Travel Guide > Câmara de Lobos > Câmara de Lobos
Câmara de Lobos
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Câmara de Lobos is a picturesque civil parish located within a city bearing the same name.
The name of this land of fishermen, which has as its main specialty the fishing of the black swordfish, was called this way due to the fact that, around the time the Island was discovered, which took place in 1419, a great quantity of sea lions (lobos-marinhos) were seen in that creek, which today still bears the same configuration. Nowadays, these animals only come up occasionally to the southern coast of the island. However a colony is still inhabits the Ilhas Desertas (Desert Islands).
Câmara de Lobos was the first place where João Gonçalves Zarco, the navigator who discovered the island, lived between 1420 and 1424.
Due to this, it became the first settlement created in Madeira by João Gonçalves Zarco himself. Câmara de Lobos became a civil parish in 1430.
The fist temple built in the island was Nossa Senhora do Calhau chapel, also called Capela dos Pescadores (Fishermen's Chapel).
On October 4, 1835, the civil parish of Câmara de Lobos became chief town of the municipality, which also included the civil parishes of Estreito de Câmara de Lobos, Curral das Freiras and Campanário.
In 1486, the municipality of Câmara de Lobos became part of the civil parish of Jardim da Serra. It lost, however, the civil parish of Campanário, which became part of the Ribeira Brava municipality.
On August 3, 1996, Câmara de Lobos was elevated to the level of city.
The civil parish is limited to the east by Ribeira dos Socorridos, to the north by the civil parish of Estreito and west by Quinta Grande. The sea is to the south.
Câmara de Lobos, located close to the capital of the island, owes its fame to the fishermen, who, with their picturesque and distinctive boats - the Xavelhas – colour the bay that opens onto the sea. This unique portrait was immortalised by the picture that the former English prime-Minister, Winston Churchill, painted when he visited the island on January 8, 1950.
There is a belvedere where the statesman painted the picture, presenting a very curious perspective over the bay, the beaching place and the shipyard. The belvedere was built in the beginning of the sixties and is located at the entrance of the city, from those who arrive from the Estrada Regional (regional road) from Funchal.
Yet, Câmara de Lobos is far more than this.
Today, the historic heritage of the civil parish of Câmara de Lobos includes the church of São Sebastião, the chapels, where Nossa Senhora da Conceição stands out, the lime-kiln, the old saltpans, the bandstand, located in Largo da República, and the old convent of São Bernardino.
Although a walk through downtown would be recommend, the best way to see the peculiar configuration of the bay is by going all the way to Pico da Torre, by taking the regional road that connects the city to the nearest municipality’s civil parish: Estreito de Câmara de Lobos.
In downtown Câmara de Lobos there are renowned bars and restaurants, where you can try typical drinks such as Poncha de Câmara de Lobos and nibble some she-cat, a fish caught in the seas of Madeira and left to dry on the spot. As such, sometimes, in a given area by the old saltpans, at the city entrance, you can smell an intense aroma derived from the drying process.
Further away, between the civil parish of Câmara de Lobos and Quinta Grande, lies Cabo Girão, where there is a belvedere. It is more than 580 metres high and is the highest cape in all of Europe and the second highest in the world. One place, undoubtedly, not to be missed.
Câmara de Lobos has an extremely pleasant climate, featuring one of the best microclimates in Madera Island, without significant temperature changes throughout the year.
São Sebastião is the patron saint of this civil parish, whose feast is celebrated in Portugal on March 20.
Historic account reveal that the early settlers where people of noble lineages, of whom João Afonso, Zarco’s mate, and João Caldeira can be pointed out.
Nowadays, the economic activities of the civil parish include fishing, agriculture (banana), retail, services and industry.
Worth mentioning is the fact that, on the riverbed of Ribeira dos Socorridos, an Industrial Estate was built, the Parque Industrial da Zona Oeste (PIZO), where some of the most important regional companies were established, such as Electricidade da Madeira (electricity company) and Empresa de Cervejas (beer company).
How to Get There
There are to ways to get to Câmara de Lobos from Funchal. You can take the freeway, towards Câmara de Lobos - Ribeira Brava, and leave at Câmara de Lobos, and then, straight afterwards, turn left into the Estrada Regional, and go all the way to downtown. You can also get there via Estrada Regional 101 from Funchal's hotel area, all the way to Câmara de Lobos. Rest assured that the trip from below is much more pleasant.
Useful Information
Municipal public holiday: October 16
Surface: 52.37 Km2
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