Nuns valley (Curral das Freiras)

Nuns Valley (or Curral das Freiras) is a small parish nestling between the high mountains in the centre of Madeira. The huge cauldron in which the parish is sitting was either formed by erosion, or as some believe by volcanic activity.

In 1566, the nuns from the Santa Clara convent fled from pirates that were raiding Funchal and found seclusion in the inner heart of Madeira's mountains. Until 1959, the only connection to the outer world was a winding footpath along the steep mountain face. This road has now been replaced with a much safer option, a tunnel right through the mountain.  

On this particular day, we took bus 81 from the centre of Funchal (nearby the cable car) allowing us to relax and take in the stunning views. The bus trip along Madeira's narrow, winding roads takes about 45 minutes. With steep ravines along the route, you are in for a treat. We could only admire the bus driver who passed cars and trucks on these steep , narrow roads. We still don't know how he did it, but he did it without to much effort.

The bus takes a stop at Eira do Serrado, a magnificent viewpoint high above the parish before it carries on with its journey going back along the same route back down the mountain to turn left into the new tunnel towards the parish. What we recommend is to get off the bus at Eira do Serrado and walk down towards the parish along a clearly marked path.

And that is what we did. Eira Do Serrado is at high altitude (1094m) and you will find a large car park, a hotel, a restaurant and a souvenir shop here.
The walk itself starts from the right hand side of the hotel and is well signposted. The footpath is for most of the way semi-paved. Where the path decents quite quickly into the valley, it's never to steep or difficult. That being said, there are many hairpin bends to take and when the incline becomes steeper,  little steps have been installed to make the journey a bit easier. Most people seem to take the path towards Curral das freiras, where if you were to walk the route in the opposite direction, your effort would be 10-folded.

Making our way down the mountain, we noticed the old 1959 road clinging clinging to the mountain flank. Luckily, the safety of a tunnel has eliminated the need to drive along this scary road.
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After what seemed like 100 hairpin bends, we reached the chestnut forest through which the path gradually meanders.  Curral das Freiras is famous for its chestnuts and has a festival dedicated to them. Where the chestnut festival is an opportunity for all visitors to taste the Madeiran chestnuts which are used in the preparation of chestnut soup, but also in delicious cakes and liqueurs. You don't have to wait for the festival to taste these delicious treats, each of the restaurants in the parish have some chestnut related dishes on the menu.

Eventually, the path reaches the main road along which you have to walk to the village. This 1km stretch is along the road without a dedicated footpath, so watch out for traffic. But nothing to worry about, there isn't much traffic on this stretch of road.

In the village itself, there isn't to much to do. Grab a drink, enjoy a lunch in one of the restaurants or buy some chestnut related souvenirs in the local gift shop. 

Another interesting stop is Museu da Castanha. This museum tells visitors all about the characteristics of chestnuts and chestnut trees, the importance they had for Curral das Freiras, the products made from chestnuts,...

Not to far from the village is poco dos Chefes. This natural reservoir was formed when the locals built a dam to retain the water. Now, it is a popular place for the local youth to show off their diving skills and have fun. The water is never to warm and provides for a refreshing swim.