Hike to Discover Eira do Serrado Viewpoint (Câmara de Lobos – Madeira), Hiking, Trekking, Walking Trails, Tracks, Pedestrian Routes, Portugal

We arrived early at Eira do Serrado, right in the mountainous heart of the central massif, in the municipality of Câmara de Lobos, Madeira.
About 25 minutes north of Funchal, next to the hotel Eira do Serrado, we found one of the most beautiful landscapes of the island, a fantastic enchanted scenario with Curral das Freiras parish resting down in the valley, protected by dramatic mountains.
We had a cup of coffee before going up to the Eira do Serrado Viewpoint. Buses filled with tourists arrived at the parking lot and there is a big hustle and bustle when we started this short walk.

One of the most beautiful landscapes of the island, a fantastic enchanted scenario with Curral das Freiras parish resting down in the valley, protected by dramatic mountains.

We started up the ramp without mistakes. We followed the clearly visible sign “Miradouro” (Viewpoint), which led us to a path up the mountain.

On our left, the excavated rock that now allowed us to pass and to our right breathtaking landscapes, an impressive suffocation of such unusual sight whose beauty is difficult to match.

We are facing lush valleys, abrupt cliffs and grand mountains, where the houses on the various levels of terraces look like a Christmas crib.
We arrived at the viewpoint at about 1095 m altitude. We feel small before the imposing immensity of such a sweeping nature. Down below, it was in the small village of Curral das Freiras that in 16th century, the nuns took refuge from the pirates who frequently attacked Madeira. So says the story.

There is a pedestrian trail, about 3km, which connects Eira do Serrado to Curral das Freiras. This was one of the main accesses of the village until the first road access arrived in 1959. Those who follow this trail can return by bus (Bus 81). As we had other plans, we left that trail for another opportunity and returned to the starting point where we made a brief visit to the gift shop, thinking about souvenirs to our family.
We set out to discover one of Madeira’s best kept treasures: Fajã dos Padres. Don’t miss the next post.

Points of Interest:

Eira do Serrado Viewpoint, Landscapes, Curral das Freiras.

Tips:

If you choose to walk the path that connects Eira do Serrado to Curral das Freiras, you can return by Bus (Bus 81). See the schedule when visiting the site.