slopes. Steep ones.
My first stop was Monte. Reading about it beforehand, it didn’t trigger any interest. Most known for the toboggan rides, taking you back down, which I wasn’t about to go on, I decided to give it a shot, since my airport taxi driver raved about the views, and it was kinda on the way to the botanical garden. Getting off the cable car, I didn’t see much in close proximity. Just the entrance to another botanical garden, and a sign for the second cable car. Turning left the made the most sense, and proved to be the right choice. I ended up at togobban central, and a beautiful charcoal and white church. Passing the church seems to bring you into the small village/suburb of Monte. Spotted a very nice looking bridge, when I passed by later on the bus. I am thinking going in might prove to be a pleasant surprise. Unfortunately I didn’t have time. And the views of Funchal from Monte – good, but not spectacular.
Next up, Madeira Botanical Garden. And let’s just say, visiting in early December is not the best option. It’s not very green. More accurate, it’s green, not very multicolored. So, go another time of year. Honestly, I was pretty quickly done. Note, it’s not a really big place anyway. Closer to the city than Monte, the views have another panorama. Yet again good, but not excellent. Suggestion, have lunch at the restaurant. Quality food! The burgers looked really cool 🙂 Was gonna go for one, but then I spotted the local bolo do caco in the form of a prego sandwich. Could not resist. After seeing me “struggling” with a knife and fork, the waiter came over to suggest I’d eat with my hands, like the locals 😀
Travelling between Funchal, Monte and Madeira Botanical Garden, I decided to go by cable cars. Teleférico do Funchal is the cable car that runs between the city centre and Monte. It departs from the old town, by the waterfront. Strolling Zona Velha you’ll probably see the carriages dangle above you. The ride is 15-20 minutes. A lot longer than I expected. Monte is actually very far up. As the ride will make you hover over the city, and rooftops, the views are splendid! Teleférico do Jardim Botanico is the cable car that runs between Monte and Madeira Botanical Garden. In Monte you just follow the signs. It’s kind of off, to the right. It arrives at the site of the botanical garden. This ride passes over forested slopes. Kinda boring… Luckily not as long as the first one. Maybe 10 minutes. I did two round trips (you can get a combo ticket/package deal). Later I discovered it is possible to reach both places by local bus. Ideally do the Funchal-Monte trip (one way), and the rest by bus. However, this might be less time efficient…
Monte
Madeira Botanical Garden
Funchal Cable Car
Botanical Garden Cable Car
