Ninho da Manta viewpoint Madeira and more

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Travellers who come to Madeira for the views soon find there are more viewpoints than days, and that the famous ones sit at opposite ends of the island. The Ninho da Manta viewpoint Madeira walkers pass first is a few metres from the start of PR1 at Pico do Areeiro, 30 minutes up from Funchal, looking over the central mountains that often rise above the clouds.

From there the choice widens. Bica da Cana, at 1,580 m on the plateau, is for sunrise. Cabo Girão, 17 minutes west, puts a glass floor 580 m above the sea. Ponta do Pargo, at the western tip, is for sunset. The Guindaste on the north coast and Ponta do Rosto at the eastern tip each show both sea and cliffs.

Most lie between 17 and 55 minutes from Funchal by road, and all depend on the weather more than on the map.

Sunrise on the plateau, sunset in the west

The common mistake is to drive to the west for sunrise or to the peaks for sunset. The two ends of the day belong to different viewpoints.

The Bica da Cana viewpoint Madeira photographers drive up for in the dark stands at 1,580 m in the parish of Canhas, Ponta do Sol, 43.7 km from Funchal, about 55 minutes by road. It looks over the São Vicente valley and its laurel forest, and at sunrise the clouds often lie below it. A renovated leisure area with a picnic area and the start of several trails sit beside it.

The Ponta do Pargo sunset viewpoint Madeira is known for is at the westernmost tip of the island, on a cliff 290 m above the sea, 48.4 km from Funchal, about 52 minutes by road, in the municipality of Calheta. Its lighthouse, 14 m high with its light at 312 m, came into operation in June 1922 and holds a small museum, opened in 2001.

Facing the open Atlantic to the west, it is the natural Madeira sunset viewpoint: the sun goes down over the sea with nothing in between, and the view runs along the cliffs to Achadas da Cruz.

The north coast from the Guindaste

Visitors often see the north coast only from a car window between tunnels. The Guindaste gives it one wide frame.

The Miradouro do Guindaste Faial Madeira viewpoint stands on a slope above the mouth of the Ribeira do Faial, in the municipality of Santana, 35.3 km from Funchal, about 38 minutes by road. From it the view runs along the north coast from Faial to the Ponta de São Lourenço, past the great rock of the Penha d'Águia, and down to a pebble beach where the basalt shows the columns left by old lava flows. On clear days, Porto Santo shows to the north-east.

Two glass platforms hang out over the sea, added when the viewpoint reopened after works in late August 2022.

Check before you go. Access was closed from 2 February to 2 April 2026 for works, and the viewpoint was listed as closed until June 2026. Several east-coast day tours from Funchal stop there.

Two glass platforms hang out over the sea at the viewpoint which reopened after works in late August 2022.

The peaks: Areeiro, Ninho da Manta and Pedra Rija

People often drive to Pico do Areeiro, look from the car park and leave. The best view is a short walk along PR1.

Pico do Areeiro, at 1,818 m, is 18.1 km from Funchal, about 30 minutes by road, which puts it within easy reach of the city for sunrise. Beside the pousada, a few metres from the start of PR1, the Ninho da Manta viewpoint looks over the parish of São Roque do Faial and the valley of the Fajã da Nogueira; the name means the buzzard's nest, after the bird of prey said to have nested there. The mountains around it are a nesting ground of Zino's petrel, an endemic seabird.

The Pedra Rija viewpoint Madeira walkers aim for lies further along PR1. The walk from Pico do Areeiro to Pedra Rija and back takes in the stepped ridge known as the Stairway to Heaven, on a €4.50 ticket; the full PR1 to Pico Ruivo runs one way only and costs €10.50. Both are booked in advance on the SIMplifica portal for a date and a time slot.

The PR1 guide covers the walk and its closures.

Cliffs over the Atlantic

The mistake is to think the best sea views need a boat. Two cliffs give them from solid ground.

