Madeira · Funchal · Monte
Monte Cable Car (Teleférico do Funchal)
A viewpoint is only as good as the day you catch it. Cloud, haze or a north swell can turn the best spot on the island into a grey wall. Getting here is easy; timing it is the part worth checking.
Ride the glass cabins from the Funchal seafront up to Monte and the whole bay opens under your feet. The Teleférico do Funchal is the easy way to trade the harbour for hilltop gardens, cobbled lanes, and one of the best views over the capital. At the top you are steps from the church, the tropical gardens, and the famous wicker toboggan run back down.
Getting there and the practical part
The cable car boards near the Old Town, at the eastern end of the Funchal seafront by the Almirante Reis park. It climbs to Monte in a few minutes and drops you beside the village square. From Monte you can walk to the Nossa Senhora do Monte church, catch the toboggan sledges (carros de cesto) steered downhill by two drivers in white, or link to the Monte Palace tropical garden.
The cable car and the toboggan run are both ticketed and run by private operators, so buy your ride at the station or check the official operator for current fares and hours before you go. The viewpoints, the church, and the village streets around Monte are free to wander on foot.
See the forecast for the days aheadWhen to go
Go on a clear morning before the afternoon cloud builds over the hills, when the light is sharp and the bay is still. Our app flags the Monte Cable Car View Moment so you can see when the air is clean enough for the long view over Funchal instead of a wall of haze. Weekends and cruise-ship days bring the biggest queues, so early beats late.
Trails near Monte Cable Car
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Levada do Bom SucessoL-BOMSUCESSO -
Caminho Real do MontePR3.1 -
Levada dos TornosL-TORNOS -
Levada dos PiornaisL-PIORNAIS -
Levada do BlandyL-BLANDY
Common questions
Where does the Funchal cable car start?
The Teleférico do Funchal boards at the eastern end of the Funchal seafront, next to the Almirante Reis park in the Old Town, and climbs to the village of Monte above the city.
Is the Monte toboggan ride included with the cable car?
No. The wicker toboggan run (carros de cesto) is a separate ticket from a different operator. Many visitors ride the cable car up, take the toboggan partway down, then finish back in Funchal. Check each operator for current prices.
What is there to do at the top in Monte?
Monte has the Nossa Senhora do Monte church and its wide staircase, the Monte Palace tropical garden, quiet cobbled lanes, and viewpoints over Funchal bay. The toboggan sledges also start here. The church and streets are free; the garden and rides are ticketed.
More places: Fanal Forest · Seixal · Porto Moniz · Chão da Ribeira · Cabo Girão Skywalk · Câmara de Lobos · Caniçal · Eira do Serrado · Miradouro do Guindaste · Cabo do Garajau · Miradouro dos Balcões
See also the microclimate guide and weather by month.