Madeira Valley of the Nuns Tour: Full Review & Why It's Worth the Drive

I Didn't Expect Madeira to Feel Like This

I'll be honest: when I first drove into Curral das Freiras, the Valley of the Nuns, I thought I'd made a wrong turn into a postcard. The road from Funchal snakes through the Eira do Serrado tunnel, then suddenly spits you out onto a viewpoint where the valley drops 600m below you like someone sliced the earth with a knife. The village sits at the bottom, a cluster of white houses and banana trees surrounded by vertical cliffs on three sides. It doesn't look real. It looks like a geological afterthought.

The name comes from the 16th century, when nuns from the Santa Clara convent fled pirate attacks and hid in this valley. They stayed. The isolation that protected them from pirates also made the valley nearly impossible to farm, the slopes are so steep that locals used to lower themselves on ropes to tend terraces. Today, the nuns are gone, but the chestnut trees they planted still cover the valley floor. Every November, the village throws a chestnut festival (Festa da Castanha) that draws crowds from across the island. I went last year, ate my weight in roasted chestnuts and poncha, and understood why people make the pilgrimag

The standard way to experience it is a half-day tour that combines the drive with a guided walk down into the valley. I booked the Valley of the Nuns and Eira do Serrado tour through Viator, and it turned into one of the most surprising afternoons I've spent on the island. The guide, a local named João whose family has lived in the valley for four generations, pointed out the terraced farming plots still worked by hand, the irrigation channels that follow the same routes the nuns dug, and the spot where the last wolf on Madeira was killed in the 17th century. The walk itself is a 3km descent on a paved road with switchbacks, 400m elevation loss over about 45 minutes. It's not technical, but your knees will feel it on the way back up. The tour includes a transfer back to the top, which saved me from a 45-minute uphill slog I wasn't prepared for.

If you're driving yourself, the viewpoint at Eira do Serrado is free and open 24 hours. The road from Funchal takes about 35 minutes, 20km of winding mountain asphalt with 25 hairpin turns. Don't attempt it in a Fiat 500; I saw a rental Fiat scraping its undercarriage on the second hairpin near the tunnel exit. Rent at least a 1.2L petrol with proper ground clearance. Europcar and Guerin allow their standard fleet on mountain roads; Goldcar and Sixt explicitly forbid driving on ER101 and ER110 in their small print.

The Moments That Made Hiking in Madeira Worth the Trip

I started PR1 on a cloudless morning in April, t-shirt weather at the Arieiro carpark, sunglasses on, feeling smug about my timing. By the time I reached the tunnel at the 2km mark, the temperature had dropped 12°C and I was walking through freezing fog so dense I couldn't see the next trail marker. The microclimate shift happens at the ridge between Arieiro and Ruivo, the north coast weather spills over like a lid coming off a pot. I finished the hike shivering in a thin rain jacket I'd almost left in the car. Now I carry a proper thermal layer on PR1 every single time, even when Funchal is 28°C.

The PR1 tunnel section has two tunnels: the first is ~200m long, the second ~120m. Both are pitch black, zero ambient light. A phone flashlight works for the first tunnel, but the second has uneven floor sections with pooling water. Bring a headlamp if you have one; it frees both hands for the uneven footing. I learned this the hard way when I slipped on wet rock in Tunnel 2 and caught myself with my camera hand. The lens didn't survive. The headlamp cost €8 at Decathlon in Funchal (Madeira Shopping mall, floor 2), cheaper than replacing a camera.

I drove 45 minutes from Funchal to Pico do Arieiro at 5:30 AM with a friend visiting from Lisbon, only to find the entrance blocked by an IFCN barrier and a laminated sign: "PR1 CLOSED, MAINTENANCE." We sat in the car, defeated, scrolling for alternatives. The backup plan became PR1.2 from Achada do Teixeira, only 3km each way, 100m gain, and the same Pico Ruivo summit waiting at the end. It wasn't the full traverse, but we stood on Madeira's highest point watching the sunrise with about 20 other people who'd had the same idea. The clouds were below us. The silence was complete. My friend said it was actually better because we could sit at the summit for an hour instead of rushing through the staircase section on a schedule. Now I always scout PR1.2 as the official backup plan.

