Curral das Freiras - The Valley of the Nuns on Madeira
Today we want to take the public bus to Curral das Freiras - The Valley of the Nuns and to Eira do Serrado, a scenic viewpoint.
The name of the village Curral das Freiras translates to "Corral of the Nuns." The so-called "Valley of the Nuns," located just 19 km from Funchal in a 633-meter-high valley nestled between mountain peaks, naturally has its own story:
Curral das Freiras was named after its owners, the Poor Clare nuns from the Santa Clara Convent in Funchal. They used to graze their cattle here and repeatedly hid in this valley from pirates. After surviving a particularly brutal attack, they built a chapel in gratitude, which later grew into a church and cemetery.
The signature product of Curral das Freiras is chestnuts. These trees grow abundantly here and their fruit is a worthwhile source of income. You can find almost everything chestnut-related here: chestnut cake, chestnut liqueur, chestnut soup — everything revolves around chestnuts, which is why the annual Chestnut Festival is celebrated here on November 1st.
This remarkable valley is our destination today. The bus takes us along a very adventurous road that winds around the flanks of steep mountains. The road is sometimes quite narrow and runs along deep ravines, and the bus driver, who knows the route well, has a rather daring driving style — not for the faint of heart!
Eira do Serrado
Our stop is Eira do Serrado, where at a lonely altitude of 1,095 meters sits a hotel with a souvenir shop and cafe. A few meters further along lies the viewing platform, the so-called "Eagle's Nest," offering a sensational view of Curral das Freiras, the Valley of the Nuns on Madeira. After this detour we head back past the hotel to the car park, because this is where we start our first hike today (approx. 1.5 hours without breaks) down to Curral das Freiras. The trailhead is at the "Eira do Serrado" sign, and it first goes down several steps through a chestnut forest. The path is paved with small stones and the views are spectacular. On one side the rock face, on the other side the valley. After a short rest on a rocky ledge we continue and soon arrive in Curral das Freiras. There we have a drink at a bar, visit the church and cemetery with their superb views, and wait almost an hour for the delayed bus back along the only drivable road (which has only existed since 1959) out of the village to Funchal.
This hike is absolutely recommended!
Continue reading our Madeira trip report
next up: Santa Maria de Colombo & New Year's Eve party in Funchal
