scenic viewpoint
Pico do Arieiro
Madeira's third-highest peak at 1,818 meters, offering a surreal above-the-clouds sunrise experience and a thrilling ridge walk to Pico Ruivo.
4 km · about 10 min drive
EuropePortugalMadeira
Curral das Freiras
Madeira, Portugal · Europe
About Curral das Freiras
Curral das Freiras works well as a base: 15 minutes from Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, 5km from Levada Walks.
Curral das Freiras is in Madeira, Portugal, with about 1,700 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, about 7 km away.
Curral das Freiras ("Pen of the Nuns") is a civil parish in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. The population in 2011 was 2,001, in an area of 25.03 km2. It is situated in the mountainous interior of the island. Being one of the more distant locations from the municipal seatRead more
of Câmara de Lobos, it is geographically isolated from other communities by the cliffs and peaks surrounding its central valley. A tunnel southwards in the direction of Funchal, which opened in 2004, now offers safe access to the valley and the dangerous historical route has been abandoned.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Curral das Freiras?
Within an hour or so of Curral das Freiras: Pico do Arieiro (4 km), Levada Walks (5 km), ER-101 and ER-105 Madeira mountain roads (7 km), Cabo Girao (8 km).
Are there any good drives near Curral das Freiras?
The nearest famous roads are ER-101 and ER-105 Madeira mountain roads.
Where is Curral das Freiras?
Curral das Freiras is in Madeira, Portugal, about 7 km from Estreito de Câmara de Lobos.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 1,673
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- Portugal
- Region
- Madeira
- Timezone
- Atlantic/Madeira
- Coordinates
- 32.7203, -16.9699
Tags
Worth the detour from Curral das Freiras
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Levada Walks
A unique network of irrigation channel paths winding through Madeira's laurel forests, offering spectacular walking through lush endemic vegetation.
5 km · about 10 min drive
famous road
ER-101 and ER-105 Madeira mountain roads
Madeira's old cliff and mountain roads with tunnels, tight hairpins and drops to the Atlantic; the Encumeada pass links north and south.
7 km · about 10 min drive
scenic viewpoint
Cabo Girao
One of the highest sea cliffs in Europe at 580 meters, with a glass-floored skywalk platform offering vertiginous ocean views.
8 km · about 15 min drive
landmark
Funchal Old Town
Madeira's lively capital quarter of painted doors, cable-car, market and seafront promenade.
10 km · about 20 min drive
waterfall
25 Fontes
A levada hike ending at a green pool fed by dozens of cascading springs deep in Madeira's forest.
15 km · about 30 min drive
beach
Seixal
A north-coast village with a black-sand beach and waterfalls tumbling onto the coastal road.
17 km · about 20 min drive
national park
Fanal Forest
A misty plateau of ancient gnarled laurel trees, eerily beautiful when fog rolls through the Laurisilva.
19 km · about 20 min drive
Driving roads near Curral das Freiras
- Right herePico do ArieiroMadeira's third-highest peak at 1,818 meters, offering a surreal above-the-clouds sunrise experience and a thrilling ridge walk to Pico Ruivo.
- Right hereER-101 and ER-105 Madeira mountain roadsMadeira's old cliff and mountain roads with tunnels, tight hairpins and drops to the Atlantic; the Encumeada pass links north and south.
- Right hereCabo GiraoOne of the highest sea cliffs in Europe at 580 meters, with a glass-floored skywalk platform offering vertiginous ocean views.
- 26 kmPonta de São LourençoMadeira's arid eastern tip, a hiking trail along ochre volcanic cliffs surrounded by deep blue sea.
Driving in Portugal
- Drives on
- the right
- Petrol
- ~€1.78/litre
- Motorway tolls
- ~€9.00/100km
When to drive here
April to October
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