The Cabo Girão viewpoint is one of the most breathtaking spots in Madeira. It is a suspended glass platform located 580 metres above sea level at the top of Europe's highest cape. An absolutely mind-blowing view! I had already visited it on another trip to Madeira and, when planning this new trip, I thought: why not visit the Fajãs of Cabo Girão? And so I did - twice, in fact!
A visit to the Cabo Girão viewpoint is almost a must for anyone who comes to the island. However, I'm always looking for less touristy places and alternatives to the usual itinerary. So here's my suggestion: yes, the Cabo Girão viewpoint is worth a visit, but if you don't go down to the Fajãs, you don't know what you're missing! The whole experience is unforgettable.
I arrived at the access point to the Fajãs of Cabo Girão Cable Car, also called the Rancho Cable Car, and the wind was blowing hard. Talking to the man who works there, I realised that although it wasn't the ideal day to enjoy the place, it was safe to go down. Truth be told, everything down there seemed too beautiful to give up! So I got on the cable car.
As soon as the glass cabin started going down, I was hanging hundreds of metres off the ground. I admit I felt a chill and, for a few moments, it felt like I couldn't breathe – the view is as wide as the height is dizzying. A feeling of total amazement… but also a little fear.
Only sky and sea ahead and, below, the fajãs - small terraces of fertile land, still used for farming today. There they grow vines, mangoes, sweet potatoes, passion fruit, tomatoes and many other fruits and vegetables. The fajãs have a microclimate that makes farming especially favourable, as it is warmer and wetter than in the higher parts of the island.
Once I got off the cable car, I met Mr. Manuel, who has been working in the fajãs for many years.
As he stacked boxes of tomatoes to send up, he told me what he grew and what it was like to work there in the past. I must admit that I didn't understand everything – the accent was really strong! I sometimes understood a few loose words, and sometimes nothing at all. There's a certain beauty to that, isn't there? Being in my own country and still discovering a reality so different from mine.
He spoke enthusiastically and pointed at incredible plots of land, in the middle of the cliff, at heights that seemed impossible, where just a few years ago people grew crops. It's amazing to think that, before the cable car, these fajãs were only accessible by boat or by paths carved into the rock, with absurd incline – especially for those carrying the crops on their backs. Building the Fajãs of Cabo Girão Cable Car changed everything: it made life easier for farmers and opened up the site to visitors.
But the wind was wild, and it wasn't easy to enjoy the place. I decided to go up. Even so, in the following days, I kept thinking of going back. Two days later, with perfect weather and no wind, I returned to the cable car and went down to the fajãs again.
What a special place! The peace I felt that day was unique and contrasted with the vertigo of the cliff. It was April and, despite the increase in tourists due to Easter, I only met three or four people. I explored the cultivated areas, climbed a few plots, admired the views and walked down to the beach.
The sun was hot and the water was totally clear – it was impossible to resist taking a dip. I walked a little further along the coast and found, to the left, a small beach with a bit of sand (quite rare in Madeira, where there are mostly pebble beaches). I ran to the sea and stayed there for several hours, enjoying that lonely paradise.
Silence took over. While floating in the water, staring at the cliffs that surround the fajãs, one can't but admire the place. We think of ancient times, the people who worked there, the paths they walked - and the privilege of being in such a refuge: hidden, quiet and isolated. No noise from cars, voices or buildings. Only nature and its fruit. It feels like finding out a secret!
That's how I spent the morning, belonging to the place, with no noise, haste or plans. If you go to the Fajãs of Cabo Girão, take your time: take a book with you, some snorkelling goggles and enjoy this setting that makes you feel tiny in the face of so much nature. In the fajãs, time seems to stand still.
