Funchal Cruise Port Guide

The short answer

You dock on a long breakwater; the center is a flat 15–25 minute walk along the sea. The classic day is the cable car up to Monte, the gardens, and the wicker toboggan ride down. Funchal said its €2 tourist tax would also apply to cruise passengers from January 2025.

Getting ashoreShip docks

Distance to townAbout 1–1.5 km to the cathedral and market along the seafront (map estimate); farther from the outer berths.

Gateway forMonte (cable car, toboggan, Monte Palace garden); Madeira Botanical Garden; island levada walks

Walk to City center (Cathedral, market, Old Town)15–25 minutes (map estimate) · Free

On the chart

Where Funchal lies

Antique-style chart of Canaries, Madeira & Azores with ports marked

Funchal Arrecife Las Palmas de Gran Canaria Ponta Delgada Puerto del Rosario Santa Cruz de La Palma Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Where your ship docks

Cruise ships dock on the Pontinha breakwater (Molhe da Pontinha) at the Port of Funchal. Several cruise berths: Cais Norte, Cais 2, Cais 3 and Cais 8 (APRAM).

Shuttle. Some lines run a shuttle along the breakwater; not confirmed. Taxis wait at the port.

From the gangway

Getting to the sights

The way	Time	Cost
Walk to City center (Cathedral, market, Old Town)	15–25 minutes (map estimate)	Free
Funchal Cable Car to Monte	About 15 minutes ride (approximate)	€22 round trip, €16 one way; children 7–14 half price, under 7 free (official)
City bus to Monte	Not verified	€1.90 from driver; Giro card €2.20 with two rides (Wikivoyage)
Second cable car from Monte to Botanical Garden	Not verified	Price not verified

Walk to City center (Cathedral, market, Old Town)

Time 15–25 minutes (map estimate)Cost Free

Walk off the breakwater toward the marina.
Follow Avenida do Mar east to the cathedral and Old Town.

Flat seafront path.

Funchal Cable Car to Monte

Time About 15 minutes ride (approximate)Cost €22 round trip, €16 one way; children 7–14 half price, under 7 free (official)

Walk along the seafront to the lower station in the Old Town (Almirante Reis / Rua Dom Carlos I).
Buy an e-ticket online to skip the ticket line.
Ride up to Monte.

Open 8:45–17:45 daily except Christmas Day.

City bus to Monte

Time Not verifiedCost €1.90 from driver; Giro card €2.20 with two rides (Wikivoyage)

Take orange city bus 20 or 21 from the waterfront.

Monte Palace also lists buses 22 and 48.

Second cable car from Monte to Botanical Garden

Time Not verifiedCost Price not verified

From Monte, take the separate cable car down to the Botanical Garden.

Worth the trip

What to see

Monte Palace Tropical Garden

Large hillside garden with tiles, lakes and art.

How: Cable car to Monte.
Time: 1.5–3 hours
Tickets: €18 adult; children up to 14 free with an adult. Oct–Mar 9:00–18:00 (last entry 17:15) (official)

Monte toboggan (Carreiros do Monte)

2 km ride downhill in a wicker sled steered by men in straw hats.

How: Starts near Monte church.
Time: 10 minutes ride plus queue
Tickets: €30 for 1, €40 for 2, €60 for 3; Mon–Sat 9:00–18:00; same-day tickets on site only, no booking (official). No 3-person rides when wet.

Mercado dos Lavradores

Lively farmers' market with exotic fruit and fish hall.

How: Walk.
Time: 45 minutes
Tickets: Free. Watch for overpriced fruit (Wikivoyage).

Sé Cathedral

Built 1493–1517 with a carved local-wood ceiling.

How: Walk.
Time: 30 minutes
Tickets: Price not verified

Old Town (Zona Velha) and Rua de Santa Maria

Painted doors, small restaurants, near the cable car.

How: Walk.
Time: 1 hour
Tickets: Free

A day ashore

Your day, hour by hour

Planned for a typical call. Check your ship's all-aboard time and be back an hour early. The ship will not wait.

8:00 Ship docks. Walk the seafront to the cable car station (25–30 minutes from outer berths).
8:45 First cable car up to Monte (€16 one way).
9:15–11:15 Monte Palace Tropical Garden (opens 9:00).
11:30 Toboggan ride down (cash or card on site; queues grow late morning).
12:00 Taxi or walk from the toboggan end down to town.
12:30 Lunch in the Old Town.
13:30–14:30 Mercado dos Lavradores and cathedral.
14:45 Walk back to the ship (allow 30 minutes).
15:30 On board, 1 hour before a typical all-aboard.

Wise counsel

What goes wrong, and how to avoid it

Beware

Long walk from the outer cruise berths.
Toboggan ends partway down the hill, not in town; you need a taxi or a steep walk.
Toboggan cannot be booked ahead; may close early if busy or in bad weather.
Market gets crowded when big ships are in.

Do this

Buy the cable car e-ticket online; it is valid for 60 days.
Go up first thing; lines build mid-morning.
Most Canary and Madeira cruise calls happen in the cooler months, roughly October to April (typical pattern; confirm on your line's schedule).

Practical matters

Fees, money and access

Rules & fees

Funchal Municipal Tourist Tax is €2 per night for hotel guests; the city said it would also apply to cruise passengers docking at Funchal from 1 January 2025 (Câmara Municipal do Funchal). Usually collected through your cruise fare or port charges; check with your line.
Children 12 and under and people with 60%+ disability are exempt from the hotel tax (city notice).

Accessibility

Seafront walk is flat. The cable car has a reduced-mobility page and welcomes wheelchair users (official). Monte Palace gardens are steep with cobbles. The toboggan is not suitable for limited mobility.