If you want to do PR1 the right way, with a sunrise start and a one-way transfer so you don't have to climb back up, book the Pico do Arieiro Sunrise Transfer + Hike at least 3 days ahead in peak season. Each van holds 8-12 people, and they sell out 5-7 days in advance during August. The guide sets a steady group pace that won't suit fast hikers, if you're an ultrarunner type, rent a car and do it solo before 7 AM.

I met a levada keeper named Sr. António on the PR9 trail near Ribeiro Frio. He was in his sixties, knee-deep in a channel, clearing silt with a metal rake while his dog slept on the path. I stopped to ask about the trail ahead, and he spent 20 minutes explaining how the 15th-century levada system actually works, that water rights are still allocated by the same "rodízio" (rotation) system the original settlers designed, where each farmer gets the flow for a set number of hours per week. He pointed to moss patterns on the channel walls to show where the water level should be. He didn't speak English. My Portuguese was terrible. But we communicated through gestures and the universal language of point-at-thing-and-nod. I think about Sr. António every time I walk a levada.

PR9 (Ribeiro Frio to Portela) is one of the few levada walks that isn't out-and-back, it's a 7km one-way traverse with 200m of elevation gain. The trail follows the Levada do Furado through laurel forest, past the Balcões viewpoint, and ends at the Portela picnic area. Mobile coverage on PR9 is nonexistent past the trout hatchery for about 2km, then intermittent. Download offline maps on Komoot or AllTrails before you leave Funchal. The trailhead at Ribeiro Frio has a trout hatchery and a café that opens at 8 AM, grab a coffee and a bolo do caco with garlic butter before you start.

What Really Surprised Me About Madeira

The microclimates. Every time. I've been guiding here for three years, and I still get caught out. The south coast (Funchal, Calheta) can be 25°C and sunny while the north coast (São Vicente, Porto Moniz) is 12°C and raining. The difference is the mountain ridge that splits the island, it acts like a weather wall. The trade winds push clouds up the north face, where they condense and dump rain, while the south stays dry. This is why the north coast is green and the south is arid. It's also why you can drive from Funchal to the Paul da Serra plateau in 40 minutes and experience a 15°C temperature drop.

Fanal Forest at 7 AM in January. I'd read the blogs, "captivating," "like a fairy tale", and I wanted the iconic photo of the gnarled laurel trees in mist. What I got was fog so thick I couldn't see my boots. The parking lot markers disappeared after 15m. I followed what I thought was the trail for 20 minutes before realizing I was walking in a circle, my own footprints confirmed it. No phone signal, no trail markers visible, just grey and silence. I stood still, listened for the road, and followed the sound of an occasional car engine. It took 45 minutes to get back. Don't walk Fanal forest in thick fog without GPS, the forest floor all looks identical and the trail markings are on trees you can't see. The IFCN trail condition page updates daily by 7:30 AM, check it before heading to any north coast trail.

PR8 (Ponta de São Lourenço) in August is a different animal. We started at 10 AM, my first mistake. By 11 AM, the basalt rock was radiating heat like a pizza stone, there was zero shade, and the trail felt twice as long as its 3km each way. My group was dehydrated, cranky, and taking shelter behind the only rock big enough to cast a shadow. I called it, turned us around, and drove 15 minutes west to the coastal path at Prainha, a flat 2km walk along the volcanic cliffs with sea breeze and actual shade from the cliff overhangs. We saw a monk seal from the viewpoint and ate sandwiches on a bench overlooking the ocean. The lesson: PR8 is a sunrise or late-afternoon hike only in summer. The coastal alternatives are just as beautiful and way less punishing.

