Nun's Valley (Curral das Freiras) is a small village, very isolated from other communities by the high cliffs and peaks that surround its deep valley in the middle of the island. The valley is thought to have been formed by either erosion, which is a recent theory, or as many still believe, by volcanic activity. Nun's Valley is the only place on the island where you can not see the sea.
It was the permanent refuge of the nuns the village is named after, who fled inland when escaping from pirates attacking and plundering Funchal on the coast, in 1566. The valley was almost inaccessible at the time, but it provided them with land for agriculture and protection from invaders. They lived in isolation for a very long time in this remote location, which was only able to receive a TV signal in the late 80s!
The locals mainly live off what they grow, and usually substitute potatoes with sweet chestnuts in their meals. They use chestnuts in everyday cooking for soup, cakes, puddings, and in liqueurs. Every year Nun's Valley celebrates the Chestnut Festival, a big attraction with plenty of food, music, dancing and wine. The steep hillsides encircling the village are used for the cultivation of cherries and grapes in abundance, used in the production of Madeira wine.