São Vicente, the chapel in the rock

São Vicente lies at the bottom of a long green valley that runs down from Encumeada to the north coast. By the sea stands the Capela de São Vicente, built in 1692 inside a basalt block at the river mouth: a small white chapel with a cross on top of the rock and the waves behind it.

Up in the village, the parish church is late 17th century, its inside covered in painted ceilings, gilded carving and tiles, and the old streets around it are worth a short walk.

The lava caves are closed. São Vicente is known for its lava tubes, about 890,000 years, from an eruption on Paul da Serra, and for the Volcanism Centre beside them. Both are closed since March 2020; no reopening date. Older guides still list them, so check before you plan a visit around them.

• Fifteen to thirty minutes covers the chapel and a walk in the village.
• Don't plan the day around the caves. They have been shut since 2020.
• The north coast is windier and wetter than Funchal, so bring a layer.

Our west Madeira day stops by the chapel after the Encumeada pass, on the way to Seixal. The Wine Way visits Quinta do Barbusano in the hills above the village.