The Teleférico do Funchal runs from a lower station in the Zona Velha up to Monte village, climbing 560 meters over about fifteen minutes. The cabin holds eight people and travels over rooftops, banana groves, and terraced hillsides, with views extending to the harbor and out to sea when the cloud allows.
Monte is worth the visit independently — the Monte Palace Tropical Garden, the Nossa Senhora do Monte church, and the famous toboggan descent are all within walking distance of the upper station. The toboggan ride, steered by drivers in white linen using rubber-soled boots as brakes, covers about two kilometers and takes ten minutes down. It is not possible to take the toboggan back up, so most people return on the cable car or walk down through the gardens.