On Madeira’s northwest tip, Achadas da Cruz is home to Europe’s steepest cable car — a five-minute descent down the cliff face to Fajã da Quebrada Nova, a secluded strip of land between mountains and the Atlantic where time slows and the landscape takes centre stage.

Some places are defined as much by the journey as by the destination, and Achadas da Cruz is one of them. Located in the municipality of Porto Moniz, this spot has become a quiet icon of Madeira thanks to a cable car that holds a remarkable title: the steepest in Europe. In just 600 metres of track it conquers a 450-metre drop, linking the clifftop to the small coastal plain below. The ride lasts barely five minutes, yet the impression lingers much longer. Suspended between the deep green of the cliffs and the vast Atlantic horizon, the descent is both exhilarating and oddly meditative. On windy days, the cabins sway gently, adding a sense of drama to the experience — though never enough to interrupt service. At the bottom lies Fajã da Quebrada Nova, a patch of cultivated land framed by the sea and the vertical face of the mountain. Here you’ll find small plots of crops, simple agricultural shelters and the occasional stray cat wandering among the terraces. This is the kind of place where the rhythm of life is dictated not by clocks, but by tides and seasons. The cable car was originally built not for visitors, but for farmers, who needed a safer, quicker way to reach their fertile fields and carry produce up the slope. Today, it still serves that purpose, while also offering travellers a glimpse into Madeira’s unique balance of human ingenuity and natural force. Once on the ground, visitors can stroll along the paths that criss-cross the plots, enjoy the crisp sea air or simply sit in silence, watching waves crash against the pebble shore. For the more adventurous, the fajã can also be reached on foot via the Vereda do Calhau or the Vereda da Ladeira — narrow trails that descend steeply through rugged scenery. Achadas da Cruz remains one of the island’s most authentic postcards: a place where vertigo and serenity coexist, where human presence blends discreetly into the landscape, and where the Atlantic and Madeira’s cliffs form a tableau both raw and unforgettable. 📍Calhau das Achadas da Cruz Altitude: 715 m Total population (2021): 121 habitantes Cable car: Caminho do Teleférico, 9270-014 Achadas da Cruz, Porto Moniz (temporarily closed)