Cabo Girão, 12.8 km from Funchal, about 17 minutes by road, is the Madeira ocean viewpoint most visitors see first: a glass skywalk 580 m above the sea, one of the highest capes in Europe. Entry costs €5 for visitors over 12, paid through SIMplifica, and the terraced fajãs at the foot of the cliff are reached by the Rancho cable car, a separate drive of about 4 km.

Ponta do Pargo, at the other end of the south-west coast, stands at 290 m over the open Atlantic, with its 1922 lighthouse and a panoramic view over the sea and the rock formations below.

Both are on the south-west side of the island, the drier side, so they are good choices on a morning when the mountains are in cloud. The Cabo Girão guide covers the skywalk.

The Cabo Girão viewpoint features a glass skywalk 580 m above the sea.

Viewpoints near Funchal

Visitors with little time often assume the views are all far away. Several are within half an hour of the city.

East of the city, at Garajau, 8.9 km from Funchal, about 12 minutes, the Cristo Rei statue of 1927 stands on a Madeira coastal viewpoint above the Garajau marine reserve, with the sea below clear enough to see life at more than 20 m. A cable car drops from beside it to the beach.

In the old town, the Socorro viewpoint closes the eastern end of Rua de Santa Maria, at number 276, above the sea. Above the city, the Fortaleza do Pico, the hilltop fort over São Pedro, looks across the whole bay.

Inland, the Eira do Serrado viewpoint, at 1,095 m, is 21 minutes from Funchal and looks straight down on the Nuns Valley, Curral das Freiras, in its deep hollow; bus 181 stops there on request on a few trips.

The Nuns Valley guide covers Eira do Serrado and the bus.

The eastern tip

People often walk PR8 on the Ponta de São Lourenço and miss the viewpoint on the road before it. Stop on the way.

The Ponta do Rosto viewpoint Madeira shows at the eastern end of the island, in the parish of Caniçal, Machico, 32.0 km from Funchal, about 34 minutes by road. It stands on the São Lourenço peninsula, a Natural Monument, and from it both the north and the south coasts are in view at once, with Porto Santo on clear days.

The landscape is bare: the climate here is semi-arid and exposed to the north wind, so creepers grow and trees do not. The cliffs hold one of the largest gull colonies in the region, and protected seabirds such as Cory's shearwaters and Bulwer's petrels.

Hold on to your hat; the wind is the reason there are no trees. PR8 starts a little further on at Baía d'Abra, and the PR8 guide covers the walk.

Weather and timing

The common mistake is to judge the weather at a viewpoint from Funchal's sky. The heights and the north keep their own.

Before driving to any Madeira mountain viewpoint, check the forecast for the peaks, not for the city. Pico do Areeiro and Bica da Cana stand above 1,500 m, and the mountains often rise above the clouds, which is what makes the sunrise worth the early start and what can also hide the view entirely. The north side is far wetter than Funchal: the Queimadas station above Santana averaged about 2,300 mm of rain a year over 1941-1970, against about 575 mm in the city.

Bring a warm layer to the peaks at any season, and go early for the high viewpoints. For the trail viewpoints on PR1, read the IFCN's trail notices first, since the trail closes on some days, and for the Guindaste, check that the works are finished.

Keep the coast for the cloudy days: Cabo Girão, Garajau and the old town's Socorro viewpoint are all within 17 minutes of the centre. Visit Madeira lists the island's viewpoints in full.

Common questions

Where is the Ninho da Manta viewpoint?

A few metres from the start of PR1 at Pico do Areeiro, beside the pousada, about 30 minutes from Funchal by road.

What is the best sunset viewpoint in Madeira?

Ponta do Pargo, at the western tip, on a cliff 290 m above the Atlantic, about 52 minutes from Funchal.

Where can I watch the sunrise in Madeira?

Pico do Areeiro, 30 minutes from Funchal, or Bica da Cana at 1,580 m on the plateau, about 55 minutes.

Is the Guindaste viewpoint open?

Access was closed for works in early 2026 and the viewpoint was listed as closed until June 2026, so check before you go.