Valley of the Nuns

Welcome, fellow explorers and historians, to Curral das Freiras, more widely known in English as the Valley of the Nuns. We find ourselves deep in the mountainous heart of Madeira, in a village that for centuries was one of the…

No visit to the Valley of the Nuns is complete without first stopping at the Eira do Serrado viewpoint, located high above the village at 1,094 meters. This is the ultimate vantage point for understanding the sheer verticality of…

Upon arriving in the heart of the village, we find ourselves in the main square, dominated by the Church of Our Lady of Deliverance, or Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Livramento. This church is the spiritual and social center of…

As we walk through the village, you will notice that the word 'castanha'—or chestnut—is everywhere. Curral das Freiras is the undisputed capital of the chestnut in Madeira. …

In a small building near the center, you will find a modest but fascinating museum dedicated to the traditional life of the valley. Here, you can see the tools and implements used by the 'Curralenses' before the advent of modern…

Leaving the main square, I encourage you to wander through some of the older, narrower streets that branch off into the residential areas. Here, you can see examples of traditional Madeiran vernacular architecture. …

As we conclude our journey through Curral das Freiras, the Valley of the Nuns, I hope you carry with you a sense of the profound history and unique culture that exists within these steep walls. We have traced the steps of the…