tuktukrides.pt
It started as transport, not tourism
In the mid-1800s, Monte was where wealthy families had their summer houses, high above the heat of Funchal. Getting down to the city was slow, so locals began sliding down the steep cobbled streets in wicker baskets on wooden runners. It was quick, it needed no engine, and it worked.
The rides never stopped. Today the carreiros do Monte still steer the same kind of sledge, dressed in white with straw boater hats, using nothing but their rubber-soled boots to brake and turn.
What the ride is like
- About 2 km downhill from Monte towards Livramento, in roughly 10 minutes.
- Two or three passengers per sledge, with two drivers running alongside.
- Faster than it looks — and the drivers love to make a bend feel closer than it is.
- The ride is paid on site, per sledge, at the start in Monte.
Before you ride: Monte itself
Arrive a little early and walk up to the Church of Nossa Senhora do Monte, where Charles I, the last Austrian emperor, is buried. Next to it, the Monte Palace Tropical Garden is full of oriental gardens, lakes and tiles if you have more time.
The toboggan ride ends in Livramento, partway down the hill, with no easy way back into town. On our tuk tuk tour your driver takes you up to Monte, then meets you where the ride ends — no taxi queue, no walk.
Is it safe?
The carreiros have steered this route for generations and control the speed the whole way down. Children can ride too, sitting between two adults.
