Curral-nun valley

Did you know?

Curral das Freiras
(Valley of the nuns)

This is a small secluded village in the heart of the island, where in the 16th century the nuns sought refuge from the pirates who frequently raided Madeira.

Most of the current inhabitants live in the countryside producing chestnuts and cherries, which is typical and traditional in this area. There are many chestnut trees in the forest and every year on the 1st of November the chestnut festival takes place.

Many traditional recipes contain chestnuts and you can make almost anything from them, mainly different liqueurs, cakes, puddings and soups.