A sleigh ride in Funchal is a thing that you need to do while visiting Madeira. The sleigh ride in Funchal, or toboggan ride as it’s also known as is awesome and different transportation to get down from Monte. It was so much fun that we couldn’t stop laughing! And it is a lot faster than you think!

Sleigh ride in Funchal Madeira – Get down from Monte

In the parish of Monte, you will find the wicker sleigh rides and the “Carreiros” that are driving them. When visiting Monte in Funchal you are most likely to take the funicular (cable car) to the top of the mountain. Once you are on top of Monte, you are likely to visit the Botanical garden and maybe have something to eat at Patio Das Babosas.

A lot of people buy tickets for the funicular both ways – up and down. That’s a shame because you want to go up with the funicular but down in the wicker basket. Doing the sleigh ride in Funchal should be in our article about Monte and what you can do here. However, it was so much fun that we feel that this attraction in Funchal, Madeira deserves its own post.

The odd history of the Sleigh rides in Funchal

I have googled and I have searched for more information on the history of the sleigh ride in Funchal. There seem to be several different stories of why they started with the Toboggans. One theory is that in the early 19:th century, the merchants needed a quick way to get transported to the harbor when they saw a ship approaching.

Another story is that it was “just a transportation” with no intentions. And then we have the story that we heard during our visit to Madeira – that it was for the people that were sick but healthy enough to leave the hospital. They had gotten “sick with the view” and were transported from the hospital on the mountain back to their homes in the city. Either way, it’s a great way of transportation.

Go from Monte to Livramento

The sleigh ride is about two kilometers long. It used to be a lot longer and you would go all the way down to Old Town in Funchal. Today, it stops halfway but the ride still feels pretty long. You have to be prepared to laugh and have fun during the speedy ride down. We heard that a lot of people skip the sleigh ride due to the cost. It costs 30 euros for two people. However, we feel that this is a thing that you really should do!

For some people, it might even be a bit scary to get on the sleigh ride. We were surprised that the sleigh went that fast but we trusted our “drivers” and just enjoyed the ride. Sometimes they had to stop for traffic and it was impressive to see how well they know the wicker baskets. It’s fun, it’s great and it’s a special thing to do!

Information about Sleigh ride in Funchal Madeira

Address: Caminho do Monte nº4 9050-084 Monte, Funchal, Madeira.
Opening hours: Monday – Saturday: 09:00 – 18:00. Sundays closed.
Price: 1 person 25 euro. 2 persons 30 euro. 3 persons 45 euro.