Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Funchal
- Outdoors
- Ages 6-12
- Children free
- Just turn up
A steeply terraced hillside garden at the top of the Monte cable car, with koi ponds, an oriental garden, azulejo panels and a small terracotta army.
No pushchair. The site is a steep hillside laid out in long flights of steps, the operator itself warns that reduced-mobility visitors will struggle, and one of the most-shared reviews is titled "nice but not for children" - it suits a child who will walk a hillside circuit for two hours on their own feet. What holds them when it works is the koi: several ponds of them, in numbers a child does not expect. Adults who allow the full two hours call it the best tropical garden on the island.
Worth knowing: Arrive by cable car rather than by car - it lands you a short walk from the gate and saves the drive up through Monte.
Opening hours
- Mon
- 09:00-19:00
- Tue
- 09:00-19:00
- Wed
- 09:00-19:00
- Thu
- 09:00-19:00
- Fri
- 09:00-19:00
- Sat
- 09:00-19:00
- Sun
- 09:00-19:00
Prices
Adult 18 €, free for children up to 14 with a paying adult. Cash or card at the kiosk, no booking. School groups free with prior registration. The cable car fare is on top.
Season
09:00-19:00 April to September, 09:00-18:00 October to March, last entry an hour before closing. Closed only on 25 December.
Getting there
Prices and opening times change without notice, and on this island they change often. Everything here carries the date it was checked in our research notes; if a place has moved or closed, tell us and we will fix it.