The cliffs of Cabo Girão are some of the world's highest, with a near-vertical drop of over 500 metres to the raging waters of the Atlantic Ocean far below.

At the top of the towering Cabo Girão cliffs is a glass-floored skywalk that could be described as one of Madeira's most terrifying tourist attractions! This glass walkway extends over the edge of the cliff, offering an exhilarating 580m view of the ocean and the illusion of walking in the air.

If you can turn yourself from just looking down, the Cabo Girão are also a spectacular viewpoint (known as the Miradouro Cabo Girão) with magnificent views of the entire south-east coast of Madeira.

The beach and terraced fields at the foot of the Cabo Girão cliffs can be reached by the Teleferico do Rancho cable car, but the cable car station is 4km from the viewpoint.
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The view straight down from the Skywalk

The glass walkway is only for the brave….

Miradouro Cabo Girão viewpoint looking down at Câmara de Lobos

The Cabo Girão Skywalk is a well-run tourist attraction with ample parking and modern facilities.

The Skywalk is open every day from 08:30 to 20:00 (summer) and from 08:30 to 19:00 (winter). Admission is €2 for adults and free for children under 12.

The Skywalk is perfectly safe, but the glass floor suspended 580 metres above sea level is likely to cause mild vertigo in most sane people.

The Skywalk has become Madeira's most popular tourist attraction, and this means that it can get very busy between 10:00 and 14:00 during the high season when the coach tours arrive. When the site is busy, much of the impact of the experience is lost.
Our advice is to visit either early in the day or later in the evening when it will be much quieter.

It is always best to try to visit when it's quiet, as there is only so much space when a tour bus turns up

At the site, you'll find a large café, a souvenir shop, and public toilets (€0.50). There is a large free car park, which quickly fills when the tour buses arrive. If you have your own transport, try to avoid peak times.

If you visit Cabo Girão as part of an organised tour, expect to spend about 20-30 minutes here. This is usually enough time to walk the Skywalk, take in the views and take a few photos.

The souvenir shops and café to the rear of the skywalk and viewpoint

Once you've experienced the viewpoint and the skywalk, there's not much else to do at Cabo Girão, so typical visits last 15-30 minutes.

A visit could be extended by riding the Teleferico do Rancho to the base of the cliff, but this it is not within walking distance of the viewpoint and is an 8-minute drive away.

Cabo Girão is located approximately 3km (as the crow flies) from Câmara de Lobos. However, the actual driving distance to the summit is 6.5km due to the winding uphill route, and takes about 15 minutes by car.

The Cabo Girão cliffs dominate the skyline of Câmara de Lobos and it’s a long meandering drive to the summit

Public transportation to Cabo Girão is operated by Rodoeste, with routes available from both Funchal and Câmara de Lobos. The journey from Funchal takes approximately 40 minutes, while from Câmara de Lobos it's about 20 minutes. This service is operated by Rodoeste, and the latest timetable can be seen on their website:
https://www.rodoeste.com.pt/horarios

(To see all of the routes on the webpage select "Cabo Girão" from the dropdown list)

There are six departures Monday to Friday, five on Saturday and only four on Sunday. Always check return connections as there can be long waits at weekends.

Uber and Bolt are available in the area and are often a more convenient alternative to waiting for infrequent bus services. The estimated fare for this journey is between €20 and €25.

The hop-on-hop-off buses of Funchal provide extended routes that include the Câmara de Lobos and the Cabo Girão cliffs. The Yellow Bus company has a 48-hour ticket which includes Cabo Girão and costs €24.50.

The Fajas de Cabo Girão are terraced fields that lie directly beneath the towering cliffs of Cabo Girão. Historically, these fields were primarily used for cultivating vineyards, as the cliffs provided both shelter and favourable growing conditions for the grapes.

The Fajas de Cabo Girão were only accessible by boat until the construction of the Teleferico do Rancho in 2003.

A return trip on the Teleferico do Rancho costs €10 and is a dramatic descent down the side of the cliff. There are two cabins, each seating 6, that make the 3 minute descent.

At the base of the cliffs, there is not much to see apart from a stony beach and some coastal footpaths. The real attraction is the cable car ride down.

The Rancho cable car station is located on the coastal road east of Cabo Girão, at GPS 32.652, -16.992. This is a surprisingly long drive from Cabo Girão, and is 4km (8min drive) away.

Close to the upper cable car station is the excellent restaurant "The TOP", which offers not only delicious food but also panoramic views of the area.