Cabo Girão
| Cabo Girão | |
|---|---|
The cliff face of Cabo Girão as seen straight down from viewpoint
|
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Cabo Girão (Câmara de Lobos) |
| Elevation | 580 m (1,900 ft) |
| Coordinates | 32°39′23″N 17°0′24″W / 32.65639°N 17.00667°WCoordinates: 32°39′23″N 17°0′24″W / 32.65639°N 17.00667°W |
| Naming | |
| Etymology | cabo girão, Portuguese compound phrase for cape of cultivation |
| Geography | |
| Country |  Portugal |
| Autonomous Region |  Madeira |
| Civil Parish | Câmara de Lobos and Quinta Grande |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Volcanism |
| Age of rock | Miocene |
Cabo Girão is a lofty sea cliff located along the southern coast of the island of Madeira, in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. Cabo Girão is a popular lookout point, especially after a glass-floored viewing platform was installed in October 2012.[1] The location is a popular starting point for hikers.
Geography[edit]
It is situated less than two kilometres west from the centre of Câmara de Lobos, between the parishes of Quinta Grande and Câmara de Lobos. A diamond-shaped sea-cliff escarpment from 560 metres (1,840 ft) to 589 metres (1,932 ft) 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 of Câmara de Lobos to the east and the river-valley of Quinta Grande in the west.
There are cultivated wave-cut platforms (Fajãs de Cabo Girão) located below the sheer cliffs, which at one time 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[edit]
Apart from the communications towers that are installed on Cabo Girão, the Cape is noted for the Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Fátima (English: Our Lady of Fátima),[2] which was built in 1974 to replace a much smaller chapel built in 1931.
