Jardim Monte Palace Madeira

This is no just another botanical garden, but a true masterpiece. Spread over a vast area, the garden combines exotic flora from all over the world, impressive art collections (including a tile panel telling the history of Portugal), lakes with swans, Japanese-style pagodas and hidden waterfalls. Walking through the garden is a magical and relaxing journey, and every corner reveals a new surprise. If it is a rainy day, bring umbrella with you, since there is no place to hide there... Champion tip: Wear very comfortable shoes! The garden is built on a mountainside and has many ups and downs. At the end of your visit, consider the experience of going downhill on the traditional Monte straw sledges (Associação dos Carreiros do Monte) – 35 euros, 10 minutes, 2 km, arrive before 3pm otherwise there may be no more tickets. There is a cable car between Funchal city center and Monte Palace, costing 14.5 euros one way, 20 euros return. There is a cable car between the Botanical Gardens and Monte Palace, costing 7.5 euros one way, 15 euros return.

Absolutely stunning but get there early to beat the crowds!! We arrived just after 9am and were one of the first in so we had the place to ourselves. Some of the vistas are beautiful and we loved the way you can see parts of the gardens from different angles and heights. We also liked the fact there were several different cafes dotted in each corner of the gardens and we had a nice coffee and Portuguese tart admiring a view over Funchal. Certainly one of the most interesting and unique gardens I’ve visited with plenty to see and explore, however it’s not the most accessible with lots of steep slopes and narrow steps.

It would be probably easier to recount what was NOT in this place, as there was a great deal of attractions. Innumerable sculptures in plein air, both old and new. Beautiful ceramic tile compositions depicting the history of Portugal. Botanical gardens with interesting fauna, including Madeira chaffinch and firecrest. Free wine sampling. Galleries of contemporary art and of mineralogy. Mystical grottoes in the style of Italian Mannerist gardens. An option to buy and drink a pina colada in a drilled pineapple to cool off after all the walking. It was a great deal of fun.

A very beautiful garden — probably the best one I’ve ever visited. We went up and down by funicular; a round-trip ticket costs €20. The last one leaves at 5:45 PM. Entrance to the garden is €15 — and it’s absolutely worth it. I recommend setting aside at least 4–5 hours for your visit and bringing some snacks and drinks with you. Two hours weren’t quite enough for us to fully enjoy the views and explore all the paths and spots around the place. There’s also a fascinating and beautifully designed mineral museum on the garden grounds — make sure to stop by! This botanical garden is definitely worth visiting. Even in October, it’s stunning🌿

Jardim Monte Palace is one of the most beautiful and peaceful places I’ve ever visited in Madeira. The gardens are perfectly maintained, filled with exotic plants, waterfalls, koi ponds, and breathtaking views over Funchal. The mix of tropical vegetation and oriental-style architecture makes it feel like stepping into another world. The tile panels and sculptures add a touch of culture and history at every turn. Take your time to explore — it’s much larger than it seems! The café inside is also a nice spot to relax and enjoy the scenery. A must-see attraction if you love nature, art, and tranquility. 🌺🌿

An incredible botanical garden — you can feel how much titanic work went into creating it. I was deeply impressed by its history. There are many gates here, not historical ones, but designed to enrich the landscape and make the overall picture more interesting. The flora is amazing — so many tropical plants grow here: pineapples, bananas…) and even replicas of the little houses from Santana. There’s a lot of colorful tilework — not original, but reproductions of historical Portuguese tiles that have been preserved for centuries and carry their own stories. It’s worth reading more about them — it’s truly fascinating. There are also flamingos eating near a fantastic waterfall, with blue tiles in the background. Be sure to look closely at how these tiles are arranged and how they manage not to wash away in the rain. The whole place feels like something out of a fairy tale.

Truly understated and amazing gardens. Save some time to visit the galleries on site (the gem cavern was such a cool bonus) The climb down was significant, and the climb up was also, but it gave us a change to linger, take our time and see many beautiful vignettes.

Absolutely beautiful garden! The variety of plants, flowers, and trees is incredible, and everything is so well maintained and thoughtfully arranged. Despite the pouring rain, we had a wonderful time exploring the paths and admiring the views. A peaceful and stunning place that’s definitely worth visiting in Madeira — rain or shine!