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Reserva Natural da Rocha do Navio

Reserva Natural da Rocha do Navio

Reserva Natural da Rocha do Navio
4.5
Nature & Wildlife AreasHiking TrailsGeologic Formations
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Duration: 2-3 hours
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Top ways to experience Reserva Natural da Rocha do Navio and nearby attractions

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles125 reviews
Excellent
83
Very good
32
Average
6
Poor
2
Terrible
2

jrdh
638 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
We visited in with ter but on a lovely sunny day. From the top there are great views along g the coast. We decided to walk down - this was fine to do - slightly slippery in places and would be tricky on a wet day but perfect ok. There were great views of the coastline and waterfalls on the way down. At the bottom it was great to watch the rollers coming in from the Atlantic. We then took the cable car back up to the top for €3 each. This was a great place to visit with spectacular views even for Madeira. This was ideal as part of a walk around the Santana area and readily accessible by bus from Funchal.
Written January 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Les De Q
Utrecht, The Netherlands2,482 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022 • Friends
This is a great way to experience the dramatic scenery at the edge of the island. The cable car travels down to the small village at the edge of the ocean. Well worth taking the time to drop off the edge.
Written May 21, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Ă‚nia F
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2018 • Friends
The view of the cliffs is great and the walk from the centre of town to Rocha de Navio is quite easy. Unfortunately there was an old lady on the road to Rocha do Navio, that seemed nice. Do not talk to her. She is always trying to extort money from tourists. I found out that she does it almost every day. It happened to almost everyone I know that went to rocha do navio. Such a shame the police doesnt do anything about it.
Written May 31, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fabian+Georgia
131 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2022 • Couples
We walked here from Santana planning to walk down the trail to the sea and then take the cable car back up, but decided to turn back less than a third of the way down because we found the path too dangerous. At the point where we turned back it got very narrow with quite a large drop, and the path was wet and without a handrail (see photo). On our way back up we saw a family with a young child and they made the same decision, it’s just not safe.

The views are gorgeous though, it looks amazing and with a bit more safety equipment this could be one of the many stunning walks on the island. We didn’t try the cable car, it was under maintenance when we arrived there, but that one is also not for the faint hearted - it seems quite old. At least it was closed for maintenance, which is a good sign!
Written April 1, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nik R
Varna, Bulgaria6,651 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2017 • Family
Despite being quite scared of heights, I love riding cable cars. That's why we came to this place while exploring the area around Santana with our rented car. The best and easiest way to get there is by car because it is in a remote location and I am not sure how close the public transport passes. You cannot get lost - the directions on the Google maps is very correct. There is not a designated parking lot but you can easily park along the road.
There are 2 ways to get down to the ocean - the cable car or the trail which winds down the very steep slopes. The latter was used by the local people till the cable car was built, some may be using it now as well. The cable car has only two booths (one going up and one going down at the same time), the descent is very steep, round ticket costs 5€ per adult and 1€ per kid and it closes at 1800 hours. An operator is at lower station and he will remind you about the time they close - if you miss it you will have 2 options: spend the night down there or climb up the steep trail (strongly not recommended at night!). The views and the scenery while descending are stunning - the ocean from one side and the steep mountain with waterfalls on the other.
Down are several small houses, rather huts, with some yards used for agriculture, bananas mostly, but all they look a bit neglected. You can also see an old but well preserved press for making wine, the way they used to do it a long (or maybe not too long) time ago. There is a trail of less than a kilometer which goes up and down between the huts on the left (when facing the ocean) and you can go along the coast on the right.
Spend a couple of hours there, if you are passing by!
Written January 30, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Cedric riviere
Mons, Belgium9 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2019
we walked to go down (sometimes a bit dangerous but the view is spectacular).
The area is quiet and beautiful. Don't forget to take food and drinks with you.
We took the cable car (3 euros/person) to come back (because,as we say in french, "c'est les vacances, faut pas déconner!")
Written August 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mike M
Wales, UK55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019 • Couples
Take the cable car to this beautiful, tranquil, coastal location. The beach and cliff views are great and the remoteness and seclusion of the area is something to savour. No restaurants, no bars and no souvenir shops! However, as others have mentioned, it is not made clear that the cable car does not run between 1.00 and 2.00pm.
Written March 10, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katebean
Cologne, Germany5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2019 • Couples
The cable car down is a great trip for €5 return, and if you pick a day when the waters aren't so high, you can explore quite a lot of the local area. The farms are interesting to look at, as they are built all within the side of the cliff. Perfect for a picknick or for those who want to take the adventurous climb up the hill (using the path and steps). Sturdy shoes advisable!
Written February 20, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Customer London
London, UK168 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2017 • Couples
Easy access by car for a day trip out of Funchal, this scenic area is beautiful. Be prepared for lots of photo stops. We accessed this having driven across the island via the route passing Ribeiro Frio, so we drove Funchal, the peak at Pico do Ariero, Rib Frio (visiting the Trout Farm) then to the coast at Faial. Even before we hit the coast, we'd stopped a dozen time for pics, driving through loads of different terrains and tree lines. The coast road from Faial to the north central town of Sao Vincente takes you along very windy narrow roads, in and out of cliff top views and beautiful woodland, with views of the ocean and surf below. Well worth visiting and make sure you fill up with petrol as there aren't many petrol stations in between the towns. We left around 11am from Funchal and arrived back around 5:30, so very easy day for driving. Recommend that you choose a sunny day, as the views are stunning. There were a number of local buses, small tour groups and other tourists doing similar visits, but generally we found the roads to be fairly clear of traffic with very few other cars. Take your time!
Written February 11, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Fred H
Bad Soden-Salmunster, Germany298 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2016 • Couples
We took the cable car down with no great expectations and were really surprised by the tranquility of this secluded spot. A walk thru the gardens with the constant sound of the scampering wall lizards, backed by the surf breaking on the rocks, fantastic, if you go take a picnic and a book to read. You can walk down and up but the cable car only costs 5 Euro and the view is great.
Written February 29, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Reserva Natural da Rocha do Navio - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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