Curral das Freiras — the Valley of the Nuns — is the most dramatic landscape in Madeira. Surrounded on all sides by sheer peaks rising over 1,700 metres, the valley feels like it was carved by a giant hand into the heart of the island. Legend has it that the valley’s nuns retreated here to hide from 16th-century pirates raiding the coast. Today it remains one of the most visited and most spectacular viewpoints on the island.
Our comfortable minibus takes you up through mountain tunnels and past vertiginous viewpoints to the village below the peaks. The guide shares the history, the geology and the local traditions of this extraordinary place — including the famous chestnut-based products that the valley is known for throughout Madeira.
