Cabo Girão is a lofty sea

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff is an area of rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. Cliffs are common on co ...

located along the southern coast of the island of

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

, in the

Portuguese Portuguese may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal ** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods ** Portuguese language, a Romance language *** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language ** Portu ...

archipelago of

, geographically part of Africa. Cabo Girão is a tourist lookout point, with up to 1800 visitors a day. The location is also a common starting point for hikers.

Skywalk

The Cabo Girão Skywalk is the highest

skywalk A skyway, skybridge, skywalk, or sky walkway is an elevated type of pedway connecting two or more buildings in an urban area, or connecting elevated points within mountainous recreational zones. Urban skyways very often take the form of enclos ...

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, located on top of the cabo Girão Cliff in

Madeira Island Madeira is a Portuguese island, and is the largest and most populous of the Madeira Archipelago. It has an area of , including Ilhéu de Agostinho, Ilhéu de São Lourenço, Ilhéu Mole (northwest). As of 2011, Madeira had a total population of ...

. The skywalk opened in late October 2012 and is similar to the one in

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

- both are made of transparent glass to provide views to visitors.

Geography

View towards west from Cabo Girão - Madeira 2009

It is situated less than two kilometres west from the centre of

Câmara de Lobos Câmara (meaning "chamber") is a common surname in the Portuguese language. It may also refer to: People * António de Vasconcelos e Sousa Câmara Caminha Faro e Veiga, 8th Count of Calheta, 4th Marquis of Castelo Melhor and Constable of Portugal ...

, between the parishes of

Quinta Grande Quinta Grande, created on 24July 1848, is one of the five civil parishes that constitute the municipality of Câmara de Lobos in the archipelago of Madeira, Portugal. The population was 2,099, in an area of .Câmara de Lobos Câmara (meaning "chamber") is a common surname in the Portuguese language. It may also refer to: People * António de Vasconcelos e Sousa Câmara Caminha Faro e Veiga, 8th Count of Calheta, 4th Marquis of Castelo Melhor and Constable of Portugal ...

. A diamond-shaped sea-cliff escarpment from to above sea level, Cabo Girão lies between two river-valleys that flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The escarpment/cliffs extend approximately three kilometres between the

urban sprawl Urban sprawl (also known as suburban sprawl or urban encroachment) is defined as "the spreading of urban developments (such as houses and shopping centers) on undeveloped land near a city." Urban sprawl has been described as the unrestricted growt ...

of Câmara de Lobos to the east and the river-valley of Quinta Grande in the west. There are cultivated

wave-cut platform A wave-cut platform, shore platform, coastal bench, or wave-cut cliff is the narrow flat area often found at the base of a sea cliff or along the shoreline of a lake, bay, or sea that was created by erosion. Wave-cut platforms are often most obv ...

s (Fajãs de Cabo Girão) located below the sheer cliffs, which at one time were only accessible by boat. In August 2003, a cable car was installed on the slope of the cliff so farmers can reach these low-lying fields.

Architecture

Apart from the communications towers that are installed on Cabo Girão, the Cape is noted for the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Fátima ( en, Our Lady of Fátima),Capela de Nossa Senhora de Fátima
/ref> which was built in 1974 to replace a much smaller chapel built in 1931.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cabo Girao Cliffs of Portugal Geography of Madeira Tourist attractions in Madeira