Madeira · Câmara de Lobos / south coast

Cabo Girão skywalk: the glass platform 580 metres over the Atlantic

A viewpoint is only as good as the day you catch it. Cloud, haze or a north swell can turn the best spot on the island into a grey wall. Getting here is easy; timing it is the part worth checking.

Cabo Girão is one of the highest sea cliffs in Europe, and its glass-floored skywalk hangs you 580 metres above the fajãs, the tiny cultivated terraces on the shore below. It is a ten-minute stop rather than a hike, but 'skywalk madeira' has become one of the island's breakout searches, and on a clear day the view along the south coast to Funchal earns it.

There now

Check live conditions before you drive

Getting there and the practical part

The skywalk stopped being free in 2023 and the fee has stepped up since: five euros for visitors over twelve from January 2026, with children and Madeira residents free. Tickets come from the machines at the entrance or the SIMplifica portal; the official opening hours are 08:00 to 20:00 daily. Toilets cost a coin.

Well over a thousand people pay to stand on the glass on a typical day, and coach groups stack up from mid-morning. Go before 09:30 or in the last hour of light for space at the railing.

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See the forecast for the days ahead

When to go

Early morning for clear air and no queue, late afternoon for warm side light on the cliff face. In summer the sun sets behind the western headlands rather than over open water, so for a true over-the-sea sunset from the south coast, autumn to spring is the season. If the platform is inside cloud, wait twenty minutes or check the live conditions before driving up: the cliff top can sit in a cap while the coast below is clear.

Shooting here? There is a dedicated photography guide with light, timing and the live conditions that matter for the shot.

Trails near Cabo Girão Skywalk

Common questions

How much does the Cabo Girão skywalk cost?

Five euros for anyone over twelve since January 2026. Children up to twelve and Madeira residents enter free. It was two euros in 2023 and three in 2025, so quoted prices in older guides are out of date.

Is the skywalk scary?

The glass floor gets most people's pulse up for a minute, and that is the point. The platform is solid, railed and shallow: you are on it for a few steps, not a walk. Vertigo-prone visitors can see essentially the same view from the solid terrace beside the glass.

Do I need to book the skywalk in advance?

No. Tickets are sold at the entrance machines and on the SIMplifica portal; there is no timed entry. The queue is for the viewpoint itself at peak hours, not the ticket, which is another reason to come early.

What are the Cabo Girão skywalk opening hours?

The skywalk is open every day from 08:00 to 20:00. That is the official schedule from Madeira's Regional Heritage Directorate on the government SIMplifica portal (Order 591/2025), current for 2026 and carrying into 2027 unless it is changed. Buy tickets at the entrance machines or on the SIMplifica portal; entry is free for under-twelves, Madeira residents, and wheelchair users.

More places: Fanal Forest · Seixal · Porto Moniz · Chão da Ribeira · Câmara de Lobos · Caniçal · Monte Cable Car · Eira do Serrado · Miradouro do Guindaste · Cabo do Garajau · Miradouro dos Balcões
See also the microclimate guide and weather by month.