The Garajau Christ King Statue is located in the Cristo Rei Viewpoint where you can see across the ocean and look down to Garajau Beach. You can also take a cable car down to the beach.

The statue looks very similar to the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (designed by French sculptor Paul Landowskiis) but this version is by another French sculptor Georges Serraz.

This statue was funded and built by advisor Aires Ornelas, a member of the Reed family, and was inaugurated on 30 October 1927 – four years before Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil.

The monument is 15 metres (49 ft) tall with its pedestal. The Brazil version is 30 metres (98 ft) and 38 metres (125 ft) tall with its pedestal.

Strangely, there isn’t much publicity about the statue, the beach nor the cable car in Madeira – I’m not even sure that any tours stop there. But it’s well worth a visit.

There was plenty of parking available and it was just a short walk to the statue. There were only a few people around, despite being the middle of day in May. There is a path that leads down to a small outcrop – the path was blocked by a thin piece of tape, but most visitors just stepped over this.

The views back from the path are good.

Back at the statue, there are great views to a winding road that leads to the beach.

View down to the beach.

View toward the capital Funchal.

Views of the cliffs and Ocean.

We took the cable car down to the beach (3 EUR) return.

 

The beach wasn’t especially interesting; big rocks and cold Sea as is typical of Madeira, a small restaurant – apparently it’s very popular with locals in warm weather. But it’s worth a visit, just for the cable car ride.

The cable car station at beach level isn’t manned, but there is a camera and the operator opens the doors to the gondola if he sees you waiting. If you don’t have a return ticket, you’ll need to pay 2 EUR for the one-way trip when you reach the top – not sure of you’re sent back down again if you refuse to pay!

Garajau Christ King Statue
Ponta do Garajau ,
Caniço
Madeira

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