Towns & villages · 330 m above the sea
Estreito da Calheta
A hillside parish with a 1520 Manueline chapel hiding a rare Flemish altarpiece.
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The place
The Capela dos Reis Magos was founded in 1520 by a local nobleman and his wife, and inside its plain Manueline shell is a Flemish-school altarpiece of the Adoration of the Magi rare enough to be unique in Madeira. The wider parish is vineyard and banana terraces climbing from the coast road toward Paul da Serra, a quiet counterpoint to the coastal villages nearby.
When to come
Daytime for the chapel; check locally for opening access, as it keeps limited hours.
Worth knowing
- Chapel visits may need advance arrangement, hours are limited
- Sits inland between Calheta and Paul da Serra's lower slopes
- Combine with a drive up towards Rabaçal