Eira do Serrado is a mountain viewpoint above the valley of Curral das Freiras, inland from Funchal on Madeira. The road up ends at a saddle with car parks, a café and souvenir stalls; from there a path with a few steps leads out to a railed platform looking down on the village and the mountain walls around it. It is one of the standard stops on drives through the island's central mountains.
Eira do Serrado Viewpoint
Local name: Miradouro da Eira do Serrado
The valley below is Curral das Freiras, the Corral of the Nuns, named after the sisters of Funchal's Santa Clara convent who sheltered there from pirate raids.
- Accessibility
- Wheelchair-accessible parking, entrance and seating. The path out to the platform has steps.
- Parking
- Free asphalt car parks about 300 m from the viewpoint, plus free street parking; a paid car park is also available.
- Difficulty
- Easy: a made path of about 300 m from the car parks, with a few steps.
- Transport
- Nearest bus stop: Eira do Serrado, under 400 m from the viewpoint.
- Hours
- Open 24 hours, seven days a week.
What makes it special
The ground simply stops. From the railing the ridge falls away into Curral das Freiras, and the village sits far below on the valley floor, ringed by mountain walls that close it in on every side. The platform is well kept and the approach is easy — a made path with a few steps up from the car parks. At the top there is a café doing snacks and coffee, with a line of souvenir stalls beside it. It draws a crowd: coach parties come through steadily, and the railing gets busy. On a clear day the view carries right across the valley; when cloud settles on the ridge, there is nothing to see at all.
Good to know
- Toilets: there are toilets by the viewpoint, but you pay to use them unless you buy something at the café.
- No water: there is no drinking water point within 800 metres, so carry your own.
- Crowds: this is a coach stop, and the souvenir stalls at the top come with the traffic.
- Cloud: low cloud sits on the ridge and can hide the valley completely — check the weather before driving up.
Getting there
Nearly everyone arrives by car. The road up ends at a saddle where the car parks sit on asphalt, and the last stretch is on foot: a made path up to the platform with a few steps in it. Coaches use the same road and the same car parks, so the top end of the approach can be busy.
Best time to visit
Better: a day when the ridge is clear. The viewpoint stands high above the valley, and low cloud can close it in so completely that the village below disappears.
Avoid: thick cloud or rain. There is nothing to see from the platform then, and nothing else here but the café and the souvenir stalls.
Sun & daylight
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Frequently asked questions
What can you see from Eira do Serrado?
The valley of Curral das Freiras: the village on the floor of it, and the mountain walls that enclose it on every side.Do you have to walk far from the car park?
No. A made path with a few steps runs from the car parks up to the platform, and there is nothing difficult about it.Are there toilets?
Yes, by the viewpoint. You pay to use them unless you buy something at the café.Is there anywhere to eat or drink?
A café at the top serves snacks and coffee. Souvenir stalls stand alongside it.Can you get there by public transport?
There is a bus stop called Eira do Serrado under 400 metres from the viewpoint.