Monte (Mountain)
Monte is one of Madeira’s best-loved places.
The Monte area is situated in the choice location of the Funchal amphitheatre, around 9 Km from the centre and 550 m above sea level. It is a must-see.
Its lush vegetation and suburb views over the amphitheatre and the bay of Funchal have made it a tourist spot since tourism began on Madeira.
Parque Ecológico (Ecological Park)
Funchal’s Parque Ecológico is situated between Monte and Poiso.
Pico Alto, in the Ribeira das Cales (Cales riverside) is a part of this park and it makes a wonderful lookout point over Funchal and Chão da Lagoa. The latter leads to Madeira’s highest points, Pico do Areeiro (1810 m) and Pico Ruivo (1862 m).
The Funchal Parque Ecológico was created in 1994.
Poço da Neve (The Snow Well)
This attraction is found at the highest point of the Parque Ecológico, close to Pico do Areeiro, The Poço da Neve is a stone ‘igloo’, built at an altitude of 1600 m, and was formerly used to store the ice collected from the snowflakes and hail which falls in winter.
This is the only snow well currently in existence. It is cylindrical in shape, with a height of 8 metres, a diameter of 7.5 metres and can store around 265 cubic metres of ice.
Reserva Natural das Selvagens (Selvagens Nature Park)
Selvagens is in the Funchal district, located around 163 miles from the island of Madeira, and made up of two groups of small islands. Stand-out islands are Selvagem Grande, Selvagem Pequena and the Islet of Fora.
Pico das Torres
Pico das Torres is Madeira’s second-highest peak, found between Pico Ruivo and Pico do Arieiro and at an altitude of 1851 metres.
Its altitude makes Pico das Torres a must-visit for fresh air enthusiasts, particularly climbers and trekkers, owing to it only being accessible via its steep hillsides.
Pico do Areeiro
Madeira’s Pico do Areeiro is 1818 metres high, making it the island’s third-highest peak. It belongs to the Funchal district and can be reached by car. It has marvellous views over the island’s sights, such as the
Ponta de São Lourenço, the Curral das Freiras and as far as the island of Porto Santo.
In winter the peak and its surrounding area are covered in snow.
Os Dragoeiros (Canary Islands Dragon Trees)
The Dragon tree is a subtropical species of tree native to the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Madeira, but there are few which grow in nature. These trees grow slowly, taking almost 10 years to reach 2 - 3 metres, before blooming.
