Route: Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Area: Madeira
Date of walk: 1st February 2025
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 2.0 miles
Ascent: 200 feet
Weather: Mostly sunny
Earlier in the day we managed a walk along the Levado do Caniçal and also a visit to Madeira Botanical Garden. As this was our final day on Madeira we wanted to see as much as possible and still had just enough time for a visit to another of Madeira’s gardens – the Monte Palace Tropical Garden
Madeira Botanical Garden and Monte Palace Tropical Garden are conveniently linked to each other by the Botanical Garden Cable Car, a worthwhile trip in itself. We boarded the cable car and this whisked us up the mountainside to Monte, a suburb of Funchal. The ride took about 20 minutes and there were lovely views over Funchal and out to sea on the way up. A short stroll from the top of the cable car brought us to Monte Palace Tropical Garden
The history of the garden goes back to the 18th century, when the English Consul, Charles Murray, bought the property and converted it into an estate. In 1897, it was bought by Alfredo Rodrigues, who built a palatial residence here, later transformed into a hotel named ‘Monte Palace Hotel’. The garden has been developed over the years and now houses some 100,000 plant species from all over the world. It is also home to a rather eclectic mix of sculptures, murals, wooden figures, waterfalls, ponds, bridges and other countless other garden features, as well as flamingos, swans, peacocks and koi carp. The overall design is slightly bonkers, but the garden is full of interest. The flora is outstanding and we had an enjoyable time here
I’ve not provided a route map as it’s best to wander around at will. A map of the garden is available on entry. The location of Monte Palace Tropical Garden is shown in the link below
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
The Botanical Cable Car, which takes us from Madeira Botanical Garden to our next destination - Monte Palace Tropical Garden
It's a short stroll from the top of the cable car and, as we enter Monte Palace Tropical Garden, we pass by the Milenariam Olive Tree. According to the sign it was planted by the Romans in about 300 BC - incredible if correct
The Japanese Garden
We follow a path through the Japanese Garden past numerous waterfalls
Monte Palace, once a private residence, then a hotel
We wander around the labyrinth of paths
Garden features abound - tiled murals...
...statues...
...lakes and more waterfalls...
Views over Funchal...
We make our way back to the Japanese Garden...
We take the cable car back down to Funchal at the end of a wonderful walking holiday on Madeira
