Curral das Freiras: the valley hidden from the sea

Why it is called the Nuns Valley: the escape of 1566

On 3 October 1566, Sebastião Mendes climbed the bell tower of the Santa Clara convent in Funchal and shot a Frenchman off the wall with an arquebus. His daughter was inside. The corsairs decided the convent was full of soldiers and went off to attack the fortress, and the nuns walked out of the gate behind a raised cross, heading for the mountains. The account comes from Gaspar Frutuoso, a chronicler of that century.

They did not run blindly. The valley already belonged to them: João Gonçalves da Câmara, who founded the convent, had given it to the house when his daughters entered, and it was the largest property the nuns ever held. It was simply called Curral, the corral, for the cattle kept there. Some date the new name to the 15th century, when the land passed to the convent, but it was after the escape that Curral das Freiras stuck. Hemmed in by mountains, it is one of the few places on the island that cannot be seen from the sea. In Funchal the corsairs stayed 16 days and killed more than two hundred residents.

Many guides call it a volcanic crater. It looks like one, and Visit Madeira makes the comparison, but what you see from Eira do Serrado is the work of erosion on the central massif.

How to get to Curral das Freiras by bus

The bus has been number 181 since 9 March 2026, and plenty of articles still send you looking for the 81. It leaves from the Teleférico-Término stop (4A), beside the cable car on the seafront. A ticket costs €2.65 on board, cash only, or €2.00 with a GIRO card, because Curral is in another municipality, Câmara de Lobos. Fares and passes are in our guide to Madeira without a car.

On weekdays there are 18 departures from Funchal, from 06:55 to 23:45; on Saturdays 8 and on Sundays 7. The SIGA sheet only prints departure times, but it leaves a clue: the 12:30 reaches the Terra Chã turn-off, past the church, at 13:30. Allow about an hour to the centre, and longer on trips that loop through Fajã dos Cardos or Fajã Escura.

On the way back the bus starts at Lombo Chão and only then reaches the centre, so be at the stop early. To see the valley from above you need a different stop, and that one has rules of its own.

No buses run on 25 December. On 24 and 31 December, Shrove Tuesday and Maundy Thursday the Saturday timetable applies. Times shown are valid to 30 November 2026: check the SIGA sheet for your day.

Eira do Serrado by bus: the request stop

This is where nearly every guide goes wrong. They say the bus stops at Eira do Serrado, without explaining that only some trips go up there and that, even on those, it is a request stop.

• Getting off at Eira. Tell the driver when you board.
• Getting on at Eira. Book by midnight the day before on +351 291 705 563 or +351 965 059 005.
• Time at the stop. The sheet does not print it. Ask when you ring and get to the stop early.

The viewpoint is at the end of a short footpath that starts beside the Estalagem da Eira do Serrado. Up there, at 1,095 metres, you see the church and houses at the bottom of the valley and the central massif all around. Before you leave, open the Eira do Serrado webcam on Netmadeira: if it is white, do the village first.

There is one way to skip the phone call: walk down. The Caminho das Voltas, the old path that was the village’s main link to the south coast before the road, leaves from Eira and ends in the valley, with ox-foot steps shaped for the stride of pack animals. English speakers call it the Nuns Path. It is not on the IFCN list of classified trails, so there is no fee or time slot, and nobody vouches for the surface either. People who walked it in 2026 report about an hour going down and a few small landslips: good shoes and dry weather only.

Getting to the Nuns Valley by car or Bolt

From Funchal to the centre of Curral it is 17.8 km and about 27 minutes, up through Santo António and into the valley by a tunnel. Eira do Serrado is on a separate branch: 14.1 km and 22 minutes from Funchal. Between the two it is 8.4 km and 14 minutes, because you have to drive back to the tunnel. Do not waste time looking for a direct road from Eira down to the village.

By Bolt the way there is easy, and the way back depends on the few cars free outside the city. Treat the afternoon bus as your safety net and keep its time handy.

What to eat and the 2026 Chestnut Festival

Curral lives off the chestnut. Try the soup, the cake and the liqueur in the cafés and shops in the centre, and ask about brigalhó, a tuber eaten in Madeira only here.

The Festa da Castanha takes place around All Saints’ Day. In 2026 it is on 31 October and 1 November. It opens at 14:00 on Saturday and at 09:30 on Sunday, with Mass at 10:00 and the parade at 15:00, the high point. The music ends at about 21:30.

Go by bus: there is one road in and the centre is small. Sunday runs on the Sunday and holiday timetable, so leave at 09:05 or 11:40 and come back at 17:35, after the parade, or at 20:35.

How long you need and a plan for the day

Three hours cover Eira and the village. Without a car, set aside half a day, because the timetable is in charge.

• Without a car, with Eira. On a weekday take the 10:00 bus and tell the driver you are getting off at Eira do Serrado. See the viewpoint and walk down the Caminho das Voltas, or book the next bus the day before. Have lunch in the centre and come back at 14:30, 16:15 or 17:55.
• Without a car, village only. Leave at 11:00, have lunch, see the 19th-century church of Nossa Senhora do Livramento and come back at 14:30.
• With a car. Start with Eira in the morning, go back to the tunnel and drive down to Curral for lunch.
• At weekends. There are fewer buses: via Eira, 10:00 and 11:30 on Saturdays, 09:05 and 11:40 on Sundays. The afternoon bus back is at 17:45 on Saturdays and 17:35 on Sundays.
• What to add. The afternoon is free for Cabo Girão or Funchal on foot. Pico do Areeiro needs another day, because you go before dawn. On a cruise day, check your boarding time in our Funchal cruise guide first.

Frequently asked questions

How do I get to Curral das Freiras by bus?

On bus 181, which leaves from the Teleférico-Término stop (4A) in Funchal. There are 18 departures on weekdays, 8 on Saturdays and 7 on Sundays. It costs €2.65 on board, cash only, or €2.00 with a GIRO card.

Does bus 81 still run to Curral das Freiras?

It became the 181 on 9 March 2026, when the whole network moved to three-digit numbers. Look for the new number at the Teleférico-Término stop (4A).

Does bus 181 stop at Eira do Serrado?

Only on some trips: on weekdays, the 09:00, 10:00 and 11:00 from Funchal. Tell the driver when you board. To get on at Eira, book by midnight the day before on +351 291 705 563 or +351 965 059 005.

How long does the bus take from Funchal to Curral das Freiras?

Allow about an hour to the centre. The SIGA sheet only prints departures, and the time depends on whether the trip goes through Fajã dos Cardos, Fajã Escura or Eira do Serrado.

What time is the last bus from Curral das Freiras?

The last bus leaves Lombo Chão at 22:45 on weekdays, 20:45 on Saturdays and 20:35 on Sundays and holidays. Leave a margin, because it only reaches the centre after leaving Lombo Chão.

Why is it called the Nuns Valley?

The valley belonged to the nuns of the Santa Clara convent in Funchal, who took refuge there in October 1566 during the attack by French corsairs. Before that it was simply called Curral, for the cattle.

When is the Chestnut Festival in Curral das Freiras?

In 2026 it is on 31 October and 1 November, with the parade on Sunday at 15:00. It takes place around All Saints’ Day, so check the date in later years.