Quinta Vigia stands above the bay in Funchal, on the island of Madeira. The house is the official residence and office of the president of the Regional Government of Madeira, and the gardens around it are open to the public. The Regional Government bought the property in 1979; the Madeira Conservatory of Music used the buildings until 1981, and the quinta was inaugurated as the president's residence in 1984. The estate has also been known as Quinta das Angústias and Quinta Lambert, and it took its present name in 1982.
Quinta Vigia
The estate took the name Quinta Vigia in 1982 from a different house nearby that had disappeared; the Hotel Pestana Casino Park now stands on that site.
- Entrance
- €3 as of late 2025, payable in cash.
- Accessibility
- The entrance is wheelchair accessible.
- Parking
- No public car park at the gates. The two closest, about 53 m and 68 m away, are private or for customers only; the customer one charges a fee.
- Transport
- Bus stops Parque STA Catarina about 116 m away and Hotel Casino Park D about 128 m away.
- Hours
- Monday to Friday 9:00–17:00. Closed Saturday and Sunday.
What makes it special
The gardens belong to a working seat of government, and they stay open to visitors anyway. The president of the Regional Government of Madeira has his office and official residence in the house, and the public walks the grounds around it. The planting is dense and carefully kept, with strong colour in the beds. If you garden or photograph plants, this is the part that holds you. The bay of Funchal lies below, and the view over it is the other reason people come. A chapel from the 17th century stands in the grounds, dedicated to Our Lady of Anguish, and the estate was called Quinta das Angústias because of it.
Good to know
- Birds in cages: parrots and other birds are kept on the grounds, several of them in small cages.
- Toilets: the nearest ones are off the grounds, about 75 m away, and charged.
- Drinking water: a free water point stands about 130 m from the site.
- Food: a restaurant operates on the site.
- Bearings: an information centre is about 117 m away.
Getting there
Public transport puts you almost at the door. The two nearest stops, Parque STA Catarina and Hotel Casino Park D, are both within about 130 m of the entrance, and the rest of the way is on foot. Arriving by car is the harder option. The two closest car parks, within about 70 m, are private or reserved for customers, and the customer one charges a fee, so drivers have to look further out and walk in.
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Frequently asked questions
Can you go in if it is the president's residence?
Yes. The house is the official residence and office of the president of the Regional Government of Madeira, a role it has held since 2 May 1984, and the gardens around it are open to the public.Why does the place have three names?
The 17th-century chapel of Our Lady of Anguish gave the original name, Quinta das Angústias. Count Lambert, a former field aide to the Russian empress, bought the estate and renamed it Quinta Lambert. The old name returned in 1903 under João Paulo de Freitas, and the present one dates from 1982.What is there to see besides the plants?
The chapel in the grounds, the view over the bay of Funchal, and the birds — parrots among them — kept in cages on the site.