Curral das Freiras, the Nuns' Valley
A village at the bottom of a deep mountain valley, half an hour from Funchal, and the viewpoint high above it.
Curral das Freiras at a glance
A village at the bottom of a deep valley ringed by peaks, and the Eira do Serrado viewpoint high above it.
- Where
- Câmara de Lobos, in the mountains north-west of Funchal
- From Funchal by car
- about 30 min
- Time to allow
- 1 to 2 hours
- Eira do Serrado viewpoint
- 1,095 m
- To the viewpoint
- a short footpath up from the car park by the Estalagem da Eira do Serrado
- Road into the valley
- through a tunnel opened in 2004; the old road down from Eira do Serrado is abandoned
Go there with us
- Your own route, half day Your own route 4 h €1601–4
- Your own route, by the hour Your own route 2 h minimum €501–4
Prices are for the whole car, not per person. Each page has the price for 5 or 6.
What you see
Curral das Freiras lies in a deep valley in the middle of the island, ringed by peaks, so closed in that it looks like a volcano crater and can't be seen from the sea. The name means the nuns' corral: it comes from the nuns of Funchal's Santa Clara convent, who took refuge here when pirates attacked the town in 1566.
The best view is from above. At Eira do Serrado, 1,095 m up, a path climbs from the car park to a viewpoint on the rim, and the village appears far below with its church and its terraces.
Down in the village, the 19th-century church of Nossa Senhora do Livramento stands on the square. The valley is known for chestnuts, with a chestnut festival on 1 November, and for ginja, a cherry liqueur.
Before you go
- The viewpoint and the village are two drives. The road to Eira do Serrado ends at the top; the village is reached through a tunnel opened in 2004; the old road down from Eira do Serrado is abandoned. Seeing both takes about an hour and a half.
- Cloud comes and goes on the rim. If the valley is hidden, wait a few minutes or go down to the village first.
- Half a day from Funchal covers it comfortably, with Pico dos Barcelos or Câmara de Lobos on the way back.
Curral das Freiras with us
Curral das Freiras isn't on our ready-made days: it sits in the middle of the island, away from both the west and the east loops. A half day with a driver takes you up to Eira do Serrado and down into the village, with the stops you choose.
Nearby, on the same day
All places-
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.
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Câmara de Lobos
A fishing town just west of Funchal, with boats in the bay Churchill painted in 1950 and the bars where poncha was first made.
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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.
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Monte
A hillside parish above Funchal, reached by cable car, with an 18th-century church, a tropical garden and the wicker toboggan ride down.
Curral das Freiras questions
What is the Nuns' Valley in Madeira?
Curral das Freiras, a village in a deep valley in the middle of the island. The name comes from the nuns of Funchal's Santa Clara convent, who took refuge here when pirates attacked the town in 1566.
Can you combine Curral das Freiras with Ponta do Pargo and Ribeiro Frio?
Not in one day without spending it in the car: they lie in three different parts of the island. Curral das Freiras pairs with Funchal's sights in a half day, Ribeiro Frio with the east and Ponta do Pargo with the west.
How far is Curral das Freiras from Funchal?
About half an hour by car to Eira do Serrado, on a mountain road.
A half day to the Nuns' Valley
Eira do Serrado, the village and a stop on the way back, with your driver. Send us a date and we reply within 60 minutes, 07:00–22:00, with the price for the car.
Your own route, half day €160 per car for 1 to 4 people, €180 for 5 or 6