Quinta Grande: Chapels, trails and Cabo Girão

Quinta Grande: Architectural history and coastal landscapes

Quinta Grande brings together historic religious buildings, a history shaped by agriculture, trails and the coastal landscape around Cabo Girão. These themes can be distinguished clearly when planning your trip: the chapels and the Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios offer concrete insights into architectural history, while Caminho Real 23 and Levada do Norte lead through different landscapes. Other highlights include the Cabo Girão viewpoint and Fajã dos Padres, both connected to the coast.

Chapels and church

The Capela Vera Cruz de Quinta Grande is one of the oldest chapels in the Diocese of Funchal. It was built in the mid-16th century on the orders of João Gonçalves Zarco. Another historic site is the Capela de Nossa Senhora de Fátima, built in 1931. Its construction is said to have been prompted by the rockfall at Cabo Girão on 4 March 1930. The Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios can be described through its architecture: it has a portal, two windows and a medium-sized churchyard; its bell tower is fitted with clocks. If you are interested in religious architecture, you will find several points of interest within Quinta Grande, from a 16th-century chapel to a more recent period of construction.

Agriculture and local history

After the construction of Levada do Norte, agriculture in Quinta Grande shifted towards gardening and fruit growing in the 20th century; the freguesia is now known for this produce. Fajã dos Padres also has its own historical connection to coastal agriculture: it belonged to the Society of Jesus for more than 150 years. The Mostra do Trigo e do Chícharo is also an event held in Quinta Grande.

Trails along the coast and through the highlands

Caminho Real 23 circles the island of Madeira along the coast and passes through the freguesias of Quinta Grande and Câmara de Lobos. Levada do Norte crosses a different landscape: it runs from west to east through the highlands of the freguesias of Quinta Grande, Câmara de Lobos and Estreito de Câmara de Lobos. The Vereda da Levada do Norte footpath was created along its route. If you are choosing a route, these offer two distinct perspectives: a coastal circuit and a trail through the highlands of several freguesias.

Vereda da Partilha is about 850 metres long and serves as a footpath to an extensive agricultural area in Vera Cruz. Its renovation and paving led to the creation of a viewpoint overlooking Fajã dos Padres and the slope of Campanário. Its stated length and destination set this route apart from the longer routes of Caminho Real 23 and Levada do Norte.

Cabo Girão and Fajã dos Padres

The 580-metre-high Cabo Girão cliff has a viewpoint with the well-known suspended glass platform called Skywalk. The viewpoint is in Quinta Grande and is considered the freguesia’s main tourist attraction. The Fajã dos Padres cable car offers a four-minute ride down the steep coastal slope to Fajã dos Padres, with views of Madeira’s south coast. The Cabo Girão cliff is also used for paragliding and BASE jumping. Cabo Girão is the first surf spot in Portugal to have been formally protected by legislative decree.

Festival and trip planning

The Nossa Senhora dos Remédios festival in Quinta Grande takes place on the second Sunday in September. If you would like to plan your trip around this event, you can take its annual date into account. The local features also offer a thematic framework for choosing a hotel in Quinta Grande: you can decide whether architectural history, trails, coastal views or the September festival is most important to your stay.

Discover more destinations: Porto Moniz, Ribeiro Frio, Boaventura, Gaula, Vila Baleira, Prazeres, Arco Da Calheta, Machico

For the main travel overview: Madeira.