Teleférico Funchal-Monte (Funchal-Monte Cable Car), Funchal

Teleférico Funchal-Monte (Funchal-Monte Cable Car), Funchal (must see)

All aboard the Funchal-Monte Cable Car for the ride of your life, thrilling but not scary. It's called a ropeway in Funchal. Yes, it's a cable car. A gondola lift, to be specific. It's a soaring high ride above green gardens, canyons, homes and fields. The gondolas have clean, unmarred windows affording generous views and perspectives.

The gondolas go from Funchal up to the village of Monte and return. The Monte station is halfway between Babosas Village (Largo das Babosas) and Mount Garden (Jardim do Monte). The base station is in the botanical garden Almirante Reis in Funchal. Visit the botanical gardens first, then go up to Monte. There is a bar in Babosas Village with magnificent views of the valley.

The cable car line is over 12,000 feet long, running at heights between 33 and 1,840 feet. Monte was established in 1565 as the parish of Our Lady of the Mount. The ride from Funchal to Monte takes about 15 minutes. The maximum capacity for each car is eight people.

The cable car system's functions: speed, and the opening and closing of the clamps suspending the cars hanging from the cable are controlled and monitored automatically. Monte Station drives the system. Funchal Station, also called the return station, houses the hydraulics of the cable system.

There are two ways to return to Funchal from Monte. One, of course is the cable car. The other is the traditional "basket" ride of Monte. It is a basket on wheels, propelled by two laughing attendants who push riders in the basket down, down to Funchal, laughing and screaming all the way. It's quite safe, really. Like the cable car, it's unforgettable.

Want to visit this sight? Check out these Self-Guided Walking Tours in Funchal. Alternatively, you can download the mobile app "GPSmyCity: Walks in 1K+ Cities" from Apple App Store or Google Play Store. The app turns your mobile device to a personal tour guide and it works offline, so no data plan is needed when traveling abroad.

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Teleférico Funchal-Monte (Funchal-Monte Cable Car) on Map

Sight Name: Teleférico Funchal-Monte (Funchal-Monte Cable Car)
Sight Location: Funchal, Portugal (See walking tours in Funchal)
Sight Type: Attraction/Landmark
Guide(s) Containing This Sight:

Walking Tours in Funchal, Portugal

Create Your Own Walk in Funchal

Create Your Own Walk in Funchal

Creating your own self-guided walk in Funchal is easy and fun. Choose the city attractions that you want to see and a walk route map will be created just for you. You can even set your hotel as the start point of the walk.
Monte Walking Tour

Monte Walking Tour

Monte, a spectacular hilltop area 550 meters above sea level in the northeast of Funchal, is a favored destination for many tourists visiting Madeira. Getting to and from Monte – up on the cable car and down on an exhilarating dry toboggan run – is only half the fun. The other half is exploring the unique blend of natural beauty and cultural attractions found in the area.

One of the...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 0.6 Km or 0.4 Miles
Funchal Introduction Walking Tour

Funchal Introduction Walking Tour

In 72 AD, Quintus Sertorius, a Roman general, encountered some sailors in Cadiz. The sailors spoke of two idyllic islands in the Atlantic; the "Isles of the Blessed." Quintus was intrigued, but he had other fish to fry. The islands slipped back into the mists of historic oblivion.

In 1418, Joao Goncalves Zarco and Tristao Vaz Teixeira, while in service to Henry the Navigator, were...  view more

Tour Duration: 1 Hour(s)
Travel Distance: 2.0 Km or 1.2 Miles