Câmara de Lobos encompasses an area of 52.15 km² and has 35,666 inhabitants, divided into 5 parishes. The Câmara de Lobos municipality was created in 1835 and the village was granted city status on 2 August 1996. It’s in this county that the famous Madeira wine is produced. It gained it’s name from the abundance of sea lions (Lobos Marinhos) that were present during the early days of settlement.
In 2011, according to data from IVBAM (Institute of Wine, Embroidery and Handicrafts Madeira), 62% of the grapes collected in Madeira to produce Madeira wine, had their origin in the Câmara de Lobos municipality, especially to the Estreito de Câmara de Lobos parish which represents about 88% of such production. In Câmara de Lobos there is also fishing, an activity that gives the city its main visual characteristics. The fishing of the black scabbard fish species that gives its name to one of the biggest festivals organized in the city during the summer season, represents the majority of the local catches.
It is in this parish that we can find Cabo Girão, one of the highest cliffs in Europe. At the edge you can find the viewpoint which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. There are many ways to reach this viewpoint either by a guided tour, the Green Train or alone, either way, the view is a once in a lifetime experience.
In the town centre, many small bars sell some of the most famous drinks the island has to offer. The Poncha, for example, made with rum from local sugar cane plantations and fresh squeezed orange juice, or the Nikita made with pineapple and Rum, are unique drinks that are best experienced in the quaint setting this fisherman’s village offers.
The North Levada is a great walk along Câmara de Lobos, and runs up until Ribeira Brava, it’s one of the easy walks to do around the island with guided tours and marked paths if you prefer to solo it.