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Visitors staying in Funchal often want one short trip with a real sense of the island's height, and the nearest one is 17 minutes away. The Cabo Girão skywalk Madeira is known for is a glass platform hanging out from the top of a cliff 580 m above the sea, one of the highest capes in Europe, in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos.
It is 12.8 km from Funchal by road. Entry costs €5 for visitors over 12, and it pairs easily with Câmara de Lobos, 14 minutes from the city, for a half day. Below the cliff, terraced fields reached by a small cable car make a second stop.
The cliff from the top on a west-coast day, or from the sea at sunset.
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Cabo Girão with Câmara de Lobos and the west
From the seaThe platform and the fee
The common mistake is to turn up without paying the fee online. It is booked on the same portal as the trails.
The Cabo Girão viewpoint Madeira visitors walk out on is a glass floor suspended over the cliff edge at 580 m. It is one of the most visited sights of Câmara de Lobos and of the whole archipelago, so expect company.
Entry costs €5 for visitors over 12, paid through SIMplifica, the regional portal that also sells the walking-trail fees; children of 12 and under go free. Pay before you arrive, on your phone if need be.
Stand on the glass and look down to the fajãs at the foot of the cliff, then along the coast east towards Câmara de Lobos and Funchal. A restaurant stands at the viewpoint.
The cliff is also used for paragliding and BASE jumping.
The Cabo Girão viewpoint features a glass floor suspended over the cliff edge at 580 metres.The fajãs, the chapel and getting there
People often see the terraces far below and assume they cannot be reached. A small cable car goes down.
At the foot of the cliff lie the Fajãs do Cabo Girão, terraced fields once used for vines. They are reached by the Rancho cable car, whose station is a separate drive of about 4 km from the viewpoint; a return is reported at about €10. Near the Madeira Cabo Girão viewpoint, the chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, a pilgrimage site, dates from 1951.
By car, Cabo Girão is 12.8 km from Funchal, about 17 minutes. A bus stop named Cabo Girão serves the viewpoint, and the west-coast day tours from Funchal stop there. With Câmara de Lobos, 3 minutes nearer the city, the two make a half day.
The Câmara de Lobos guide covers the town, and the cable car guide the island's other lines. Visit Madeira has the site's current details.
Cabo Girão at a glance
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Height | 580 m above the sea |
| Skywalk fee | €5 over 12, on SIMplifica; 12 and under free |
| From Funchal | 12.8 km, about 17 minutes |
| Rancho cable car | About 4 km away by road; about €10 return |
| Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fátima | 1951 |
- Detail
- 580 m above the sea
- Detail
- €5 over 12, on SIMplifica; 12 and under free
- Detail
- 12.8 km, about 17 minutes
- Detail
- About 4 km away by road; about €10 return
- Detail
- 1951
Common questions
How much is the Cabo Girão skywalk?
€5 for visitors over 12, paid through SIMplifica. Children of 12 and under go free.
How high is Cabo Girão?
580 m above the sea, one of the highest capes in Europe.
How far is Cabo Girão from Funchal?
12.8 km, about 17 minutes by road. A bus stop of the same name serves the viewpoint.
Can you go down to the bottom of the cliff?
Yes, by the Rancho cable car to the Fajãs do Cabo Girão, from a station about 4 km away by road.