The Instagram version of sunrise at Pico do Arieiro shows a lone hiker silhouetted against a burning orange sky, alone with the clouds. The reality: I arrived at 6:15 AM in July and found 200 people lined along the viewing platform, tripods everywhere, someone playing music from a Bluetooth speaker, and a queue for the iconic shot at the stone archway. The sunrise itself was dramatic, I'll never deny that, but the experience was closer to a concert crowd than a wilderness moment. If you want solitude, go on a weekday in November, arrive at 5:30 AM to get ahead of the crowd, or hike 15 minutes past the viewpoint toward Ruivo where the crowd thins to 5% of what's at the summit. And yes, bring earplugs if Bluetooth speakers annoy you.

Sofia Almeida's Insider Tips for Getting It Right

• Start levada walks before 9 AM, especially 25 Fontes and PR1. The crowds arrive between 10 AM and noon. I've stood at the 25 Fontes waterfall with 200 other people on a Saturday in July. Start at 8 AM and you'll have the trail to yourself for the first hour.
• The Rabaçal forestry house parking fills by 9 AM. Take the shuttle from the upper lot on the ER110. The shuttle runs every 15-20 minutes in summer (€2.50 one way, €4 round trip, cash only). The upper lot rarely fills before 10 AM, most drivers miss it because they drive straight past to check the lower lot. Look for the yellow 'Parque' sign.
• Poncha bars in Câmara de Lobos are the real deal. Order a 'pescador' (fisherman's poncha) for the strongest version, 30% ABV, fresh lemon, raw honey. It's not a tourist drink; it's a breakfast replacement when you've been at sea since midnight. I learned this at 5:15 AM at Bar do Teresinha, where the owner poured two fingers without a word. I didn't hike until 10 AM that day.
• The bakery in Santana next to the thatched houses does the top bolo do caco (sweet potato bread) on the island. It opens at 7 AM. Grab one with garlic butter before heading to PR1.2 at Achada da Teixeira, it's a 15-minute drive from Santana.
• If PR1 parking at Pico do Arieiro is full, park at the radar station 500m before and walk up. The overflow adds ~20 spaces. It's a 5-minute walk to the summit viewpoint.
• Buy cheap hiking poles at Decathlon in Funchal (Madeira Shopping mall, floor 2). Basic aluminum trekking poles: €12.99 (Quechua brand). By comparison, the tourist shop at the PR1 Arieiro summit kiosk sells the same basic poles for €35. Skip the airport shops entirely, they charge a 40% markup.
• Padaria do Monte opens at 5 AM. Grab a fresh bolo do caco with garlic butter before your sunrise hike. It's on your way to Arieiro if you're staying in Funchal. The owner, Dona Rosa, knows every hiker who passes through, she'll ask "Arieiro?" and if you nod, she'll pour a bica (espresso) that's half the price of the tourist cafes.
• There's a free public water refill station at the Paul da Serra picnic area (ER110, near the Rabaçal turn-off). Fill up before descending into the levada walks. The water is mountain spring quality.
• Check the IFCN trail condition hotline (291 211 800, Portuguese with English option 2) every morning before hiking. In August 2025, 23% of levada trails had unplanned closures on any given day. Check the morning of your hike, not the night before, conditions change after rain.
• Download offline maps before leaving Funchal. Madeira's 150+ road tunnels kill GPS signal completely. Google Maps will spin helplessly between Funchal and Santana. Download Offline Maps in Google Maps or use Komoot/AllTrails offline before you leave your accommodation.

What I Wish I'd Known Before I Went

That Madeira would ruin me for other hiking destinations. Every trail here has a payoff that feels disproportionate to the effort, a 3km walk ends at a 200m waterfall, a 6km traverse delivers views that look like CGI. But there are things I wish someone had told me before my first trip.

