Two British tourists in their sixties were seriously injured when the wicker toboggan they were riding crashed on the Monte to Livramento run in Funchal, Madeira. According to local reports, the carreiros — the men who steer the sledges by hand — lost control, and the toboggan sped off course before crashing near a primary school. Both riders were thrown from the sledge.
The injuries were severe. The man suffered an open fracture to one arm plus abrasions to his legs. His wife sustained a skull fracture and a suspected traumatic brain injury. Local media noted that both remained conscious despite the impact, and they were taken to Funchal hospital for treatment.
The toboggan ride is one of Madeira's best-known attractions. The roughly 2km route runs downhill from Monte to Livramento in Funchal, and for most visitors it's a highlight: pairs of carreiros in traditional white clothing and straw hats guide wicker sledges on wooden runners down steep, cobbled streets, sometimes reaching surprising speeds. The experience dates back to the 19th century as a fast way down from the hilltop parish, and it has been charming — and occasionally alarming — tourists ever since.
The ride is genuinely fast. Carreiros control the sledge using their rubber-soled boots as brakes, and on the steep stretches there is little between passengers and the pavement beyond the skill of the two men at the back. Incidents are rare given how many thousands of people ride each year, but this crash is a reminder that it is a physical activity with real speed involved, not a gentle fairground attraction. Anyone booking it might think about travel insurance that covers activity-based injuries, and be honest with themselves about whether a high-speed downhill run suits them — particularly older travellers or those with bone or balance issues.
For everyone else, Madeira's toboggan run remains a genuinely memorable experience, and this accident shouldn't put people off the island. The levada walks, the cable car up to Monte, Funchal's old town and the island's dramatic coastal cliffs are the reasons most visitors come — the sledge is the quirky add-on at the end of the cable-car ride. But it's worth going in with clear eyes: this is a century-old thrill ride, and like any thrill ride it carries some risk. Source: Portugal Resident.
