Curral das Freiras - Portugal

A month ago I was in Madeira and one of the places I visited was Curral das Freiras, Nun's Valley, a place I had already been to the first time I visited the island, in 2010. This time I did more than just enjoy the views from the Eira do Serrado viewpoint. I hiked a short but very scenic 2 km's path to Curral das Freiras. This trail was one of the main accesses to the town until the arrival of the first road access in 1959.

 

Fotografia: Ilídio Gonçalves

With its unique location, in a deep valley resembling a volcano crater, the parish of Curral das Freiras is one of the most picturesque places on the island of Madeira. Its surroundings are marked by the imposing presence of the mountain peaks that shelter the town.

The town was named after the nuns of the Santa Clara Convent who, in 1566, found this to be the ideal refuge when pirates attacked Funchal: Curral das Freiras is one of the few places on the island that, being hidden between the mountains, is not visible from the sea. - in: https://visitmadeira.com