Event: Portugal - Funchal

Botanical Garden

When:	Daily
Where:	Botanical Garden
Costs:	€3; children €1; under 7s free
Opening Hours:	Daily 9am-6pm

Madeira's Botanical Garden offers a splendid view of Funchal Bay and the contrasting colours of the surrounding countryside. The vibrant vegetation here includes exotic plants from all over the world.

The Madeirans waited a long time for their Botanical Garden. Plans first emerged in the 18th century but were finally realised in 1960 when the Quinta de Bom Sucesso, a property belonging to the Reid family, was bought for this purpose by the political authorities of the time.

The garden contains more than 2500 plants from around the world, including orchids, magnolias, cacti, palms and ferns. It attempts to provide a balanced overview of ecologically-opposed areas of the world, from the Himalayan blue palm tree to the Surinamese cherry tree and the Brazilian coffee, papaya and guava. Some varieties are indigenous to Madeira and other Atlantic Islands, including plants used for culinary and medicinal purposes.

Exotic and rare birds here include cockatoos and loricos from the Asian tropical islands, parakeets from Australia and parrots from Brazil's rainforests. In this protected environment they are able reproduce naturally and freely.

The overall objective of the garden is not purely aesthetic. A government institution, it also carries out vital studies and conservation programmes as well as introducing and acclimatising new plants from overseas.