Monte Palace Madeira - Tropical Garden, located in Funchal's amphitheatre about 5 kilometres from the city centre, is one of Madeira's most beautiful gardens.
Its history dates back to the 18th century "Quinta do Prazer". At the end of the 19th century the owner built a palatial house surrounded by lush gardens, which was later transformed the "Monte Palace Hotel". In 1987 it was acquired by the entrepreneur José Manuel Rodrigues Berardo whose aim was to preserve it.
Monte Palace Madeira - Tropical Garden covers an area of 70,000 m2 and has been replanted with exotic species from several continents: cycads, proteas, clivia and hydrangeas from South Africa, azaleas from Belgium, orchids from the Himalayas, heather from Scotland, sequoias from America, acacias from Australia and thousand-year-old olive trees from Alqueva, Portugal, among others.
Part of the garden has been replanted with species characteristic of the Laurissilva, which was classified by UNESCO as World Natural Heritage site in 2000. Among the plants of this indigenous forest are laurel (Laurus novocanariensis); til (Ocotea foetens); persea (Persea indica); barbusano (Apollonias barbujana); firetree (Myrica faya); lily-of-the-valley tree (Clethra arborea); Canary Island juniper (Juniperus cedrus); and the endangered pittosporum (Pittosporum coriaceum), among others.
The lush vegetation surrounds enormous lagoons full of Koi carp, which provide visitors with a pleasant spectacle due to the transparency of the water and the brightly coloured fish that can live for up to 100 years.
The garden paths have been enriched with a collection of tiles from the 16th to the 20th century, with panels dedicated to the "History of Portugal" and the "Adventure of the Portuguese in Japan" standing out. Coats of arms, stonework, sculptures, niches, pagodas, Buddhas and lanterns can also be seen in the garden.
The Monte Palace Madeira Museum, an exhibition space with three galleries, was built at the highest point in the garden. A collection of minerals and precious stones from the four corners of the world is on display on the ground floor and a collection of contemporary Zimbabwean sculpture can be seen on the first and second floors.