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Walking on Madeira

60 mountain and levada routes on Madeira and Porto Santo

ISBN

9781852848552

Availability

Published

22 Aug 2018

Reprinted

24 Oct 2023

Edition

Third

Pages

296

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.65cm

Weight

340g

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A walking guide to the islands of Madeira and Porto Santo. Selection of varied day walks exploring Madeira's network of levadas (water channels) as well as routes across steep and rugged mountains, with slopes of bare rock or laurisilva 'cloud' forest. The neighbouring island of Porto Santo offers easy walking and a sandy beach.

Seasons

A year-round destination: hot and humid in the summer, cooler and a little wetter in winter.

Centres

Funchal, Ribeira Brava, Santana, Porto Moniz, Porto Santo

Difficulty

Routes for all abilities, from easy, level levada walks to very steep and rugged mountain paths. Some routes are mostly downhill. Adjacent routes can be linked to form longer walks.

Must See

Parque Natural da Madeira, Pico Ruivo, levadas, laurisilva forests, Ponta de São Lourenço

ISBN

9781852848552

Availability

Published

22 Aug 2018

Reprinted

24 Oct 2023

Edition

Third

Pages

296

Size

17.20 x 11.60 x 1.65cm

Weight

340g

Overview

A guidebook to 60 day walks on the island of Madeira and neighbouring Porto Santo. Covering mountains, coast, laurisilva cloud forest and levadas (irrigation channels), routes range from easy strolls to more strenuous mountain hikes, some calling for a good head for heights.

Walks range from 4 to 27km (2–17 miles) with options to combine routes to create longer days out.

Sketch maps are included for each walk
Detailed information on planning, facilities and public transport
Highlights include an ascent of Pico de Areeiro, Madeira’s highest peak
Easy access from Funchal

