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Mystical Nun’s Valley: History & Flavors
Take a self-guided tour through Nun’s Valley, where nuns once hid and chestnuts now rule. Taste beer, bread, soup, and liqueur while uncovering mountain legends — a mix of history and flavor.
Take a self-guided tour through Nun’s Valley, where nuns once hid and chestnuts now rule. Taste beer, bread, soup, and liqueur while uncovering mountain legends — a mix of history and flavor.
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📍 • Nun's Valley Viewpoint • Nun's Valley Town • Chestnutmuseum • Bico dos Barcelos (It covers roughly 16 km and takes around 4 hours, including all the scenic stops along the way.)
Just press play and let our guide Banana Joe walk you through this awesome tour. Tip: on mobile, you can enlarge the tour by clicking the yellow button in the upper right corner.
Mystical Nun's Valley
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Introduction: The Valley of the Nun's
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Curral das Freiras - Nun's Valley
Press Play to meet your guide for the day and discover what today’s epic tour has in store for you — go on, tap it… the adventure starts there!
Nun’s Valley is a dramatic volcanic crater turned hidden refuge — once sheltering nuns from pirates. Today, it’s famed for chestnuts, rustic food, and sweeping mountain views that feel worlds away from Funchal.
We recommend listening to this segment while driving up to Nun’s Valley 🚗 — it helps you dive deeper into its world. It’s also our longest stop, full of history and stories worth the ride.
Eira do Serrado is one of Madeira’s most jaw-dropping viewpoints, perched 1096 meters above sea level. From here, you can look straight into the heart of Curral das Freiras (Nun’s Valley), a village tucked deep between towering mountains.
At the heart of it all stands the Church of Our Lady of Deliverance (Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Livramento)—the only historical monument in this valley village.
Here, the humble chestnut takes center stage, telling stories of tradition, survival, and tasty recipes that kept generations alive in this hidden valley.
Soak in the best view of Funchal — no hiking boots required! At Pico dos Barcelos, nature rolls out the red carpet, and Ronaldo’s hometown kicks off the charm.
If you still feel like exploring, we recommend our self-guided walking tour through Câmara de Lobos — a charming little town not far from this viewpoint. 🌊🏘️
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📧Due to money-laundering rules, we kindly ask for your email address in the next step — and we’ll also use it to send you a little banana-thank-you-dance video.
This self guided drive and walk takes you deep into the history of Nun’s Valley — where nuns once found refuge and chestnuts became the village’s pride. Along the way, you can taste local specialties: chestnut bread with cherry liqueur, roasted marroni with salt “Nun’s Valley style,” and a hearty chestnut soup paired with chestnut beer. 🍞🌰🍺
All these extras are completely optional and instantly available when you show your Madeira Island Pass (digital or printed) at the recommanded stops. The best part? No need to book ahead! Just show up, join in, and enjoy everything at your own pace, all on the same day. 🍌
To start navigation on your phone, click 'View larger map' in the top left corner of the map.
Sometimes, finding the exact location of the hike can be challenging. That’s why we’ve included GPS coordinates to make it easier to reach.
🔍 Tap to zoom
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mystical-nuns-valley-history-flavors
Mystical Nun’s Valley: History & Flavors
• Nun's Valley Viewpoint • Nun's Valley Town • Chestnutmuseum • Bico dos Barcelos (It covers roughly 16 km and takes around 4 hours, including all the scenic stops along the way.)
