Botanical Garden

More than 2,000 exotic plants from all over the world are quite at home in the 35,000 square metres of grounds. In view of the increasing destruction of biodiversity and habitats all over the world, the garden has also become known as a centre of science and culture in the defence of endangered species of plants. Whether you are a nature lover, botanist or just a visitor, come to the garden for a world tour of the plant kingdom and a visit to the Natural History Museum and the Herbarium.
The garden is in Caminho do Meio in Funchal and is open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
www.sra.pt/jarbot
jardimbotanico.sra@gov-madeira.pt

Loiros Garden

This garden is close to Quinta do Bom Sucesso (Botanical Gardens) and a visit here is much like a safari through a world full of colourful parrots.

Quinta das Cruzes Garden

This garden is in the park adjacent to the Quinta das Cruzes Museum and boasts a wide range of local and exotic plants.
It is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at 1, Calçada do Pico, Funchal.
www.rpmuseus-pt.org
mqc@netmadeira.com

Quinta da Magnólia Garden

This is a beautiful example of a Madeira Quinta, with vast green spaces and a variety of exotic plants.
Open every day from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Palheiro Gardens

In addition to panoramic views, the Palheiro Gardens, with their spacious lawns and lakes, have some of the rarest and most valuable exotic plants in the world.
Open Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 16:30 p.m. at Palheiro Ferreiro. Closed on Saturday, Sunday and 25th December.
Admission: EUR 9.00
www.madeira-gardens.com
gardens@palheiroestate.com

Monte Palace Tropical Garden

The Monte Palace Tropical Garden is in Quinta Monte Palace, which belongs to the José Berardo Foundation. Plants from all over the world enrich this collection of 100,000 species including azaleas, heather and a wide variety of ferns. The garden has a collection of cycads (encephalartos), which are considered living fossils. The garden contains some 60 of the 72 known species. There is also an area devoted to Madeiran flora, with samples of most of the species in the Macronesia Laurissilva Forest, in addition to other endangered species like the Pittosporum coriaceum, more commonly known as madeiran cheesewood.
The garden is open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with access at 174, Caminho do Monte or from Caminho das Babosas.
www.montepalace.com
fundacaoberardo@netmadeira.com

Quinta da Boa Vista Gardens

One of the main aims at Quinta da Boa Vista is to take advantage of Madeira’s unparalleled climate to recreate the original habitats of many endangered plant species. There are areas devoted to South American bromeliads, Australian martinetes and African aloes. The main attraction is, however, the 20-year-old orchid exhibition. From December to May, the orchid houses are a riot of colour. Cymbidiums, Paphipedilums (slipper orchids) and Lycastes are all on show. For the rest of the year, there is a superb collection of hybrids and exquisite species to fascinate visitors.
The garden is in Rua do Lombo da Boa Vista, Funchal and is open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (except public holidays)

Orchid Garden

This garden has more than 50,000 plants and its orchid jungle is one of a kind in Europe. It does interesting breeding work in its laboratory and has plants that flower all year round.
It is open every day from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 37, Rua Pita da Silva, next to the Botanical Garden.
www.madeiraorchids.com
brigitte@netmadeira.com

Quinta do Arco Rose Garden

In the gardens of Quinta do Arco, in Arco de São Jorge on the north coast of the island, you can visit one of the largest collections of rosebushes in Portugal.
The collection consists of more than 1,000 different types of rose bushes. You can see old and modern garden and climbing and non-climbing roses. The rarest and most important are marked with their names and classes.

Quinta do Arco Rose Garden (Roseiral da Quinta do Arco)
Sítio da Lagoa
9230-018 Arco de São Jorge
Phone: 291 570270
Fax: 291 570276
infor@quintadoarco.com
www.quintadoarco.com

Open every day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m ( April til December).
Admission: EUR 5.00

Municipal Garden

The Municipal Garden, also known as Dona Amélia Garden, is on the north side of Avenida Arriaga and covers an area of 8,300 m2. St. Francis Convent once occupied this site and a stone bearing its coat of arms is on show on one of the lawns.
The garden has some beautiful specimens from Madeira and the rest of the world, all of which are marked. Well situated in the centre of town, this garden also has a pond and streams with fish and birds. There are also works of art and an auditorium for cultural activities.

Santa Catarina Park

Santa Catarina Park is located between Avenida do Infante and Avenida Sá Carneiro and covers an area of around 36,000 square metres. With a fantastic view of Funchal and its bay up to Ponta do Garajau, this park has a huge lawn surrounded by flowerbeds full of trees, shrubs and plant species from all over the world. There are also bird nurseries. Also in the park is Santa Catarina Chapel and a lake with a bird island.

Monte Municipal Gardens

Monte, or Leite Monteiro Park is the highest municipal garden at 550m above sea level. It covers an area of 26,000 m2 and is stocked with indigenous and exotic species and some centuries-old trees. The gardens are cool and relaxing, thanks partly to a stream with a waterfall at the southern end.
At the entrance, Largo da Fonte is shaded by giant plane trees and has a bandstand and the Fonte da Virgem fountain with a niche containing an image of Nossa Senhora do Monte.

Funchal Ecological Park

This park covers an area of around 1,000 hectares. The considerable differences in altitude and the park’s many water courses mean that it boasts a wide variety of indigenous flora. Trees such as the stink laurel, (Ocotea foetens), laurel (Laurus azorica), Madeira mahogany (Persea indica) and Canary laurel (Apollonias barbujana) have also been planted there. Shrubs thrive in the higher areas of the park, with a predominance of tree heath and Madeira bilberry (Vaccinium padifolium).
Between 1,550 and 1,600 metres above sea level, we find the last two stands of Madeira mountain ash (Sorbus maderensis). This mountain ash is a very rare native tree. Where the bird population is concerned, we can find a considerable number of species that usually nest in the Madeira Archipelago. Funchal Ecological Park also works in the conservation of nature, environmental education and has set up recreational and leisure facilities for the local population and visitors.
Another special attraction is the unique snow pit, which was once used to store ice.
www.pnm.pt

Ribeiro Frio Forest Park

Located 17 km from Funchal, Ribeiro Frio is known for its beautiful gardens where plants and trees live side by side in perfect harmony. We can see a variety of native plants, some of them quite rare. This is an excellent place for a walk, savouring fantastic views from Balcões, where we are stunned by the sublime landscape of the deep valley of Ribeiro do Faial and the rocky amphitheatre of Maciço Central. Near here is Pico Ruivo, the highest point on the island.

Queimadas Forest Reserve

Queimadas is an isolated area 5 km from Santana. It’s an ideal spot for a picnic or a walk. To get there, go west from Santana until you come to a turnoff where the road quickly turns into a rough mountain track. This trail leads through gorse bushes, hydrangeas and wild flowers right into a wonderful forest. Not far from here is Casa das Queimadas a large thatch-roofed building used by forest rangers.
There are picnic tables and toilet facilities in the surrounding area.