Nuns valley (Curral das Freiras)

Nuns Valley (or Curral das Freiras) is a small parish nestling between the high mountains in the centre of Madeira. The huge cauldron in which the parish is sitting was either formed by erosion, or as some believe by volcanic activity.

In 1566, the nuns from the Santa Clara convent fled from pirates that were raiding Funchal and found seclusion in the inner heart of Madeira's mountains. Until 1959, the only connection to the outer world was a winding footpath along the steep mountain face. This road has now been replaced with a much safer option, a tunnel right through the mountain.  

On this particular day, we took bus 81 from the centre of Funchal (nearby the cable car) allowing us to relax and take in the stunning views. The bus trip along Madeira's narrow, winding roads takes about 45 minutes. With steep ravines along the route, you are in for a treat. We could only admire the bus driver who passed cars and trucks on these steep , narrow roads. We still don't know how he did it, but he did it without to much effort.

The bus takes a stop at Eira do Serrado, a magnificent viewpoint high above the parish before it carries on with its journey going back along the same route back down the mountain to turn left into the new tunnel towards the parish. What we recommend is to get off the bus at Eira do Serrado and walk down towards the parish along a clearly marked path.

And that is exactly what we did. Eira do Serrado sits at an impressive altitude of 1,094 m, and you’ll find a large car park, a hotel, a restaurant, and a souvenir shop at the viewpoint.
The walk begins to the right of the hotel and is clearly signposted. 


For most of the route, the footpath is semi‑paved. Even where the trail descends more sharply into the valley, it never becomes too steep or overly challenging. There are plenty of hairpin bends, and on the steeper sections, small steps have been added to make the descent easier. Most people walk the path towards Curral das Freiras, and for good reason—doing it in the opposite direction would multiply the effort many times over.

As we made our way down the mountain, we spotted the old 1959 road clinging precariously to the mountainside. Thankfully, the construction of a tunnel has spared drivers from having to navigate this once‑terrifying stretch.

After what seemed like 100 hairpin bends, we reached the chestnut forest through which the path gradually meanders.  Curral das Freiras is famous for its chestnuts and has a festival dedicated to them. Where the chestnut festival is an opportunity for all visitors to taste the Madeiran chestnuts which are used in the preparation of chestnut soup, but also in delicious cakes and liqueurs. You don't have to wait for the festival to taste these delicious treats, each of the restaurants in the parish have some chestnut related dishes on the menu.

Eventually, the path reaches the main road along which you have to walk to the village. This 1km stretch is along the road without a dedicated footpath, so watch out for traffic. But nothing to worry about, there isn't much traffic on this stretch of road.

In the village itself, there isn't to much to do. Grab a drink, enjoy a lunch in one of the restaurants or buy some chestnut related souvenirs in the local gift shop. 

Another interesting stop is Museu da Castanha. This museum tells visitors all about the characteristics of chestnuts and chestnut trees, the importance they had for Curral das Freiras, the products made from chestnuts,...

Not to far from the village is poco dos Chefes. This natural reservoir was formed when the locals built a dam to retain the water. Now, it is a popular place for the local youth to show off their diving skills and have fun. The water is never to warm and provides for a refreshing swim.