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| The cliff face of Cabo Girão on the southern coast of Madeira |
Cabo Girão is a lofty sea cliff located along the southern coast of the island of Madeira, in the Portuguese archipelago of Madeira. Cabo Girão is a popular lookout point, and starting point for hikers, as well as the location of the Encosta Cabo Girão a complex of 120 apartments (operated by Holiday Property Bond) located on the promontory.
Geography
It is situated less than two kilometres west from the centre of Câmara de Lobos, between the parishes of Quinta Grande and Câmara de Lobos. A diamond-shaped sea-cliff escarpment from 560 metres (1,840 ft) to 589 metres (1,932 ft) above sea level, Cabo Girão lies between two river-valleys that flow into the Atlantic Ocean. The escarpment/cliffs extend approximately one kilometre length of the cliff reaches from approximately three kilometres between the urban sprawl of Câmara de Lobos and the river-valley of Quinta Grande.
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| The shear cliff face of Cabo Girão |
Although brochures explain that it is the second highest cliff in Europe, at least five European cliffs (Hornelen at 860 metres, Cape Enniberg at 750 metres, Vixía Herbeira at 613 metres, Preikestolen at 604 metres and Slieve League at 601 metres) are higher.
There are terraced fields (Fajãs de Cabo Girão) located below the shear cliffs, and were at one time only accessible by boat. In August 2003, a cable car was installed on the slope of the cliff so farmers can reach these low-lying fields.
Architecture
Apart of the communications towers that are installed on Cabo Girão, the Cape is noted for:
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora da Fátima (English: Our Lady of Fátima) which was built in 1974 to replace a much smaller one built in 1931.
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