Quinta Vigia — Attraction in Funchal

As many others have mentioned the gardens are beautiful with stunning views over the harbour. However, the blue & yellow macaw parrots are being kept in atrocious conditions. These are highly intelligent parrots which require some form of stimulation.The cage they are kept in is devoid of anything except one single swinging perch, which one of the parrots constantly paced up and down on during the time we were there. There appeared to be no food provided and the water they had was dirty and clearly needed replacing. I am appalled that the president of Madeira allows this abuse of animals to continue. I certainly think the well being of these animals needs an immediate review. On leaving the garden the presidents dog was lying by the entrance and even her water was placed in a very dirty bowl. Clearly the president has no interest in the care of these animals but I would happily pay more than the €1 entrance fee if the money went to improving the care of these...

Disappointing Visit – Inhumane Bird Cages Ruin the Experience

At first glance, Quinta Vigia Garden appears charming – well-kept paths, exotic plants, and a stunning view of the Atlantic. But beneath the surface lies a troubling reality.

The way birds are kept here is simply unacceptable. Locked in small cages with barely any room to fly or retreat, these animals are denied even the most basic standards of humane treatment. It’s a stark contradiction to the garden’s otherwise nature-friendly image.

Such conditions have no place in a public park, especially one frequented by families and children. It sends the wrong message – treating animals as mere decorations rather than living beings with needs and rights.

Under these circumstances, I cannot recommend a visit. It is time for the management to embrace modern standards of animal welfare and remove these cages altogether. Madeira’s natural beauty speaks for itself – there is no need...

We mistakenly paid €3 each to visit this very small garden. We thought it gave entrance to the buildings - but it is ONLY for the very small garden. There are a few nice shrubs and trees but there is a far greater and better variety next door at the Santa Catarina gardens, which are FREE. The paths are mostly made of the small stones laid in cement and these are EXTREMELY slippery when wet. We also agree with another reviewer that the contents of the cages should be upgraded to give the poor birds something to do - it looks like ease of cleaning has priority rather than any concern for the wellbeing...