Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte — Local services in Funchal

Category: Attractions. Check out this beautiful, twin-towered church where the exiled Charles I of Austria sleeps, forever. It’s an easy walk from the upper cable car station. If the steep steps are too much for you, take either the road on the right side of the church (still pretty steep) or the gradually ascending path through the gardens on the left side. The platform at the top of the steps provides a birds-eye view of the sledges being launched below. After you make your way up and into the church, be sure to walk up to the choir loft (not many steps) to see the pipe organ and liturgical accoutrements. From this loft you can also get a good view of the wonderful painted tongue-and-groove concave and convex arched ceiling. From the floor of the nave, be sure to look back and up at the choir loft and its Corinthian-ish columns, at the interesting wooden box seats on the two side walls, and at the ornate pulpit. After viewing the church, be sure to stroll the multiple paths of the gardens, which are lush and full of different plant and tree varieties. Charles I (a statute) stands guard. I especially liked the big old trees and the mottled-paint-and-plaster old building to the left of the church. We wondered if it’s possible to walk all the way around the church. It is. If you are interested, there’s a tea house on the right side, up the hilly street. YouTube’s...

The place is historically one of the most pretty and iconic on this island.

Its inception right in the middle of a laurissilva nature reserve, makes it yet more attractive.

Although the shabby culture of the locals, in particular those in charge of pushing down the road those very unsafe sledges, their terrible vocabulary and behavior, make it not exactly a place I'd recommend.

The region has indeed a tremendous potential, for delicatessen shops, tea houses, thematic souvenir shops, embroidery shops, artisan bread ateliers, especialised restaurants, etc.

Taxi drivers are also most impolite. these unprofessional drivers stop their vehicles all over the place for an extra tip, giving terrible example to tourists who bring their own rented cars.

There is a very comfortable and large parking lot, just up the main road, past the main Monte Square. But hardly nobody uses it, especially not the locals, who park their cars in the middle of the roads, on the gorgeous stone-built bridge, and even on the gardens; crazy creatures controlled by their impossible egos, displaying their wasteful protruded stomachs all over the place. Very poor show... Not...

We were looking forward to visiting Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Monte, but our experience was unfortunately soured by the behavior of the entrance staff today. When we arrived around 16:45, we were not greeted at all. My husband politely asked how much the entrance fee was, and a woman at the door (who had black hair and looked to be in her late 20s or early 30s) barely acknowledged us. She simply gestured at the card machine while remaining focused on her phone, showing no interest in engaging with visitors.

When I offered to pay in cash, she finally responded, but did so curtly, saying they were closing. This was confusing and disappointing, specially since we later saw that the official closing time was listed as 19:00. We had made the trip up specifically to visit the church and were unfairly turned away over two hours before closing.

The pilgrimage site is worth the visit, but the dismissive and inattentive attitude of the staff left a poor impression. A little courtesy and clear communication would have gone a long way in making fellow Catholics...