2008 was saying goodbye with one of its warmest days ever (in Madeira, not in the rest of Europe I was told). We went to Cabo Girão, a steep sea cliff (It's about 580 metres), in order to be awed by the view. Until recent years the vineyards and farms seen below were only accessible by boat. I think it gave it more character.
Cabo Girão belongs to the district of Câmara de Lobos, we visited the center as well as stopping to see it from above:
Câmara de Lobos is now far from its days as the poorest area in Portugal. But even it all the investment and increasing number of visitors it still maintains a certain atmosphere you can't see or feel in Funchal (Madeira's capital).
It was this small town that Churchill painted happily (back then it was a fishing village) but the duration of his stay has been greatly exagerated.
Câmara de Lobos also displayed an interesting collection of Nativity scenes.
On our way to Curral das Freiras (Nun's valley) we stopped in Pico de Barcelos for a few pictures, you can see Funchal, Câmara de Lobos, the Desertas islands and more on a clear day.
Curral das Freiras/ Nun's valley is a area that receives a lot of tourists, but most stay only to take a few pictures of the view and move on.
There are km to be discovered in this valley, I was sorry we didn't have time to invest in it.
The old road is closed and the state likes people to drive in the new and fast highways (two cars honked at us when we were doing ONLY 70km/h) but I really loved the old curvy way to go into town. I understand it costs money to clear the roads every winter (the rains makes landslide a current activity) but perhaps it could be open during summer. God knows we receive enough tourists that want this sort of adventure...
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