Madeira Botanical Garden

The Jardim Botânico da Madeira occupies the terraced grounds of the Reid family's former Quinta do Bom Sucesso on a slope three hundred metres above Funchal, opened to the public in 1960 and run by the regional government. It holds several thousand species across sections - indigenous Madeiran and Macaronesian plants including laurisilva species, an arboretum, succulents and cacti in a large dry garden, palms, orchids in a separate house - and its most photographed feature is the parterre of clipped hedging and coloured succulents laid out in geometric blocks on a terrace, which reads as a mosaic from above. There is a natural history museum on site and a bird park operated separately. A cable car links it to Monte, and the view over Funchal bay and the harbour is part of the visit. Sections were damaged in the 2016 fires and have been replanted.

What you actually see

• The mosaic parterre - geometric blocks of clipped hedge and coloured succulents.
• The indigenous section - Madeiran and Macaronesian species including laurisilva.
• The dry garden - a large cactus and succulent collection.
• The view - Funchal bay and harbour from three hundred metres up.

When to go

Year-round; spring for flowering. Two to three hours. Mornings are cooler on the terraces and less busy.

Honest expectations

Steep terraced paths throughout, with limited accessibility. Busy with cruise passengers in the middle of the day. The bird park is a separate operation and a separate ticket. Fire damage from 2016 is still visible in places.

Nearby

Monte and its tropical garden are linked by cable car; Funchal is below.