Funchal
Monte Palace Madeira, a garden built on a very steep hill
The short answer
Monte Palace Madeira is a large hillside tropical garden above Funchal bay, holding centuries-old cycads, Buddhist sculpture, a tile collection spanning the fifteenth to twentieth centuries, and lakes with swans and koi. Entry is ticketed. The main gate sits beside the cable car top station.
Adult entry
€18.00
Children up to fourteen free with an adult.
Monte Palace Madeira, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Size of the garden
70,000 m²
Published on the garden’s homepage — "Com 70.000 m²" — rather than on the visiting page, which carries the prices and the opening hours.
Monte Palace Madeira, The garden area, as published on the garden’s own homepage · check it · read August 28, 2026Garden hours, April to September
09:00 to 19:00
Monte Palace Madeira, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Garden hours, October to March
09:00 to 18:00
Monte Palace Madeira, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Museum hours
09:00 to 17:30
Last entry 17:00.
Monte Palace Madeira, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Funchal |
|---|---|
| Type | Gardens |
| How long | Two to three hours |
| Difficulty | Moderate on foot |
| Cost | €18.00 adults |
| Best season | Year round |
| Permit | No permit recorded |
The garden
The site covers 70,000 m², source: Monte Palace Madeira, The garden area, as published on the garden’s own homepage, read August 28, 2026 on the hillside above Funchal bay. Alongside the planting there are centuries-old cycads, Buddhist sculpture, stone lanterns, lakes with swans, peacocks and koi, and a tile collection running from the fifteenth to the twentieth century.
The Palace building at the centre of it is closed. The name describes the site, not the visit.
Price and hours
Adults pay €18.00, source: Monte Palace Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026. Children up to fourteen go free when accompanied by an adult, and school groups are free by arrangement. It opens every day except 25 December.
The garden runs 09:00 to 19:00, source: Monte Palace Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026 from April to September and 09:00 to 18:00, source: Monte Palace Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026 from October to March. The museum keeps shorter hours at 09:00 to 17:30, source: Monte Palace Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026, with last entry at 17:00.
Getting there
The main entrance is immediately beside the top station of the Funchal to Monte cable car, which is why the two are almost always done together. Horários do Funchal buses the Monte services, whose numbers changed island-wide on 9 March 2026 and should be checked on the SIGA site also serve Monte.
The site is steep. Anyone whose day already included the cable car, the toboggan and a garden should know that this is the part with the steps.
What is not perfect about it
The interior of the Palace building is not open to visitors, which surprises people who bought a ticket with the word Palace on it. The site is steep with a great many steps, and it is not a garden that can be walked round quickly or comfortably by everybody.
Questions people actually ask
Can you go inside Monte Palace?
No. The interior of the Palace building is not open to visitors. The garden, the museum and the tile collection are what the ticket covers.
How much is Monte Palace?
€18.00, source: Monte Palace Madeira, 2026, read August 26, 2026 for adults. Children up to fourteen are free when accompanied by an adult.
How do you get to Monte Palace?
The main gate is beside the cable car top station in Monte. Buses the Monte services, whose numbers changed island-wide on 9 March 2026 and should be checked on the SIGA site also serve the area.
Where this came from
- Monte Palace Madeira: Monte Palace Madeira — visit. montepalacemadeira.com/en/visit/ Read August 26, 2026.
- Monte Palace Madeira: Monte Palace Madeira — Explore o nosso Jardim. montepalacemadeira.com Read August 28, 2026.