Not all levadas have railings. Levada do Risco and parts of PR9 follow irrigation channels with a 30-50cm path edge and a 20m+ drop into the valley below. There is no fence. Even 'easy' levada walks like parts of 25 Fontes have exposed sections. If vertigo is an issue, stick to Levada dos Balcões or the coastal promenades. PR11 Balcões is a flat, wide, paved path through laurel forest with guardrails at the viewpoint, ideal for anyone with vertigo.

Whale watching is top in March to May. I'd heard every horror story, friends who'd spent three hours heaving over the rail, kids crying, the whole "I saw more sea than whale" experience. So when I boarded the catamaran in Funchal for a March trip, I took seasickness tablets, sat in the back, and braced for misery. The Atlantic was like glass. We saw a pod of spotted dolphins within 15 minutes, then a sperm whale surfacing 200m off the starboard side, the guide said it was a juvenile, about 8 meters long. Nobody got sick. The marine biologist onboard said the early season (March to May) has the calmest sea conditions because the trade winds haven't picked up yet. Now that's the only window I recommend for nervous first-timers.

The rental car matters more than you think. I booked a Fiat 500 once, thinking it would be fine for island roads. It wasn't. The PR1 access road has 40+ hairpin turns with 20% gradients. The Fiat's 1.0L engine struggled on every uphill, and the undercarriage scraped on speed bumps. Rent at least a 1.2L petrol with proper ground clearance. Europcar and Guerin allow their standard fleet on Madeira's mountain roads; Goldcar and Sixt explicitly forbid driving on ER101 and ER110 in their small print. Pickup in Funchal is cheaper than airport pickup by ~€15/day.

Book sunrise transfers 3+ days ahead in peak season. I've had groups of 6 unable to find a single available slot for the entire week in August. The Viator operators running PR1 sunrise transfers only take 8-12 people per van, and they sell out consistently. Book Sunday for Thursday or you're driving yourself at 4 AM.

Levada do Alecrim in November taught me about flash flooding. The IPMA forecast said "light rain." What I got was a 30-minute downpour that turned a gentle levada-side trail into a fast-flowing gully. The channel, normally 30cm deep, was overflowing by 15cm across the path surface. I was ankle-deep in runoff, walking on the uphill edge of the trail because the downhill side dropped into a ravine I couldn't even see through the rain. The water level in the levada itself rose 25cm in 20 minutes, I watched it happen. I turned back, soaked and cold, and the trail was officially closed by IFCN the next morning due to a landslide 500m from the parking area. The lesson: IPMA's "light rain" forecasts for the north coast can mean anything. If you're on a levada walk and the water starts lapping at the path edge, turn around immediately. It only gets wors

The top coffee on the mountain road is at the BP station on the ER103 junction just before the Pico do Arieiro turning. Proper espresso machine, not vending machine instant. Open from 6 AM. The pastelaria Padaria do Arieiro, 3km before the Arieiro turn-off on the left, look for the blue awning, opens at 5:30 AM and serves homemade queijadas (sweet cheese pastries) that pack perfectly for a summit breakfast.

Toilet facilities are sparse at trailheads. PR1 Arieiro has free public toilets at the summit shop (opens 7 AM, variable cleanliness). Rabaçal has flush toilets at the forestry house (€0.50 per use, clean). PR8 Sardinha has portable toilets (June to September only, frequently unserviced). PR11 Balcões and PR1.2 Achada da Teixeira have no facilities. Plan accordingly.

The 25 Fontes trail is out-and-back, not a loop. Most levada walks are out-and-back, the one-way distance on signs is to the endpoint only. Double it for round trip. 25 Fontes is 3km each way from the Rabaçal forestry house, so plan for 6km total. The alternative Levada do Alecrim starts from the same parking area, is easier (2.5km each way), has fewer people, and still delivers a waterfall. I'd pick Alecrim unless you specifically want to tick 25 Fontes off your list.