We visited Monte as a change of scenery having thoroughly explored all of Funchal. We opted to catch the local number 48 bus from the Lido stop as this is only €2 each and a lovely scenic journey taking about 30 minutes. Beside the palace gardens there are some nice public gardens and the church of Our Lady at the top offers some amazing views. The toboggan rides are a spectacle to watch but the queue for them was beyond belief and didn't appeal to us. We walked most of the way back down to Funcal before hopping on a bus lower down. Well worth a visit.

Found these gardens after getting off the cable car thought they were the botanical gardens and we thought these were better. So much to see gardens, palaces minerals statues . Wear comfortable shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking, and most of it up and down hills. There is a lovely old car that for 5 euros it brings you back to the top of the hill best money spent.

Visited with family, including 3 children 6,3 & 2. Spent about a bit of time in the cafe to start which was fantastic. Great drinks, cake and ice-cream. Then we walked around the gardens for about 1-2hrs before heading back down to Funchal. I could have walked around for 4-5hours so if you get the chance, allow more time than you think. These gardens are on a hill so you will start at the top and work your way down on some cool and interesting paths, but then have to walk back up. For the average person walking back up is absolutely fine. There are electric cars which will shuttle people up for a small fee. Entrance is 2min walk from cable car station on top of the hill and it costs 12.50 Euro to enter, and when you enter you will see that the money is going straight back into the gardens to keep it so nice!

A feast for the eyes , a gardeners paradise , so much to see and feel . Seeing plants that I could only dream about cultivating . A credit to the gardeners who keep it absolutely pristine . Lots of facilities for a snack and drinks and most importantly toilets scattered about the gardens which are clean and well maintained . Good trainers are essential ,the terrain is not suitable for flip flops or light sandals .

This is a must on your visit to Madeira. We took the cable car from Funchal. The gardens an exhibits are superb. Spend time walking around all the different areas and the exhibits and don’t miss anything. Well worth the entrance fee and a great way to spend at least 2-3 hours

These gardens are spectacular. We went up in the cable car, with intention to visit the gardens and thought we would be there for 30-60 minutes. How wrong could we be! There is so much to see. Cafe on route and plenty of toilets along the way. The routes are very steep but there is a car that will take you back to the top for €5 each. Sculptures, mineral displays, statues, plants, trees, flamingos, you name it they have it there. Well worth the entrance fee and probably the highlight of our trip to funchal.

We had a lovely couple of hours walking round here and seeing the flaura and fawna and statues. It's well spread out and never felt crowded . Lots of photo opportunities. We visited the onsite cafe before we left,the staff were lovely as was the sandwiches and cakes we ate. Even if your not into gardening yoy can enjoy this place. We really enjoyed it .

Superb and varied gardens. Lots to see at any time of the year. You need to have reasonable mobility if you are going to fully explore the gardens as the gardens are constructed on a hillside. There is a spot at the bottom West corner where can look over the wall and get a great view of folk coming down on the toboggans at speed.

The cable car ride was magical. Seeing Funchal in a nutshell and ocean liners in its dock. The garden was indeed a gardeners delight if you love subtropical plants. Xmas poinsettia in a tiny pot is grown like a tree. So much to see and a ride in an vintage car is a must especially you have dodgy knees like mine. All in awesome!!!

Well worth a visit. It can be crowded but there's lots of space. Plan your route so you get to see as much as possible. There's a cafe at the bottom so stop there for a coffee and then walk back up the hill to the car park or cable car.