The quick version
- The Cabo Girão entrance fee is €2, except for residents and children up to 12 years old, who are included in the exemption.[1]
- Cabo Girão is open daily from 08:00 to 20:00, which suits a morning or a late afternoon visit.[1]
- Cabo Girão is 580 metres high and the skywalk platform was completed in October 2012.[1][2]
- Cabo Girão is approximately 15 kilometres west of Funchal on the island's south coast.[3]
- Madeira: Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal, and Fanal 4WD Tour is from US$79, lasts 8 hours, and pickup is included.[4]
- Top choice Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Fanal from US$79 Rating4.87 from 9,297 reviews[4]Duration8 hours[4]Group sizePrivate or small groups available[4]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[4] Check availability
- Enchanted Terraces & Fanal from US$80 Rating4.78 from 5,647 reviews[5]Duration8 hours[5]Group sizePrivate or small groups available[5]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[5] See this tour
- West Madeira Waterfalls from US$40 Rating4.70 from 3,827 reviews[6]Duration8 hours[6]Group sizePrivate or small groups available[6]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance[6] See this tour
At 580 metres high, Cabo Girão is the highest promontory in Europe, but this is not the only reason it has become increasingly famous all over the world.
Is the Cabo Girão Skywalk worth it?
Know before you go
Cabo Girão Skywalk tickets and the entrance fee
Cabo Girão Skywalk tickets work simply: there is no timed entry and no booking slot. The entrance fee is €2, except for residents and children up to 12 years old, who are included in the exemption.[1] That is the whole cost of the viewpoint. The cliff itself stands 580 metres high,[1] and the platform that juts out over the drop was completed in October 2012.[2] In practice the skywalk is a short stop, a place to step out, look straight down and take a few photographs.
Many travellers treat the Cabo Girão entrance fee as a small detail of a much longer day out. The cliff sits roughly 15 kilometres west of Funchal,[3] and Cabo Girão opening times run daily from 08:00 to 20:00.[1] If you are weighing up the Skywalk Madeira price against other paid viewpoints on the island, this is a quick and inexpensive one. Plan for wind: the platform is exposed above the sea, a light jacket helps, and a firm grip on hats and phones makes the visit more comfortable.
What you see from the glass platform
From the platform you look down on a patchwork of small terraced fields, a sliver of beach and the open Atlantic, with the south coast curving away in both directions. Câmara de Lobos lies to the east, and its bay was immortalised by Winston Churchill, who painted it in January 1950 while sitting at the Espírito Santo Viewpoint facing the sea.[9] The transparent floor makes the stop feel far more dramatic than an ordinary roadside viewpoint, and it is the detail that stays with you afterwards.
Photographers tend to like the light early in the morning and again late in the day, when the sun is lower and the haze over the water is softer. The drop is real and the floor is clear in places, which unsettles some visitors. If you are uneasy about heights, stand on the solid section and look out to sea rather than straight down. The skywalk is a good introduction to Madeira's south coast, and it works well as a short break between two longer stops.
Terraced fields, a small fajã and the Atlantic seen from the cliff edge.
The cable car down to Fajã do Cabo Girão
Below the viewpoint lies the Fajã do Cabo Girão, a narrow strip of land at the foot of the cliff. The Fajã do Cabo Girão beach is known for the impressive fertility of its agricultural land, and this narrow, lush piece of land can be accessed by cable car.[10] From above you can pick out the small plots, the access paths and the way the fields are worked right down at the water's edge. The colours shift as the sun moves across the cliff face. It is a very different sight from the plateau and the forest further west.
If you want to ride down, a return trip on the Teleférico do Rancho cable car costs 10 euros.[7] The descent is short and steep, and the fajã itself is quiet, with farmland and a shoreline that feels cut off from the road above. Check conditions before committing to the descent, and allow time to come back up before you continue along the coast. The crossing is part of the experience for anyone who enjoys a wide view from a moving cabin.
Getting to the skywalk from Funchal
Cabo Girão is approximately 15 kilometres west of Funchal,[3] along the coastal road that passes through Câmara de Lobos. By car the route climbs through villages and terraces before the cliff edge appears, and the approach road is steep and narrow in places. Parking fills quickly at busy times, and the entrance sits right beside the road. Many travellers prefer to let someone else handle the driving, and guided west-coast tours are common on this side of the island.
