Miradouro do Guindaste, also known as Crane viewpoint, is a beautiful coastal sunrise viewpoint in Madeira. Located on the North eastern side of the island in the district of Santana, Crane viewpoint offers some of the most spectacular views on the rugged cliffs of Madeira Island.
A small headland sticks out above the ocean where the waves crash against. When you have a good sunrise here, you can make some of the most amazing sunrise pictures. Professional photographers as well amateur photographers flock to this spot with their tripods in the hope of a nice shot. In this blog post you’ll find everything you need to know about Miradouro do Guindaste.
Best Madeira island tours
If you want to explore the best of Madeira with a guide then here some great tours I recommend. All of these tours include transport with hotel pick up and drop off, certified guides and sometimes the entrance fees if applicable. You can reserve now and pay later, with cancellation up to 24 hours in advance to receive a full refund.
- Customized 6 hour Madeira tour. On this six-hour tour you can choose the different areas you want to visit on Madeira island. Pick the landmarks and iconic places to make your own itinerary with the help of your local guide/driver.
- Private guided tour to Cabo Girao. Explore the highest cape of Europe and the fishing village Câmara de Lobos on the way back to Funchal.
- Guided tour to Cabo Girao including Poncha tasting in a Classic VW. Start your tour from Funchal in a beautiful Classic VW and drive to Cabo Girao to enjoy the incredible views. On the way back you will taste the traditional Poncha in historic bars.
- West Madeira private tour. Starting in the fishing town of Câmara de Lobos you will drive via Cabo Girao, the highest cape in Europe, to the beautiful view of Serra d’Agua valley. From there you will head to São Vicente to explore the Laurisilva forest. Continuing north, you will visit Porto Moniz, known for its natural lava pools where you can swim. As last stop you will visit the famous rocks at Ribeira da Janela.
- East Madeira tour. Visit Pico do Arieiro viewpoint, make pictures at the Santana houses and the beautiful viewpoints at Porto da Cruz to finish the day at the impressive volcanic landscape of Ponta de São Lourenço.
- Canyoning adventure with transfer from Funchal. Get the thrill of canyoneering and explore Madeira’s untouched nature. follow a river as you walk, rappel, slide and jump through hidden waterfalls with streams that cross endemic forests. A super fun and adventurous day!
- Funchal 48-hour hop-on hop off bus tour. Explore the lush landscape of Madeira and the sights of Funchal at your own pace with a 2 or 5 day ticket for the hop-on, hop-off bus.
- Dolphin & Whale watching Luxury Catamaran Cruise from Funchal. Enjoy the views of Funchal from a luxury catamaran. Look out for whales and dolphins in their natural habitat as your relax on board and explore the underwater world with a snorkel.
- Ponta de São Lourenço hike with pick up in Funchal. Explore the most eastern tail of Madeira island with its unique volcanic rock formations to understand how the island was created.
- Scuba diving Madeira. Explore the underwater world of Madeira island. A theory lesson and practice in swimming pool is included before you will dive about 12 meters for 45 meters in the Atlantic Ocean.
- Funchal Old Town walking tour. Learn about the history of Funchal and Madeira on a guided walk through the city’s medieval center. Visit the farmer’s market, the Campo Almirante Reis, the Fortress of St. James, and a number of other sites as your guide provides commentary.
- Sunset tour from Funchal by Catamaran. Watch the sunset off the coast of Madeira on a 3-hour evening catamaran cruise from Funchal and spot dolphins (guaranteed, or you get a 2nd trip for free).
- Tuk-Tuk tour to Monte Tropical Garden with Toboggan ride from Funchal. Explore Funchal Old Town with a Tuk Tuk before making your way to the mountains to the stunning Monte Tropical Garden. There you will explore over 70,000 square meters of exotic plants. At the end of the tour you will enjoy the thrilling ride down the hill with a Toboggan ride.
General travel must haves for Madeira
Before we dive into one of the best viewpoints in Madeira, let’s check a few things to make your travels in Madeira easy and safe.
Have you thought about how to get around in Madeira? A car is the easiest way to drive around the island. Read in our complete guide everything you need to know about Car hire in Madeira
- Book your rental car here and compare the providers to get the best deal.
- Book your scooter or motorbike here to get around in Madeira. Most of the scooters you can drive with driving license (A1/A2/A) from 18 years old, or from 25 years old with a car (B) license. The motorbikes have a minimum age of 20 or 21 with A (moto) license.
Do you prefer a private driver for the day and the freedom to create your own itinerary?
Did you already book your accommodation?
Are you insured during your travels?
- Buy your travel insurance here. Safetywing not only includes coverage for travel delay, lost checked luggage, emergency response, natural disasters and personal liability. But also covers all your medical expenses for hospitalisation.
How to get to Miradouro do Guindaste
Miradouro do Guindaste is located in the municipality of Santana on the North eastern part of Madeira Island. From Funchal it is about a half an hour drive and there are plenty of parking spots right in front of the viewpoint. Miradouro do Guindaste is lacoated next to Praia do Faial, so on a sunny day you can eventually relax on the beach after visiting the viewpoint. After parking the car, you only have to walk for 2 minutes until you get on the headland. You can walk all the way to the tip of the headland for the best view.
Best time to go to Miradouro do Guindaste
As said in the introduction, the best time to go to Miradouro do Guindaste is with sunrise. From this point you can see the magical golden light in the morning, lighting up the cliffs and water. Make sure to arrive about 20 – 30 minutes before sunrise so you can eventually see the pre colours of sunrise. The morning we went to this sunrise viewpoint in Madeira, we were blessed with first a red coloured sky that later turned into the most magical golden light when the sun rose above the horizon.
If you’re not a morning person you can also visit Miradouro do Guindaste later during the day. But with the ever changing weather on Madeira Island, you won’t be guaranteed to have clear views.
What to expect at Miradouro do Guindaste
Being one of the best coastal sunrise viewpoints in Madeira, Miradouro do Guindaste is often visited by tour guides and photographers in the morning. But with enough parking spots, you won’t have any trouble finding a place to park your car. There are no facilities around, so make sure to have visited the toilet before and bring enough water and snacks. You can eventually bring a rug to have a picnic at this beautiful viewpoint! Needless to say, leave nothing but footprints!
Miradouro do Guidaste provides beautiful views over the Atlantic Ocean that marks the north coast of Madeira island, from Faial to Ponta de São Lourenço. On your right side you will see Penha D’Aguia, the landmark of Porto da Cruz. On clear days it is even possible to see the island of Porto Santo from this viewpoint.
Once the sun rises above the horizon, it will light up the cliffs and ocean providing you beautiful scenes for photography or just to enjoy the start of a new day.
More Madeira travel inspiration
I hope you enjoyed this blog post about the beautiful sunrise viewpoint Miradouro do Guindaste, also known as Crane viewpoint.
For more information about Madeira, head over to our other travel blogs.
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20 best levada walks in Madeira – The Complete Guide
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15 best sunrise viewpoints in Madeira – The Complete Guide
15 best sunset viewpoints in Madeira – The Complete Guide
12 best beaches in Madeira – The Ultimate Guide
12 best Funchal restaurants – The Complete Guide
All about Poncha – The Ultimate Guide about Madeira’s traditional drink
Hi Ilse, everytime we read your info and see your pictures we are in awe😍, they are so beautiful. The colours of Miradouro do Guindaste in Madeira are so special. Really worth a visit👍
Thanks a lot!! You both will love Madeira!