SIGALine 181
Line 181 — Funchal ↔ Curral das Freiras (Nuns' Valley) (formerly Line 81)
HF line 81 is the only public-bus route into the Nuns' Valley. About 6 services a day from Funchal — confirm the last return before you board.
Last verified 28 Jun 2026
At a glance
- From
- Funchal (Praça da Autonomia)
- To
- Curral das Freiras
- Via
- Eira do Serrado area
- Frequency
- ~6 services/day each way Mon–Sat; ~3 on Sun.
- First / last bus
- ~07:00 first, ~19:00 last from Funchal.
- Journey time
- 45–60 min through the mountain tunnels.
- Fare
- ~€2.95 single on board.
- Last bus back
- Last bus Curral → Funchal usually ~17:30. Miss it and it's a €35 taxi.
When to use it
The cheapest way to reach Curral das Freiras without a car — chestnut cake, the valley-floor viewpoint, the Eira do Serrado lookout up top.
Things to know
- Buses don't stop at Eira do Serrado itself — the lookout is a 30-min uphill walk from Curral village, or ask the driver about the tunnel-top stop.
- Sundays = 3 services. Realistically you can only go up morning and come back late afternoon.
Official timetable
Frequencies and times above are refreshed nightly from the SIGA network. Always cross-check the official PDF before travelling, especially on Sundays and public holidays.
Official timetable for line 181 →