The grandiose Cabo Girão Skywalk is the highest elevation in Europe. It rises to an altitude of 580 meters. It is renowned for its transparent glass platform suspended over the abyss known as Skywalk.
For a guide, peruse “Things To Do In Madeira“. For an itinerary in Funchal: “What To Do In Funchal“.
- Coordinates: 32.656657, -17.004561
The landscape is punctuated by the never-ending ocean that stretches to the horizon. On a clear day, it is a scene of mesmerizing beauty.
A closer look reveals the charming Câmara de Lobos, the hills of Funchal, and the colorful cluster of houses that adorn the slopes of the island.
Here, we also find the venerable Nossa Senhora de Fátima Chapel, built in the 1930s. It is one of the main pilgrimage sites on the island.
In our vicinity, we come across convenient parking spaces, sanitary facilities, shops, and cafes.
Map
We are 20 minutes from Funchal and 30 minutes from the island’s airport (via the Regional Road 101).
Skywalk – Experience
A singular experience for the youthful-hearted visitor. Beneath our feet, the abyss beckons the gaze to drop dizzyingly in a nearly 600-meter freefall.
It is an intoxicating sight.
Brace yourself for a sensation of vertigo. Nonetheless, we are perfectly safe.
We see the small strip of cultivated land at the foot. The terracing of the land is a true work of art.
Since the 2000s, they have had an elevator that facilitates access to this precious strip of land.
For adrenaline junkies, this is a special location. Parachutist Mário Pardo made it his stage for his spectacular and historic motorcycle jump.
Useful Tips
Opening Hours:
Open daily from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm in winter.
From 8:00 am to 9:00 pm in summer.
Price?
Admission to the Cabo Girão Viewpoint costs 2 euros.
Free for residents and children under 12 years of age.
How to Reach Cabo Girão?
By car:
It is only a 20-minute journey and 15 km from the centre of Funchal to Cabo Girão.
Take the modern Regional Road 101 towards the west, in the direction of Câmara de Lobos, and exit at the 3rd exit. Continue along Padre António Dinis Henrique Road. Cabo Girão appears in 2 km.How to Reach Cabo Girão?
De Táxi:
The journey from the centre of Funchal to Cabo Girão costs around €20.
The main taxi cooperatives are:
Coop. Rádio Táxis Madeira (+351 291 764 476 or 968 778 722)
Central Madeira Táxis GPS (+351 291 771 771 or 919 915 268).
Tourist Panoramic Bus:
The tourist bus tour lasts 1 hour and 30 minutes and costs €23.
Choose the “3 in 1 Hop On Hop Off”.
It offers a tour of the historic centre with a stop in the picturesque Câmara de Lobos before ascending to the Cabo Girão Skywalk viewpoint.
For more information, schedules and reservations, visit the Yellow Bus Tours or call +351 21 850 3225 (email: yellowbus@carris.pt).
Regular Bus:
The cost of the regular bus is €3, and it takes 35 minutes from the centre of Funchal.
Take bus number 7 from Rodoeste on Mar avenue. It passes through Lido, Fórum Madeira, Câmara de Lobos, Estreito de Câmara de Lobos and finally, Cabo Girão.
To check the schedules, visit the website or call +351 291 220 148 (email: rodoeste@rodoeste.pt).
What to do nearby
Three kilometres from Cabo Girão, the Fajã dos Padres Cable Car takes us to the small pebble beach.
The sunset is a unique experience in Fajã.
Sample Madeiran flavours at the restaurant, where fresh fish stands out.
It is one of the most important and extensive levadas on the Island of Madeira. 7 km route (4 hours).
It starts below Cabo Girão, leading the hiker to the Boa Morte area in Ribeira Brava.
It is an easy and pleasant trail. Along the journey, one can admire the stunning landscapes.
The Levadas are a set of water channels meticulously carved into the cliffs, some dating back over 500 years.
They are among the most emblematic tourist attractions of Madeira.
To the north, half an hour along Regional Road 101 and the Eira do Serrado road, we reach the magnificent viewpoint at 1000 metres altitude.
It reveals the splendour of Madeira’s mountainous interior surrounding the small parish Curral das Freiras.
Where to stay? Village Cabo Girão Hotel
One can bask in panoramic ocean vistas at the Village Cabo Girão Hotel, a mere 250 metres distant.
The hotel offers a range of accommodations, from studio apartments to four-bedroom villas, all equipped with state-of-the-art amenities.
The hotel boasts a restaurant, bar, and a swimming pool of exceptional beauty. Furthermore, the prices are eminently reasonable.
History
The moniker of Cabo Girão harks back to the ancient days when the Island of Madeira was discovered in the 15th century. On the first day of exploring the western coast, the cavalier Zarco and his companions brought their “giro” to an end here and returned to Funchal.
João Gonçalves Zarco began his maritime career as a pirate and later commanded caravels that safeguarded the coasts of the Algarve.
During the siege of Tangier, he was awarded the knight title by prince Henry the Navigator. He was the first to successfully use heavy artillery on a vessel. This technological innovation placed Portugal in an unparalleled military position.
Henrique Alemão
One of the episodes associated with Cabo Girão is the tragic end of the legendary character Henrique Alemão.
He was caught off guard by a rockfall cascading from the Cape as he navigated on a boat, ultimately interred in the ocean.
To many, he was King Ladislaus III of the lands that now correspond to Poland and Lithuania. After losing the Battle of Varna in 1444, he wandered anonymously to the Holy Land.
He became a Knight of Saint Catherine on Mount Sinai and, after several adventures, arrived here, received with great respect by João Gonçalves Zarco.
Henry the Navigator granted him Madalena do Mar, 20 km from Cabo Girão. He married the Portuguese Senhorinha Anes.
King Afonso V of Portugal served as the best man at the wedding. Interestingly, in 1447, our king decided to embark on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land but returned to rule alongside his son, John II.
In the archives of the Teutonic Knights of Saint Mary of Jerusalem, a passage from 1472 stated that King Ladislaus III lived in the “Islands of Portugal.”
It is speculated that the painting “Joachim and Anne Meeting at the Golden Gate” in the Sacred Art Museum of Funchal, depicts Henry the German and his Portuguese wife.
Nossa Senhora de Fátima Chapel
In the past, the cultivated fields we see at the foot were accessed using ropes and boats. The exploitation of soft stone was then used in the Funchal Cathedral, Santa Clara Convent and the Fort of São Tiago.
On March 4th, 1930, a cliff collapse occurred. Forty quarry workers, realizing the imminent tragedy, left the site promptly.
This event and devotion to the Virgin Mary led to the construction of the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima at Cabo Girão, inaugurated on October 11th, 1931, where pilgrimages are still made in May.
The quarry was deactivated in the 80s.
Tourism
The development of new accessways in 1953 allowed locals to sell local products. With the completion of renovation works in October 2012, shops, cafes, and a tourist post emerged.
A transparent glass balcony was also built, similar to the Grand Canyon.
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