Madeira’s Capital is anything but flat. With every few hundred metres that it extends beyond its pretty seafront promenade, the Avenida do Mar, it gains more altitude, sprawling outwards into the steep volcanic hillsides that encircle the city like towering amphitheatre terraces. These precipitous bluffs and sheer streets would have long been a scourge of the weary legs of the residents of the historic suburb of Monte, if it wasn’t for Madeira’s oldest form of public transport; the Carro de Cesto, or basket carts.
Monte is so synonymous with this unique method of travel that it has adopted the nickname ‘the city of carts’, although the hilltop town was a tourist draw long before the Carro de Cestos gained fame. Sitting 6km from and 550m above Funchal and surrounded by lush wooded gardens, the small town was once used as a health resort for Europe’s wealthy, who would come to stroll the tranquil streets and make the most of its favourable climate. You will find several “quintas” surrounded by tropical gardens, which formerly operated as luxurious hotels served by a train that navigated the slopes from Funchal to Monte between 1893 and 1930.
Disclaimer: My trip to Funchal was provided by Jet2Holidays. However, all views expressed are my own. I flew with Jet2 Holidays from London Stansted Airport.
It was during this time – around the mid 19th-century – that Monte’s carts first began to appear, used by the wealthy owners of the neighbourhood’s Quintas as a rapid way of transporting both goods and people down to Funchal. The design of the carts hasn’t changed much over the last 100 years; they’re typically made of eucalyptus wood and wicker branches from the Curral das Freiras before being fitted with an upholstered seat and two wooden runners – malhares – that are greased with tallow to help them glide on the concrete.
Obviously, the need to transport goods by toboggan became redundant thanks to the prevalence of motorised vehicles in the 20th century, but there are currently 100 active basket cars in Monte, almost entirely as a tourist draw.
These carts are operated exclusively by a band of fearless drivers known as the Carreiros do Monte, which roughly translates to ‘hill racers’. Responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the toboggans, there are roughly 150 Carreiros working in Monte today and they’re easy to spot in their traditional uniforms of white shirt and trousers, along with their iconic straw hat wrapped in a black ribbon. However, the most essential aspect of their outfit is the footwear, boots made with thick rubber soles to aid braking and steering.
It turns out that good braking is essential to the Carreiros. It’s a steep downhill journey from the Church of the Monte to the end destination of Livramento where, in perfect conditions, the speeds can reach up to 30 mph across busy intersections and winding corners that are surprisingly, not closed to other vehicles. Let’s just say, feeling the wind in your hair (or lack of in my case) as you fly down the narrow lanes of Monte, is an exhilarating experience both unique to Madeira and emblematic of the island that must be experienced.
How to Get to the 'Carros de Cesto'
Although the toboggan run is located in the city of Funchal, it begins from high above the town in the hilltop suburb of Monte beside the Nossa Senhora do Monte Church. A warning to those tempted to make the journey on foot; it is a good 4km / 1.5-hour walk uphill from Funchal’s city centre. Your best bet is to catch a ride on the Monte Cable Car close to the waterfront and then walk the remaining 5 minutes to the starting point. It isn’t hard to miss – you should see plenty of sleds whizzing downhill once you reach Monte.
How Much Does a Toboggan Ride Cost?
The Carreiros do Monte charge a rate of €30 per toboggan if 2 people are riding, which is discounted to €25 for solo riders. If you manage to squeeze 3 people onto a sled, expect to pay €45. Children under five years old travel for free.
Useful Information
Opening hours are Monday to Saturday between Monday to Saturday 9am and 6pm, although the last departure from Monte is at 5.45pm. The Funchal Toboggan is closed on public holidays such as Good Friday, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and the 2-day Festival of Our Lady of Monte in August.
It takes around 10 minutes to ride the 2km route down to Livramento, a little below Monte. From there it is a further 15 to 20 minute walk downhill to Funchal or a short bus ride.
Where to Stay in Madeira
One of Funchal’s newest openings, Hotel Next is the latest offering from the ever-popular Savoy Group’s six luxury hotels that they operate across Madeira. However, the Next offers a twist on stylish and contemporary accommodation, focusing on a younger clientele and taking lessons it learned while opening during the COVID-19 pandemic to implement state of the art, automated features; your entire experience can be operated from a phone app, whether that is setting your room to the ideal temperature before you head back to the hotel, ordering spa treatments and room service, or even activating the ‘do not disturb’ light on the exterior of your suite. Its high-tech credentials and focus on co-working spaces make the hotel ideal for digital nomads and millennials.
However, this doesn’t mean that Hotel next has forgotten the basics. The rooms themselves are stylish and sleek with an updated take on a mid-century modern aesthetic while the hotel is packed with excellent facilities. The poolside Recharge bar and restaurant serves up some of the best food you will find in Funchal – refreshing ceviche and colourful poke bowls of plump tuna steak – all with views out over the ocean, while the rooftop has its own pool and cocktail bar where you will find a DJ pumping out the tunes on a weekend evening.
I was proved with a complementary stay at the Next by Savoy Signature with Jet2Holidays
Getting to Madeira
There are direct flights to Madeira from multiple UK airports. Jet2 offer flights to Madeira from Birmingham, Bristol, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle.
Jet2 also have a range of package holidays to Madeira.
