Cabo De Girao Skywalk Madeira: What to Know Before You Step Out

• Top choice Skywalk & Porto Moniz 4WD from US$79 Rating4.87 from 9,297 reviews^[6]Duration8 hours^[6]LanguagesEnglish, French, Portuguese^[6]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance^[6]StopsSkywalk, Seixal, Porto Moniz, Fanal^[6] Check availability
• Enchanted Terraces 4WD from US$80 Rating4.78 from 5,647 reviews^[7]Duration8 hours^[7]LanguagesEnglish, French, Spanish^[7]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance^[7]StopsPorto Moniz pools, Seixal, Fanal^[7] See this tour
• West Waterfalls & Fanal from US$40 Rating4.70 from 3,827 reviews^[8]Duration8 hours^[8]LanguagesEnglish, German, French^[8]CancellationCancel up to 24 hours in advance^[8]StopsFanal, Porto Moniz, waterfalls^[8] See this tour

Where the Cabo Girão Skywalk is and how to reach it

The Cabo Girão Skywalk sits at the top of a sheer sea cliff above Câmara de Lobos, on the island's south coast. The cliff is 580 metres high, and the balcony hangs a long way above the water and the small terraced fields below.^[1] From Funchal, Cabo Girão is approximately 15 kilometres to the west, close enough for a first stop on a day that carries on along the north coast.^[3]

If you are driving, the viewpoint is signposted from the coastal road, and the access road climbs steeply through vineyards and banana terraces before it reaches the top. Buses and taxis run from Funchal as well. Many travellers visit on a guided day, which takes the parking question away: the 4WD tour booked from this site offers 11 pickup locations and calls at the Cabo Girão Skywalk before heading on to Seixal, Porto Moniz and Fanal.^[6] The drive along the south coast is part of the day, with the sea on one side and the terraced slopes on the other.

Parking and bus access to the Skywalk

There is parking beside the viewpoint area, and the walk from the car park to the platform is short. Coach parties arrive through the middle of the day, and the car park can fill and empty in waves. Drivers coming from Funchal turn off the coastal road at the signposts for Cabo Girão, and the last climb is steep and narrow in places. On clear days the view runs east towards Funchal and west along the cliffs, and there is space along the railing to find a spot of your own.

The cable car is the other way down. The Teleférico do Rancho drops from the cliff top to Fajã do Cabo Girão beach, a narrow, lush strip of land known for the impressive fertility of its agricultural soil.^[5] A return trip on the cable car costs 10 euros.^[4] The town of Câmara de Lobos, just along the coast, is worth adding to the day: its bay was painted by Winston Churchill in January 1950, when he set up his easel at the Espírito Santo Viewpoint facing the sea.^[10]

Natural rock pools at Porto Moniz, where the Atlantic fills basins in the lava

Opening hours and the quietest times to visit

Cabo Girão is open daily from 08:00 to 20:00, which leaves plenty of room to fit the stop around the rest of your day.^[1] The skywalk itself was completed in October 2012. The glass balcony is a recent addition to a cliff edge that people have been visiting for far longer.^[2]

For a calmer visit, aim for the early part of the day or the last part of the afternoon. Madeira has a subtropical Mediterranean climate with even temperatures all year round and an average annual temperature of 20°C (67°F).^[9] Even the coolest days rarely call for more than a fleece. Cloud is the bigger variable here. It can swallow the cliff and lift again just as quickly, which is worth knowing if the view is the reason for your stop.

What you will find at the viewpoint

The site is built around the viewing area, with the glass balcony pushed out over the drop and open viewpoints along the rim. There is little shelter on the cliff top, and the light and the cloud change quickly through the day. There is no set route, and you can walk the rim in either direction. The balcony is the headline, but the rim is just as good for a wide view back along the coast towards Funchal.

Entry costs €2, except for residents and children up to 12 years old.^[1] Carry water, sunscreen and a thin windproof layer, and wear shoes with grip; the ground around the platform can be damp from spray and mist even on a bright day. If the stop is part of a longer west coast day, the pools at Porto Moniz are the obvious next swim. Their swimming area is 3,800 m2 and 2 metres deep, holds around 7,600 m3 of seawater, and the lounging area is approximately 3,217 m2.^[11]

Standing on the glass platform

The glass platform juts out from the cliff edge, a broad balcony with a transparent floor set into it. Stand on it and you look through your own feet at the rock face, the sea and the small fields of the fajã far below.

Some people step out without a second thought, and some prefer to ease out slowly from the rim. If the glass is not for you, the surrounding edge gives you the same sweep of coastline and the same view of the drop. Photographs come out best when the sun is high enough to light the water rather than the haze, and when the wind has cleared the cloud off the cliff. Take your time out there rather than hurrying back to the vehicle.

Accessibility, strollers and comfort

The viewpoint area is compact, and the access road climbs through the terraces towards the cliff top. If you use a wheelchair or push a stroller, ask your driver or taxi to drop you as close to the entrance as possible, and take the stop at your own pace rather than following the group. The viewing area is small, and a companion can wait in the car park while you go out onto the platform.

A guided day removes the cliff-top logistics. The 4WD tour booked from this site offers private or small groups, a live guide in Portuguese, Spanish, English and French, and free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.^[6] If anyone in your party needs a child seat or extra space, say so when you book, and confirm where you will be picked up before you travel.

How long to allow, and where to go next

The platform itself is a short visit. Most people spend a little while out on the glass, walk the rim and take photographs, and the stop grows longer if you ride the cable car down to the beach and back. On a guided day the timing is handled for you, and the skywalk is one stop among several. If you are travelling under your own steam, the stop can be as brief or as long as you like.

From Cabo Girão the natural continuation is the north-west coast. Fanal is presented by Madeira's tourism board as a mystical century-old forest that visitors are invited to discover.^[12] The Laurissilva forest around it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999.^[12] Further on, Porto Moniz and Seixal give you the swimming and the cliff scenery that the west of the island is known for.

The tour booked from this site runs 8 hours from US$79, with 11 pickup locations, and takes in the Cabo Girão Skywalk, Seixal, Porto Moniz, Lombinho waterfall, Fanal Forest and Paul da Serra.^[6] You can reserve now and pay later, and cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund.^[6]

Plan your Skywalk stop

1. Choose your transport

   Drive, take a bus or taxi from Funchal, or join a guided day with pickup. Cabo Girão is approximately 15 kilometres west of Funchal.^[3]

2. Sort the ticket

   Entry costs €2, except for residents and children up to 12 years old, and the site is open daily from 08:00 to 20:00.^[1]

3. Check your layers

   The cliff top catches the wind and the air is cooler than in Funchal. Bring a thin waterproof, shoes with grip and water.

4. Walk out on the glass

   Step onto the transparent floor at the top of the 580 metre cliff and look straight down at the sea and the fields below.^[1]

5. Add the west coast

   The 4WD tour booked from this site carries on to Seixal, Porto Moniz and Fanal over 8 hours, from US$79.^[6]

Things travellers ask