{"id":784,"slug":"achadas-da-cruz-cable-car-guide","title":" Achadas da Cruz Cable Car Madeira: Steep Cable Car Guide","excerpt":"Achadas da Cruz cable car guide: ticket prices, steep views, and tips.","content":"In Madeira's remote far northwest, one of the steepest cable cars in Europe plunges down a near-vertical cliff to a hidden farming terrace by the sea. The Achadas da Cruz cable car is a thrilling, dirt-cheap ride that most tour buses never reach, delivering huge scenery for tiny effort and even less money. Here is everything you need, from tickets and hours to what waits at the bottom.\n\n## How much is the cable car?\n>It is a bargain: around 3 euros one way or 5 euros for a return, and cash only. The ride drops roughly 450 metres down a near-vertical cliff in about 5 minutes to the Fajã da Quebrada Nova. It runs daily, weather permitting, and closes in strong wind. You will need a car to reach it, and the viewpoint at the top is free even if you do not ride.\n\n## The Steepest Ride in Madeira\nThis is the headline attraction, and it lives up to it. The cable car descends about 450 metres down an almost sheer cliff face, with a gradient of well over 90 percent, making it one of the steepest in Europe. It was built not for tourists but for farmers, to help them reach the fields and vineyards on the coastal terrace below and haul harvests back up. The ride takes around five minutes in a small cabin holding up to six, though it is cosiest with two to four, and you press a button to summon it back at the bottom. Even without riding, the free lookout at the top gives a dramatic view down the cliff and over the fajã, one of the more unusual [things to do in Funchal](https://madeiracitypass.tripnly.com/blog/best-things-to-do-in-funchal/) and beyond.\n\n## What's at the Bottom: Fajã da Quebrada Nova\nStep out at the base and the mood changes completely, from vertigo to calm. The Fajã da Quebrada Nova is a quiet, green agricultural strip between towering cliffs and the Atlantic, dotted with plots where locals still grow grapes and vegetables, plus little stone shelters for farmers' tools. There is a pebble beach with dramatic views back up the cliff, though the ocean here is wild, so take great care if you enter the water. Crucially, there are no cafés or shops below, so bring water and a snack. It is gloriously secluded, precisely because the coaches cannot get here, and it pairs beautifully with the nearby [Porto Moniz natural pools](https://madeiracitypass.tripnly.com/blog/porto-moniz-natural-pools-guide/).\n\n## Tickets, Hours, and the Hiking Alternative\nThe cable car is run by Porto Moniz council and is wonderfully cheap, at roughly 3 euros one way and 5 euros return, with discounts for seniors, students, and reduced-mobility visitors. The booth is often cash only, so bring small notes and coins. It generally opens daily from around 8am to 7pm, typically with a midday break, but hours vary and it closes in bad weather, so confirm before setting out and choose a clear, calm day. If you would rather earn the view, the historic Vereda da Quebrada Nova, a steep zigzag trail carved into the cliff by farmers, links top and bottom; many ride down to save their knees and hike back up, or the reverse.\n\n## Getting There and Tips\nReaching Achadas da Cruz really requires a car, as it sits in the remote northwest, roughly an hour from Funchal via the panoramic ER101, well signposted for the Caminho do Teleférico; our [car rental tips](https://madeiracitypass.tripnly.com/blog/madeira-car-rental-tips/) help with the mountain roads. Parking at the top is free but limited to around 30 spaces, so arrive before 10:30am in summer. There is a café at the top serving poncha and local snacks, plus free toilets, handy given there are none below. Go on a wind-free morning for the smoothest ride and best light, and combine it with Porto Moniz and the misty woods of our [Fanal Forest guide](https://madeiracitypass.tripnly.com/blog/fanal-forest-fog-guide/).\n\n## People Also Ask About the Cable Car\n### How much does the cable car cost?\nIt costs around 3 euros one way and 5 euros for a return, with discounts for seniors, students, and reduced-mobility visitors. The booth is often cash only, so carry small notes and coins for your ride.\n\n### How steep is the cable car?\nIt descends about 450 metres down a near-vertical cliff with a gradient of well over 90 percent, one of the steepest cable cars in Europe. The five-minute ride is dramatic and not recommended for anyone with severe vertigo.\n\n### What is at the bottom of the cable car?\nThe Fajã da Quebrada Nova, a secluded farming terrace with vineyards, vegetable plots, farmer shelters, and a pebble beach beneath towering cliffs. There are no shops or cafés, so bring your own water and snacks.\n\n### How do you get to Achadas da Cruz?\nA car is essentially required, as the site is in the remote northwest, about an hour from Funchal via the ER101 road. There is free but limited parking at the top station, near Porto Moniz.\n\n### Is the cable car worth it?\nYes. It offers an unforgettable, very affordable ride down one of Europe's steepest cliffs to a peaceful, tourist-free fajã. Just check the weather, as it closes in wind, and bring cash and water.\n\n## A Cliffside Adventure Worth the Drive\nFor a big thrill at a tiny price, the Achadas da Cruz cable car is one of Madeira's most memorable and underrated experiences. Drive out on a clear, calm morning, bring cash and water, ride down to the peaceful fajã, and soak up a corner of the island the tour buses never see. It is well worth the detour to the wild northwest.","author":"Yağmur Dudu","authorInfo":{"name":"Yağmur Dudu","bio":"Tripnly Global Ambassador · Travel Writer","avatarUrl":"https://ethical-car-b690d7e735.media.strapiapp.com/Yagmur_Dudu_rounded_b0517b520f.png","role":"","socials":{"twitter":"","x":"","instagram":"https://www.instagram.com/yagmurdudu/","linkedin":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/ya%C4%9Fmurdudu/"}},"date":"2026-09-11T08:07:09.813Z","category":"Local Experiences","imageUrl":"https://ethical-car-b690d7e735.media.strapiapp.com/Strapi_Article_Cover_Photo_2026_09_11_T110351_160_fdd4c0f117.png","imageCaption":"","readTime":6,"views":0,"isPopular":false}