Câmara de Lobos, the fishing harbour
A fishing town fifteen minutes west of Funchal, with painted boats in its bay and the bars where poncha began.
Câmara de Lobos at a glance
A fishing town just west of Funchal, with boats in the bay Churchill painted in 1950 and the bars where poncha was first made.
- Where
- Câmara de Lobos, on the south coast west of Funchal
- From Funchal by car
- about 15 min
- Time to allow
- 30 minutes to 1 hour
- Churchill painted the bay
- in January 1950
- Pico da Torre viewpoint
- 205 m up, over the bay, the town, part of Funchal and Cabo Girão
Go there with us
- West Madeira: Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal Private tour 8 h €2501–4
- Poncha Path: the poncha bars Private tour 4 h €1851–4
- Wine Way: the lodges and the vines Private tour 8 h €2801–4
- Cruise day, about 4 hours Private tour 4 h €1501–4
- Your own route, half day Your own route 4 h €1601–4
Prices are for the whole car, not per person. Each page has the price for 5 or 6.
What you see and do
Câmara de Lobos is built around a small bay under basalt cliffs, with the fishing boats, the xavelhas, painted in bright colours and pulled up on the stones or moored in the water. Winston Churchill set up his easel at the viewpoint at the entrance to the town and painted the bay in January 1950; the viewpoint now carries his name.
It is also the home of poncha: the first poncha was made in Câmara de Lobos, to warm fishermen at sea at night. Small bars around the harbour still make it with sugar-cane rum, honey and lemon, and fish restaurants line the front.
For the view from above, Pico da Torre is 205 m up, over the bay, the town, part of Funchal and Cabo Girão.
Before you go
- Half an hour to an hour is enough for the harbour and a drink. Add twenty minutes for Pico da Torre.
- Walking from Funchal? The seafront promenade from Praia Formosa is more than 2 km for walkers only, and it closes during sea warnings and in parts for repairs, so check it on the day.
- Poncha is strong: it is made with sugar-cane rum.
Câmara de Lobos with us
Our west Madeira day starts here with a coffee by the harbour. The Poncha Path begins here with the first poncha, the Wine Way ends here with a walk by the boats, and the short cruise day stops here too.
Nearby, on the same day
All places-
Cabo Girão
A glass-floored viewpoint at the top of a 580 m sea cliff, looking straight down at the small fields on the shore below.
-
Funchal market and old town
Funchal's oldest quarter: the 1940 farmers' market and the painted doors of Rua de Santa Maria, a short walk from the Monte cable car.
-
Curral das Freiras and Eira do Serrado
A village at the bottom of a deep valley ringed by peaks, and the Eira do Serrado viewpoint high above it.
-
Pico dos Barcelos
A viewpoint 355 m up in Funchal's hills that looks over the whole bay, and on clear days out to the Desertas islands.
Câmara de Lobos questions
Can you walk from Funchal to Câmara de Lobos?
Yes, along the seafront from the Lido and Praia Formosa, about an hour and a quarter on foot from the Lido hotels. The promenade is more than 2 km for walkers only, and it closes during sea warnings and in parts for repairs, so check it before you set off.
Where did Churchill paint in Câmara de Lobos?
At the viewpoint at the entrance to the town, now named after him, looking over the bay. He painted it in January 1950.
Câmara de Lobos on the Poncha Path
The fishing town, Cabo Girão and the poncha taverns of Serra de Água in an afternoon. Send us a date and we reply within 60 minutes, 07:00–22:00, with the price for the car.
Poncha Path: the poncha bars €185 per car for 1 to 4 people, €205 for 5 or 6