Teleférico da Fajã dos Padres, Cable car transport system in Quinta Grande, Portugal.
The Teleférico da Fajã dos Padres is a cable car on Madeira's southern coast that descends over 300 meters to a coastal platform below a cliff. The ride passes above tiered farm plots and opens to views of the Atlantic Ocean and the steep terrain.
The cable car was built to provide access to fertile land that has been farmed since the 16th century, when Jesuit priests cultivated Malmsey grapes there. This agricultural heritage established the foundation for how the land is used today.
The cable car links visitors to how people have farmed this coastal shelf for centuries, growing produce on tiered plots that shape the landscape below. Today, this traditional way of working the land remains visible and active.
Access is via a single cable car cabin that runs smoothly up and down; the descent takes roughly 10 minutes each way. Wear sturdy shoes, as the lower platform leads to a beach area and farm plots where the ground is uneven.
Below the cable car sits a small sandy beach that cannot be reached from the coastal road, accessible only via this cable car. This secluded beach is a rare place to swim on this stretch of Madeira's coast.
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