Table of Contents

CONTENTS

Overview map

Map key

Preface

Introduction

Location

Geology

History

Landscape

Trees and flowers

Birds

Animals

Parque Natural da Madeira

Funchal and Monte

Getting to Madeira

Getting around Madeira

Accommodation

Porto Santo

Currency

Language

Food and drink

Weather

Tourist information

Health issues

Emergencies

Maps of Madeira

Making multi-day trips

Using this guide

1 Eastern Madeira

Walk 1 Levada dos Tornos: Monte to Camacha

Walk 2 Levada dos Tornos: Camacha to Quatro Estradas

Walk 3 Levada da Serra: Campo do Pomar to Camacha

Walk 4 Levada da Serra: Camacha to Santo da Serra

Walk 5 Levada Nova from Santo da Serra

Walk 6 Baia d’Abra and Ponta de São Lourenço

Walk 7 Levada do Caniçal: Maroços to Caniçal

Walk 8 Levada da Portela: Santo da Serra to Portela

Walk 9 Vereda das Funduras: Portela to Maroços

Walk 10 North Coast: Porto da Cruz to Ribeira Seca

2 Funchal to Santana

Walk 11 Vereda da Penha d’Águia

Walk 12 Levada do Furado: Portela to Ribeiro Frio

Walk 13 Caminho Velha: Poiso to Porto da Cruz

Walk 14 Fajã da Nogueira and Levada da Serra

Walk 15 Caminho Velha: Poiso to Santana

Walk 16 Levada do Barreiro: Poço da Neve to Monte

Walk 17 Levada da Negra: Poço da Neve to Barreira

Walk 18 Levada do Curral: Curral das Freiras to Funchal

Walk 19 Levada dos Piornais: Lombada to Funchal

3 The high mountains

Walk 20 Boca da Encumeada to Achada do Teixeira

Walk 21 Boca da Encumeada to Curral das Freiras

Walk 22 Pico do Cedro and Pico do Areeiro

Walk 23 Pico do Areeiro to Pico Ruivo

Walk 24 Pico Ruivo, Vale da Lapa and Ilha

Walk 25 Pico Ruivo, Queimadas and Santana

Walk 26 Levada do Caldeirão Verde from Pico das Pedras

Walk 27 Levada do Rei from Quebradas

Walk 28 Santana, Calhau and São Jorge

Walk 29 Boca da Encumeada and Pico Grande

Walk 30 Colmeal and Pico Grande

Walk 31 Fajã dos Cardos to Fajã do Penedo

Walk 32 Boca da Encumeada to Colmeal

4 Jardim da Serra

Walk 33 Boca da Encumeada to Marco e Fonte

Walk 34 Boca da Corrida and Curral das Freiras

Walk 35 Boca dos Namorados and Curral das Freiras

Walk 36 Marco e Fonte to Fontes

Walk 37 Terreiros from Boca da Corrida

Walk 38 Crista do Espigão from Fontes

Walk 39 Fajã da Ribeira, Levada Norte and Boa Morte

Walk 40 Levada do Norte: Boa Morte to Estreito de Câmara de Lobos

5 Paúl da Serra

Walk 41 Pico Ruivo do Paúl da Serra from Estanquinhos

Walk 42 Rabaçal, Levada do Risco and 25 Fontes

Walk 43 Levada do Paúl: Rabaçal to Cristo Rei

Walk 44 Levada das Rabaças and Cascalho

Walk 45 Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal

Walk 46 Levada dos Cedros: Fanal to Ribeira da Janela

Walk 47 Levada da Janela: Fonte do Bispo to Porto Moniz

6 Western Madeira

Walk 48 Ponta do Pargo to Fonte do Bispo

Walk 49 Levada do Moinho: Tornadouro to Ribeira da Cruz

Walk 50 Levada da Calheta – Ponta do Pargo to Ponta do Pargo

Walk 51 Levada da Calheta – Ponta do Pargo to Prazéres

Walk 52 Caminho Real: Prazéres to Paúl do Mar

Walk 53 Levada da Calheta – Ponta do Pargo to Lombo dos Faias

Walk 54 Levada da Calheta – Ponta do Sol to Ponta do Sol

Walk 55 Levada Nova and Levada do Moinho from Ponta do Sol

Walk 56 Levada Nova: Jangão to Ribeira Brava

Walk 57 Lombo do Mouro to Ribeira Brava

7 Porto Santo

Walk 58 Pico do Castelo, Pico do Facho and Pico Branco

Walk 59 Campo de Baixo, Bárbara Gomes and Eiras

Walk 60 Ponta, Pico de Ana Ferreira, Pico do Espigão and Calheta

Cruise to the Ilhas Desertas

Appendix A Route summary table

Appendix B Language notes

Appendix C Useful contacts

Updates

November 2024

Walk 17

Dense growths of broom have been reported towards the bottom of this walk, making it almost impassable. It is best avoided.

November 2024

PR trail charge

The Institute of Forests and Nature Conservation now charges €3 per person for walking some of the more popular waymarked and signposted 'PR' trails, and this scheme is likely to be expanded to cover ALL the waymarked and signposted 'PR' trails in 2025.

See the following website for details, simplifica.madeira.gov.pt/services/78-82-259. It has been claimed that walkers who don't pay the new charges could be fined €50.

September 2024

August 2024 forest fires

Following two weeks of forest fires in the central mountains of Madeira, several walking routes are closed. Please check the following website for details

https://ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/146-destaques/avisos/627-percursos-pedestres-avisos.html

Bear in mind that the vegetation in the worst affected areas will take several years to recover, and the unique laurisilva forests might not recover at all.

February 2024

Updates

Walks 22 & 23

Note that the car park on Pico do Areeiro only allows parking for one hour. If making a brief visit, this is fine, but it is no use if you intend parking and going for a walk. The alternatives involve hiring a taxi or joining one of the many tour groups that take walkers to the summit and collect them later.

Walk 37

Due to the growth of dense and impenetrable broom on the upper slopes of Terreiros, it is no longer possible to reach the summit.

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By Paddy Dillon

Paddy Dillon is a prolific walker and guidebook writer, with over 100 guidebooks to his name and contributions to 40 other titles. He has written for several outdoor magazines and other publications and has appeared on radio and television.Paddy uses a tablet computer to write as he walks. His descriptions are therefore precise, having been written at the very point at which the reader uses them.Paddy is an indefatigable long-distance walker who has walked all of Britain's National Trails and several European trails. He has also walked in Nepal, Tibet, Korea and the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the US.

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