If you want to rent a scooter this is the best place. We personally know them and have used them a few times and they are straight people. Their prices are fair and scooters of good quality.

Remember to bring your license and passport.

There are many car rental options on Madeira, and honestly the whole industry has become so streamlined that prices generally are on par whether you pick Europcar, Sixt or Madeira Rent. We recommend the latter, since it's a local company that we have used everytime we rented a car before moving to Madeira. They have better overall ratings and because it's less of a corporate business such as Sixt, Europcar etc, the ceiling is higher, so to say. Madeira Rent used to have much better deals than everyone else, but the rise in tourism has unfortunately caught up, so renting a Mini Cooper Cabrio in high season will set you back a lot of money, which simply isn't worth it, but it of course all depends on your wallet.

Madeira Rent has an agency in both the airport and in Funchal, which is handy if you only need a car for a few days of your trip. That way you don't have to go to the airport.

The number one advice from us, you should follow is to never rent the smallest (and usually cheapest) car you can get. Madeira is a mountaneous island so there will be a lot of driving up and down. We once borrowed a Fiat 500 and it could barely drive up some of the steep hills - no joke.

In the charming old town of Funchal you find a cable car station, which sticks out like a sore thumb. It's not a charming addition to the old town, but nonetheless an efficient and scenic mode of transportation to the must-visit destination, Monte Palace Tropical Garden. The ride takes around 15 minutes. Buy the roundtrip ticket unless you are doing the Toboggan sled.

OUR VIDEO WITH TIME STAMP: https://youtu.be/S_RhgJb-8wU?t=618

Prices:

• 12.50€ oneway or 18€ roundtrip for adult.

• Children (7-14) 6.50€ oneway or 9€ roundtrip.

• Children (0-6) are free.

The Toboggan ride down from Monte Palace Garden should be crossed off the list of cool things to do in Funchal. Although definitelty a tourist attraction, you get to ride a Toboggan sled for a couple of kilometers down the steep hills with two men controlling the sled with there durable shoes. The toboggan sled was used as a means of transportation by the rich back in the day.

• 1 Person in a sled – €25.00

• 2 People in a sled – €30.00

• 3 People in a sled – €45.00 (kids up to 5 years are free)

GETTING THERE: Right after the little green coffee house at the entrance of Monte Palace Garden, you follow the road around the corner where you will see them all lined up. GETTING BACK TO DOWNTOWN: From the end-point of your Toboggan ride, there are taxis waiting to take you back the last stretch downtown.

You cannot visit Funchal without going to Monte Palace Tropical Garden. It's filled with so much history and beauty that you must visit.

We have been several times, but the best visit was when we had a guide. Going without is almost pointless as the place only gets really interesting when you get the context of all the artwork, plants, trees, statues and monuments. We had a wonderful guide, Célia Mendonça. From what we understand she normally only does group tours, so not sure if it's possible with a private tour. However it's via http://Euromar-travel.com where they offer both private and group tours.

THE HISTORY BEHIND

The Monte Palace Madeira occupies an area of 70.000 square meters and houses an huge exotic plant’s collection, coming from all over the world, together with swans and duck’s, that populates the central lake, peacocks and chickens, that walk free in the main areas of the property. In the central lake, the visitor may also admire the beauty and majesty of the swans. They prefer the relatively shallow cool water of lakes and ponds as their natural habitat. Despite of being actually admired in gardens all over the world, the black swans originate from Australia, Tasmania and New Zeeland and the wild white swans have their origin in Iceland and Scandinavia.

The Monte Palace Madeira Museum is an ideal exhibition space nestled within the beautiful surroundings of a tropical garden. There are three floors, two of which are dedicated to sculptures and the third houses a unique mineral collection gathered from the four corners of the world.

The exposition entitled 'African Passion' shows part of a collection of contemporary Zimbabwean sculpture from the period 1966 to 1969. More than a 1000 sculptures are distributed on two floors of the museum. The top floor concentrates on individual creations, allowing the viewer time to observe the characteristics and workmanship of each artist. The second floor captures the environment in which these talented men and women work in order to create and display their sculptures to the world.

'Mother Nature's Secrets', on the lower floor, proudly exhibits one of the finest private collections of minerals, predominately from Brazil, Portugal, South Africa, Zambia, Peru, Argentina and North America. From more than a 1000 specimens, around 700 have been specially chosen for display. Some specimens are displayed in hollows designed to imitate the environment in which the minerals form in the depths of our planet, whilst others are “suspended in air” to give the sensation of a planetary space where rocky masses gravitate freely. Also for your enjoyment is an exhibition of more than 300 semiprecious and precious gems, with a particular focus on diamonds, both rough and cut.

One of the most interesting characteristics of the Monte Palace Madeira is the existence of a large collection of tile panels placed along the walkways and amongst the vegetation acquired by José Berardo, under the specialist direction of Manuel Leitão. This collection, considered to be one of the most important in the country after that of the National Tile Museum, is made up of Hispano-Moorish tiles of the 15th and 16th centuries and panels produced in Portugal from the 16th to the 20th centuries.

At perhaps Funchal's cutest square, Praça de Colomb, you find Loja do Chá, which means The Teahouse. While we aren't hardcore tea connoisseurs we truly love the tea here. The real reason we come here, though, is to soak up sun on the outdoor terrace while having a drink whether it's tea, wine, beer or a coke. They also serve quite decent food where we have had the high tea, a couple of times.

Fancy a delicious cocktail in a cozy environment? Go here! This place makes the best cocktails in Funchal and the location in the old town is wonderful. One thing to keep in mind is that their opening hours are more pointers as to actual opening times, so call in advance to make sure they are open.

This is one of our favorite restaurants on the entire island. Located in the old town at the end of the cobblestone street you come to enjoy phenomenal food and service from Mario and his father. It's mandatory to try the tuna here, where they put on a show by preparing it in front of you. Get a table outside, but booking in advance is generally necessary.

OUR VIDEO FROM THERE WITH TIME STAMP: https://youtu.be/wi5zgUJSRyk?t=242