Madeira's miradouros: viewpoints that make your day

A balcony at roughly 1095 m above the Nuns Valley: the village of Curral das Freiras sits literally at your feet, ringed by the central massif. Free parking, a café and a short cobbled path; in autumn the air smells of chestnuts.

The same valley as from Eira do Serrado, but from a higher shelf and nearly empty, because coaches cannot get here. A few minutes on a trodden path from the small car park; a second view, towards Funchal, opens just left of the entrance.

A panorama of the Serra de Água valley and the gorge linking Ribeira Brava with São Vicente, the central range on your left. Oddly overlooked, so you usually have it to yourself; it sits a minute off the Encumeada road, perfectly placed before a poncha at Taberna da Poncha.

A waterfall dropping straight into the ocean from a cliff by the old coast road; the name means bride's veil, and after rain you see why. Free parking, a viewing platform, and in the distance further stretches of the old road reclaimed by nature.

A chapel with four clock faces on a hill above São Vicente, reached by around 170 steps. The reward: the town and the ocean on one side, Madeira's highest peaks on the other. One of those places that outdo many a famous viewpoint.

The green cliffs of the north with the landmark hill above Arco de São Jorge; look closely and you can trace the Caminho da Entrosa path on the slope. Next door is the restaurant of the same name with huge portions, and PR 2 from Curral das Freiras ends below.

The Arco de São Jorge arc and the north coast seen from above; only from here do you grasp how high above the ocean those fields hang. An older gentleman often sells fruit from his plot at the entrance, prices negotiable.

A nature reserve under Santana's cliffs: a ship-shaped rock offshore, hidden waterfalls and cultivated fajãs. You look down from the viewpoint, and a tiny cable car runs to the bottom; in late winter and early spring the flowering trees colour the whole area.

A croissant-shaped headland facing the cliffs and distant Ponta de São Lourenço, plus glass-floored platforms hung over the water. Access onto the headland itself is sometimes closed, but the platforms and the car park remain; the glass-floor adrenaline comes free.

A north-coast panorama with a swing placed exactly for the photo; steps lead down to a viewing terrace. Seixal in the foreground, the São Vicente gorge behind. Few people come, although it sits minutes off the Fanal road.

The famous rock needles rising from the ocean at the Ribeira da Janela river mouth, photographed from above instead of from road level. A few steps, free parking and toilets; between Porto Moniz and Fanal it is a five-minute stop that stays with you.

A hidden waterfall of roughly 140 m dropping into a narrow throat in the cliffs near Ponta do Pargo. The viewpoint is about a kilometre on foot from the car park at the junction; in summer the stream can dwindle, after rain it is mighty.

Madeira's westernmost point: a lighthouse on a cliff about 312 m above the ocean, among the highest-set in Europe. A grassy plateau, wind and horizon; if you plan one Madeiran sunset with the car at hand, this is the place.

A pass overlooking Eagle Rock (Penha de Águia) and Porto da Cruz, the most photogenic view in eastern Madeira. PR 10 Levada do Furado ends right here and PR 5 begins; an espetada at the pass bar rounds off the day properly.

The northern rim of the São Lourenço peninsula: coloured rock, wind turbines and, in clear air, Porto Santo on the horizon. Free parking with a second viewpoint, Miradouro do Caniçal, literally next door; a perfect add-on before or after PR 8, no ticket, no crowds.