Detailed review by jessieleo
jessieleo
United Kingdom91%
The cable cars which take you from the heart of Funchal, the capital of Madeira, up to the village of Monte offer breathtaking views. We were lucky enough to travel on them in September 2006, on an especially sunny, clear day. Obviously the views and whole experience will not be as brilliant if the weather is gloomy or it is raining. However the scenery should still be worth seeing and it is a quick and easy way to get to Monte.
Monte is a small village with wonderful views down to the coast area of Funchal. Monte has the Tropical Gardens, a smaller garden with a restaurant attached, a rather pretty church and an even more special large church. Despite being busy at most times of the year the village is quite peaceful and the whole area is great for walking. The cable car has the advantage of getting you up to a good starting point for walking, away from the city.
The cable cars are located near a couple of museums very near to the bus station in Funchal. You can tell the cable car has not been built very long as it is in excellent condition and looks very new. I think these cable cars were new in 1999. As you approach in Funchal you walk up a slope towards what is the cable car terminal. We had purchased our tickets from our holiday rep at the hotel. If you need to buy a ticket on the day the queues can be long.
However the cars are constantly turning around at the bottom and becoming available so we did not wait long. They stopped at the right and the doors automatically opened for people to disembark. You have to board fairly sharpish as the cars move around very slowly but do not really stop. A young employee took a photgraph, before we realised what she was doing, of Hubby and I in the cable car. As the cable car sets off you seem to shoot from slow to a speed and then you are moving. The cars move at a steady speed and do not swing about much at all. Again, of course, this would probably not be the case in bad weather. There is room at either side of the car for up to four people. The cable car is almost bubble shaped which means there is a reasonable amount of glass to watch the world float by. Each time you come to a cable car tower there is a little jolt, but nothing to worry about.
Overall we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The views were terrific over Funchal. At times we were over houses, other times the main roads and sometimes high above the trees. As we disembarked at Monte the photo was waiting for us. Presumably sent via computer link. Ah technology. It gets everywhere. I do not know how much the photographs cost though as we declined ours.
The price for a single ticket was about 10 euros I think but works out cheaper if you buy a return. If you choose to come back later in the day, as we did, you may get a cable car to yourselves. We found this made it swing a little but the views facing you are tremendous. Fares for children are reduced. Generally the cable car is in operation till about 6pm each day. From another station at the top it is possible to take another, different cable car, to Jardim Botânico da Madeira, another beautifully laid out garden worth visiting.
These cable cars to Monte are slightly pricey as the journey is only short. However they are well maintained and much easier, quicker and less distance than the uphill journey to Monte would be if you walked,took a bus or drove there. Many visitors choose to come back down via the traditional toboggans. However, although this is a different experience, the toboggans are pricey and only take you half the way to Funchal.
Plerase note: If I ever get my photos to upload that, the ones that look cloudy over the hills, are actually like this due to forest fires. This is why the ones looking to the coast, away from the fires, have bright blue skies.
Teleférico do Monte9
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