Tours that include the skywalk generally pick up from hotels and meeting points around Funchal, and the longer ones continue west towards Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal in the same day. If you are building your own route, the skywalk pairs naturally with Câmara de Lobos, Ribeira Brava and the high plateau at Paul da Serra. Fuel up and buy water before you leave the towns on the south coast, since the plateau and the far west feel quiet once the day is underway.
from US$79
Madeira: Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal, and Fanal 4WD Tour, rated 4.87 from 9,297 reviews, 8 hours, pickup included.[4]
Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal in one day
Full-day jeep tours head for Madeira's west side, and the Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal and Fanal route is a good example. Madeira: Skywalk, Porto Moniz, Seixal, and Fanal 4WD Tour is from US$79,[4] rated 4.87 from 9,297 reviews,[4] and lasts 8 hours.[4] It runs with a live tour guide in Portuguese, Spanish, English and French,[4] private or small groups are available,[4] and there are 11 pickup location options.[4]
The route takes in the skywalk, Seixal, Porto Moniz, the Laurissilva forest and Fanal, with a long list of stops along the way.[4] At the western end, the Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools have a swimming area of 3,800 m2 that is 2 metres deep, holding around 7,600 m3 of seawater.[11] Fanal is presented by Madeira's official tourism board as a mystical, century-old forest that visitors are invited to discover,[12] and the island's Laurissilva forest has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.[12]
Booking is flexible: you can reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.[4] Pickup is included, with details to check when you book.[4] Allow the full day for the loop, since the route crosses the island's spine and returns along the coast. A towel and swimwear are worth packing if you plan to swim at Porto Moniz, and a spare layer helps out on the plateau.
Weather, layers and the Fanal mist
Madeira has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with even temperatures all year round, and an average annual temperature of 20°C (67°F).[8] On the coast that means mild days and warm sea breezes, while the west side changes quickly as the road climbs. The plateau at Paul da Serra sits high above the coast and is often wrapped in cloud when Funchal is bright. Layers, a light waterproof and shoes with grip are the practical answer, and they matter far more than a heavy coat.
Fanal is often the stop that surprises people. The forest is frequently misty, with mossy trees standing in open pasture and a quiet that feels a world away from the coast. Bring something warm for the highest points even in summer, and keep a dry bag or plastic sleeve for your phone if the cloud is thick. Sunscreen still belongs in the day bag, since the south coast can be bright again by the time you drive back.
Ways to build a west Madeira day
There is more than one way to see this side of the island. The Levada do Norte walk runs from Estreito de Câmara de Lobos to Cabo Girão,[13] following the hillside above the coast, and the Guindaste Viewpoint sits on one of the slopes of the Foz da Ribeira do Faial in the municipality of Santana, offering a view over the north coast of Madeira.[14] Pair a levada morning with a cliff afternoon, or use the viewpoint as a final stop on a long loop around the island.
Start early if you are driving yourself, and treat the skywalk as one stop rather than the whole outing. If you would rather not think about parking, a guided tour with pickup handles the logistics and adds local commentary on the villages, the terraces and the forest. Leave a little room for the unplanned: a roadside viewpoint, a poncha in a village square, or a few extra minutes watching the swell break against the rocks far below the glass.
How long west Madeira tours run
West-side from-prices per adult
All amounts are GetYourGuide from-prices per adult:[4],[5],[6],[17].
When to sort out your west-coast day
Plan your Cabo Girão day
Decide how you will get there
The cliff sits roughly 15 kilometres west of Funchal.[3] Driving gives you flexibility; a guided tour with pickup handles the drive.
Check the opening times
The viewpoint is open daily from 08:00 to 20:00.[1] A morning or late afternoon stop fits neatly around a full day on the west coast.
Budget for the extras
Entry is €2 except for residents and children up to 12, and a cable-car return costs 10 euros.[1][7]
Pack for two climates
Pack a light waterproof, a warm layer and grippy shoes; the island's average annual temperature is 20°C (67°F).[8]
Add the swim stop
The Porto Moniz Natural Swimming Pools have a 3,800 m2 swimming area that is 2 metres deep and holds around 7,600 m3 of seawater.[11]
See the skywalk and the west coast in one 4WD day
from US$80Reserve now & pay later
