Câmara de Lobos

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Many visitors to Funchal ask for a short trip out of the city that still feels like old Madeira. The nearest answer is 8.7 km west, about 14 minutes by road: Câmara de Lobos, a town of fishermen round a small bay, founded by João Gonçalves Zarco, the navigator who landed at Machico in 1419.

It is a municipality of about 32,000 people and 52.17 km², and it holds more than the bay. Cabo Girão, with its glass skywalk 580 m above the sea, is in the same municipality, and so are the wine parish of Estreito and the Nuns Valley. A morning in the town and an hour at the cliff make an easy half day.

The bay, the fishermen and poncha

The common mistake is to treat Câmara de Lobos as a photo stop on the way to the cliff. The town is the visit.

The heart of it is the bay, with its fishermen and its bars, one of the most authentic corners of the island, and the town is tied to poncha, Madeira's traditional drink. By the harbour stands the fishermen's chapel, the Capela de Nossa Senhora da Conceição.

The black scabbardfish has its own festival in the bay, the Festa do Peixe Espada Preto; the 2026 edition ran from 6 to 9 August.

Above the town, the parish of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos holds the wine harvest festival in the first half of September, part of the Madeira Wine Festival. The Nuns Valley guide covers Curral das Freiras, the municipality's largest parish.

The Capela de Nossa Senhora da Conceição stands by the harbour in Câmara de Lobos, a town tied to the tradition of poncha.

Cabo Girão

People often reach the skywalk and look only straight down. Look along the coast too, and at the terraces far below.

Cabo Girão rises 580 m above the sea, 12.8 km from Funchal, about 17 minutes by road, and a bus stop of the same name serves it. At the top, a glass platform hangs out over the cliff; entry costs €5 for visitors over 12, paid through SIMplifica, and those 12 and under go free. It is among the most visited sights of the municipality and of the archipelago, and the cliff is used for paragliding and BASE jumping.

Near the viewpoint, the chapel of Nossa Senhora de Fátima, a pilgrimage site, dates from 1951, and a restaurant stands at the top.

At the foot of the cliff lie the Fajãs do Cabo Girão, terraced fields once used for vines. They are reached by the Teleférico do Rancho, whose station is a separate drive of about 4 km from the viewpoint, so plan them as a second stop.

Common questions

How far is Câmara de Lobos from Funchal?

8.7 km, about 14 minutes by road. Cabo Girão is 12.8 km, about 17 minutes.

How much is the Cabo Girão skywalk?

€5 for visitors over 12, paid through SIMplifica; 12 and under go free.

Can you combine Câmara de Lobos and Cabo Girão?

Yes. They are in the same municipality, a few minutes apart by road, and several day tours stop at both.

What is Câmara de Lobos known for?

Its fishing bay, poncha, and the black scabbardfish festival in August.