The Monte toboggan is Funchal's daft, brilliant signature: a wicker sledge that two straw-hatted men in white run down the steep streets from Monte, steering and braking with their boots. The classic way to do it is to ride the cable car up from the seafront for the view, wander the Monte gardens, then toboggan back down. It's been going since the 1850s, it's pure spectacle, and it's the one ride everyone talks about afterwards. Here's exactly how it works, what it costs, and how to do it.
- 01The classic combo is cable car up for the bay views, wicker toboggan down – do it in that order for the big view first and the sledge as the finale.
- 02It's a gentle, short downhill run steered by two carreiros, not a white-knuckle ride – fine for most ages, more spectacle than speed.
- 03The toboggan doesn't reach central Funchal: it finishes partway down, and you taxi, bus or walk the rest.
- 04Tickets are bought on the day and can queue – a guided tuk-tuk up to Monte skips the cable-car climb and adds the old town.
- 05Don't treat it as a 10-minute stop – pair it with the Monte Palace tropical gardens to make a proper half-day.
How the toboggan works
The carro de cesto is a two-seater wicker basket on wooden runners. Two carreiros – the drivers, dressed in white with straw boater hats – stand on the back and sides, pushing off and then steering and braking with the rubber soles of their boots as the sledge slides down the polished tarmac. The run drops from Monte towards Funchal over roughly 2 km and takes about ten minutes, fast enough to be fun but a long way from a theme-park ride.
It started as practical transport in the 19th century – a quick way down the hill before cars – and survives now purely as the experience. It's one of the most photographed things on the island for a reason.
The cable car up to Monte
The natural way to reach the toboggan start is the cable car (teleférico), which glides up from the Zona Velha on Funchal's seafront over the rooftops to Monte in about 15 minutes, with sweeping views back over the bay the whole way. Going up by cable car and coming down by toboggan is the combo most visitors do – you get the big view on the way up and the sledge run as the finale.
At the top, Monte is a green hillside suburb worth more than a quick turnaround. The Monte Palace tropical gardens – terraces, tilework and koi ponds – are worth an hour, and there's a church and viewpoints to take in before you find the toboggan rank.
What it costs and how long it takes
Prices change, so treat these as a guide: the cable car is around €18 return, and the toboggan run is roughly €30 for two people (more for three). Bought separately on the day, the whole thing is a half-day once you add the gardens. Queues build at peak times and on cruise days, so go earlier rather than later.
One practical catch: the toboggan finishes partway down the hill, not in central Funchal. From there you take a taxi, a bus, or walk the rest of the way back into town – factor that into your timing.
The tuk-tuk alternative
If you'd rather skip the cable-car queue or want the history pointed out, a guided trip up to Monte is the easy option. The Monte toboggan and old town tour by tuk-tuk drives you up to Monte, includes the toboggan ride, and loops the old town, with hotel pickup – a tidy way to bundle the whole experience without working out tickets and transfers yourself.
However you do it, the toboggan is the centrepiece of any day in the capital – see our things to do in Funchal guide for the rest of the city, and pair it with a Madeira wine tasting down the hill afterwards.
Featured image: Ввласенко / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0
