Hotels near Cabo Girão Skywalk

Cabo Girão has held the title of Europe's tallest sea cliff at 580 m for centuries, and since 2012 a glass-bottomed Skywalk has cantilevered straight out over the drop. The platform is free to enter, open 8 am to 8 pm, and offers a near-vertical view down to the fajãs (small farming terraces) on the rocky shoreline below, plus the curving south coast all the way back to Funchal.

The viewpoint sits above Câmara de Lobos, the fishing village that Winston Churchill famously painted in 1950 from the harbour below. Most visitors combine the two stops in a single morning. A separate cable car (Teleférico do Rancho - Fajã dos Padres) on the opposite side of the cliff descends 250 m to a quiet pebble beach and a renowned seafood restaurant.

Pro Tip: Arrive before 10 am or after 4 pm to skip the tour bus rush. The light is also softer for photos. The Fajã dos Padres cable car (12 EUR return) runs every 15 minutes from 10:30 am to 6 pm.