Cabo Girão is about 5 nautical miles, or 9 to 10 km, west of Marina do Funchal following the coast. A boat running at 20 knots covers it in about 15 minutes, while a slow coastal pace of 5 to 8 knots takes 40 minutes to an hour.
What is the distance by sea from the marina to Cabo Girão?
From the marina mouth to the water under the cliff is roughly 5.2 nautical miles, a little under 10 km. That figure is measured on a map along a line a few hundred metres offshore, which is how a boat actually runs this coast. A straight line from the marina to the cliff is shorter, about 8.9 km, but it would cut across the headland at Ponta da Cruz, so no boat takes it.
One nautical mile is 1,852 metres, and one knot is one nautical mile per hour. Skippers think in both, so it helps to know them before you ask how long anything takes on the water.
Here are the main points on the way, measured the same way from the marina:
- Ponta da Cruz, the headland west of the Lido: about 2 nautical miles (3.7 km).
- Câmara de Lobos harbour: about 3.7 nautical miles (6.9 km).
- Under Cabo Girão: about 5.2 nautical miles (9.7 km).
- Fajã dos Padres, just past the cliff: about 6.3 nautical miles (11.7 km).
How long does the crossing take at different speeds?
Speed decides everything, and on a sightseeing trip speed is a choice. The table shows moving time only, from the marina mouth, in a calm sea.
| Pace | Speed | To Câmara de Lobos (3.7 nm) | To Cabo Girão (5.2 nm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drifting along the shore | 5 knots | about 44 min | about 62 min |
| Easy coastal cruise | 8 knots | about 28 min | about 39 min |
| Steady cruise | 15 knots | about 15 min | about 21 min |
| Fast run | 25 knots | about 9 min | about 13 min |
Add a few minutes at each end. Boats leave the marina and the harbour basin slowly, and they slow down again near swimmers, fishing boats and the cliff. A small swell on the nose also takes a few knots off, because a boat that slams into waves is uncomfortable for everyone on board.
What do you pass between the marina and the cliff?
This is the most built-up stretch of the south coast, and it changes every few minutes. Heading west, you see it in this order.
The harbour wall and the hotel shore
You leave past the long Pontinha harbour wall, where cruise ships moor, and the small fort on its islet, which dates from the 17th century. Just west, on its own clifftop, sits Reid's Palace, the hotel that opened there in 1891. After it comes the Lido, a long line of hotels along the cliffs of São Martinho, with dark lava rock showing between the buildings.
Ponta da Cruz and Praia Formosa
Ponta da Cruz is the first real headland. Round it and the shore opens into Praia Formosa, a long pebble beach with a promenade behind it. From here the houses thin out and the slopes become steeper and greener.
Socorridos and Câmara de Lobos
The mouth of the Socorridos river, with a boatyard on the shore, comes next. A few minutes later the bay of Câmara de Lobos opens on the right: painted fishing boats pulled up on the slipway, a small chapel by the water, and houses climbing the rock. Winston Churchill painted this bay in January 1950. Read more in our guide to Câmara de Lobos.
The wall of Cabo Girão
West of the town the cliff rises fast, to about 580 metres at the top, where the glass skywalk sits. At its foot you can see small farms on flat land at sea level, the fajãs, and the cable that brings farmers down from Rancho. The cable car was installed in 2003. Before that, the fields were reached by boat or on foot.
Why does the boat trip take longer than the distance suggests?
Because nobody books a boat to get to Cabo Girão fast. On a private trip the run west is the show, not the transfer. Boats stop off Câmara de Lobos for photos, drift along the base of the cliff and slow down wherever there is something to look at.
On the Chifbay Day Trip along the south coast, Cabo Girão comes after Câmara de Lobos, early in the morning or afternoon, and it is where the drone goes up when the weather allows. Past the cliff come the two swim stops, Fajã dos Padres and then Ribeira Brava. Book the 3 hour version and the boat pushes on another half hour, to Ponta do Sol, before the quick return east.
For the 2 hour Sunset Trip, Cabo Girão is where the boat turns for home. That is about 10 nautical miles there and back in two hours, an average of around 5 knots. So most of that trip is spent moving slowly along the coast with a drink in hand, watching the light change on the cliff, rather than running.
Is the boat faster than driving to Cabo Girão?
By road, central Funchal to the skywalk is about 12.6 km and a short drive up the hill. The boat is not much faster in raw time. The difference is where you end up. A car takes you to the top of the cliff, looking down. A boat takes you to the bottom, looking up at 580 metres of rock, with the fajãs and the fallen boulders in front of you. Both views are worth having, and they are not the same. We wrote more about that in Cabo Girão from the sea.
When is the trip slower, or not possible at all?
It depends on the sea, and this is the honest part. The south coast is sheltered from the usual north east trade winds by the island itself, so most days the run west is smooth. A swell or wind from the south west is different. It hits this stretch head on, slows every boat down and makes the ride bumpy.
If you get seasick easily, a slow run in a short choppy sea is the worst case, and a 2 hour trip may be better than a longer one. When the skipper judges the sea unsafe, the trip does not go, and you pick a new date or take your money back in full. A person on the pontoon makes that call, not the booking system.
If you only want the time and the route, the short answer stays the same: about 5 nautical miles, a quarter of an hour at speed, most of an hour at a sightseeing pace. If you want to see the cliff from below with nobody else on board, the Cabo Girão boat tour page explains how Chifbay trips do it.
Frequently asked questions
How many kilometres is it from Funchal to Cabo Girão by boat?
About 9.7 km following the coast, which is roughly 5.2 nautical miles. A straight line is about 8.9 km, but boats go around the Ponta da Cruz headland.
Can you see Cabo Girão from Funchal marina?
Yes, on a clear day the cliff is visible to the west from the marina, but it only looks tall once you are under it at sea level.
Is the sea rougher on the way to Cabo Girão?
Usually not. The south coast is sheltered from the common north east trade winds. A south west wind or swell is the main thing that makes this stretch bumpy.
How long is the stop at Cabo Girão on a boat trip?
It varies by trip and sea. Boats usually slow down or drift along the base for photos and drone shots rather than anchoring, then carry on west.
Five nautical miles, a quarter of an hour at speed, and still the slowest part of the morning is the best.