Portugal Traditional sleds used to travel downhill have become an adventurous experience that attracts tourists .
"Monte tobogganing" is a unique and exciting experience for any tourist visiting Madeira, an island in southwestern Portugal.
Originally, this sled was not intended for tourists but was used by the people of Monte parish, who live at an altitude of about 500 m, as a means of getting down to the city of Funchal below more quickly.
The sled resembles a toboggan but is woven like a basket and has two wooden planks attached to the bottom to help it slide. To steer the sled, two drivers - called "carreiros" - stand behind and push. They always wear white shirts and straw hats. With great skill, they push the sled straight down the slope, using rubber-soled boots to brake when necessary.
Two carreiros are guiding passengers downhill on a sled. Photo: Telegraph
To experience this service, visitors need to walk up to the Nossa Senhora do Monte church and then continue to the starting point. Along the way, visitors will encounter "carreiros" walking around with their characteristic straw hats.
Once the passengers are seated in the “basket,” the two carreiros smile confidently, having done this trick dozens of times every day for years. If the passengers want to go faster, they just shout “gas, gas.” Then the two carreiros jump up, grab the sled, and with a kick, the sled shoots straight down the slope.
The driver skillfully uses the rope on both sides of the cart to navigate, easily avoiding vehicles and pedestrians on the road. The journey lasts 10 minutes, the destination is Livarmento, 2 km from the starting point. The cost is about 25 euros for one person and 30 euros for two people. To experience higher speeds, Carreiro recommends going in groups of two because "the heavier the basket, the greater the speed".
"I felt like a 5-year-old skateboarding for the first time. Something inside me urged me to go back up to the top and try again," one experiencer shared.
Hoai Anh (According to Visit Madeira , Telegraph )
Source link
![[Photo] National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man visits Vietnamese Heroic Mother Ta Thi Tran](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2025/7/20/765c0bd057dd44ad83ab89fe0255b783)
Comment (0)