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Self Guided Tours
Monte, Toboggan & Tropical Garden Walk
Take a self-guided walk through one of Madeira’s must-do experiences. Cable car to Monte, visit Austria’s last emperor, explore the Tropical Garden, and ride the iconic toboggan back down. Simple, scenic, unforgettable.
This self-guided walk takes you on an unforgettable journey above Funchal to Monte — where cable car views open up to the Atlantic, tropical gardens invite you to slow down, and history meets one of Madeira’s most iconic traditions.
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📍 • Cable Car Ride • Monte • Last Emporar of Austria • Monte Tropical Garden • Toboggan • (It covers roughly 5-10 km and takes around 3 hours, including all the scenic stops along the way.
Recommended: • Jacket • Cash • Madeira Island Pass (for discounts) • Mobile data • Brakefast at Hotel or Rentalplace • Be at first Stop at 8:30 am (avoid croweds)
Difficulty
Banana Joe the All-Knowing
Distance & duration
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Access
Recommended: • Jacket • Cash • Madeira Island Pass (for discounts) • Mobile data • Brakefast at Hotel or Rentalplace • Be at first Stop at 8:30 am (avoid croweds)
Just press play and let our guide Banana Joe walk you through this awesome tour. Tip: on mobile, you can enlarge the tour by clicking the yellow button in the upper right corner.
Monte, Toboggan & Tropical Garden Walk
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Introduction: Monte, Toboggan & Tropical Garden Walk
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Cable Car, Last Emperor, Tropical Garden & Toboggan Ride
Press Play to meet your guide for the day and discover what today’s epic tour has in store for you — go on, tap it… the adventure starts there!
👋 The main attractions are not free and must be paid at the entrance. Please allow around €60 per person.
Let’s start the road trip on Madeira’s original coastal roads — built long before tunnels and highways, full of curves, cliffs, vintage island vibes, and dramatic views.
Fun Fact: Portugal was one of the poorest countries in the EU15 🇵🇹💶, and Madeira was the poorest region within Portugal 🏝️📉.
4th Stop: A Viewpoint Into Infinity And a Fishfarm
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Miradouro Trigo de Negreiros
Welcome to Viewpoint Trigo de Negreiros — a stunning spot overlooking the sunny village of Madalena do Mar and the Atlantic, where you can even spot Madeira’s impressive offshore fish farms.
Fun Fact: Some of Madeira’s offshore fish farms produce up to 900 tons of fish per year — that’s roughly the weight of 150 elephants! 🐘🌊
In the hills of Calheta, somewhere between the clouds and the coast, there’s a humble little spot that locals whisper about and travellers accidentally fall in love with.
Fun Fact: Poncha is a drink you’ll only truly find in Madeira — although lately a few copycats have started popping up in Lisbon. 😏🌴🍹
A Lighthous which has been guiding ships along Madeira’s rugged coastline since June 1922
Fun fact: If you drew a straight line across the Atlantic from here, you would eventually end up in South Carolina, USA 🇺🇸 — near the Cape Romain Lighthouse. 🗺️💡
We skip Jardim do Mar to have some more time to learn about Sugracane in Madeira
Fun Fact: 🏴☠️ Madeira was attacked several times by pirates because of the wealth created by its sugarcane trade. One famous raid even led to the name Nun’s Valley (Curral das Freiras) — when nuns fled there to hide from pirates. ⛰️
Calheta Beach: Madeira’s golden sand, calm waters, great pizza — and the perfect place to slow down for a while.
Useless Fun Fact: The world’s most expensive pizza is the “Louis XIII” pizza, costing about $12,000 — topped with lobster 🦞, caviar 🐟, and even 24-karat gold flakes ✨👑.
A peaceful fishing village where Madeira’s banana story comes to life.
🍌🌴 Fun Fact: Madalena do Mar is home to Madeira’s largest banana plantations, and every July the village celebrates the fruit with its own Banana Exhibit festival. 🎉
Let’s dive into the history of Madeira’s famous banana industry.
Sad Fun Fact: Madeira’s bananas may taste better than most, but because they’re smaller and less uniform than industrial bananas, they rarely make it onto the shelves of big European supermarkets. 🍌
Madeira’s “Point of the Sun” and the grand finale of the South-West Tour.
☀️ Fun Fact: The sunniest place in the world is Yuma, Arizona (USA), which enjoys about 4,000 hours of sunshine per year — that means the sun shines there around 90% of all daylight hours! 😎🌵
If you enjoyed this self-guided tour, a small tip helps us keep these website running smoothly. Thank you! 💛
🔒Secure checkout via ThriveCart.
📧Due to money-laundering rules, we kindly ask for your email address in the next step — and we’ll also use it to send you a little banana-thank-you-dance video.
This self-guided walk takes you on one of Madeira’s most iconic journeys — high above Funchal and into the hills of Monte, where nature, history, and tradition come together. You’ll rise gently by cable car, leaving the city behind as panoramic views open up beneath you.
At the top, step into a different world. Visit the resting place of Austria’s last emperor, stroll through the lush and colorful paths of the Tropical Garden, and take your time soaking in the peaceful atmosphere that makes Monte so unique.
And then comes the highlight. Instead of walking back down, you’ll experience Madeira’s most famous tradition — the legendary toboggan ride. Fast, fun, and slightly surreal, it’s the island’s most unforgettable way to descend.
A perfect blend of views, culture, and a touch of adrenaline — all at your own pace.
All restaurant recommendations are are completely optional and instantly available when you show your Madeira Island Pass (digital or printed) at the recommanded stops. The best part? No need to book ahead! Just show up, join in, and enjoy everything at your own pace, all on the same day. 🍌
To start navigation on your phone, click 'View larger map' in the top left corner of the map.
Sometimes, finding the exact location of the hike can be challenging. That’s why we’ve included GPS coordinates to make it easier to reach.
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monte-toboggan-tropical-garden-walk
Monte, Toboggan & Tropical Garden Walk
• Cable Car Ride • Monte • Last Emporar of Austria • Monte Tropical Garden • Toboggan • (It covers roughly 5-10 km and takes around 3 hours, including all the scenic stops along the way.
