See Madeira from a wilder perspective
Driving to explore a destination like Madeira offers one viewpoint of that area – and what a great, broad perspective that is. Following the road networks traversing the island, you can easily see seaside towns, coastal highways, interior panoramas and Miradouro’s while experiencing the thrill of ultra high switchbacks and cliff edges that drop to the sea.
But leave the car at the carpark and head into the wilds of the land for a new angle. Leave the urbanization and head into the mountains and forests. Smell the native flora and fauna, listen to the birds and animals, walk the Levada’s, see the waterfalls, hike through the caves - the interior wilderness of the land. Walk narrow mountain paths, follow a stairway joining two mountain peaks, view the canyons and cliffs dropping hundreds to a thousand meters (1000-3000 ft) and experience the epic views above the cloudline. Get out of the car and gain that wild perspective!
But how do I find the best hikes in Madeira?
Well, good question! We wrote a post on that as we have come to realize the ease, the varied selection and the curation of hikes within the Alltrails app and program. In our Alltrails post we broke out the steps to sorting and choosing the hike you want within the Alltrails program itself.
For destinations like Madeira and the Azores – true natural beauties begging to be explored, the country itself has developed trails highlighting their best features that are well promoted and organized offering a great hiking experience. These hikes are organized with codes to help your weeding process and get to the sites you really want to see in the safest or optimal route.
In Madeira for example, official trails are designated with a PR code preceding the number and hike description [in the Azores it’s a PRC prefix before the number and description]. These official hikes generally offer amenities like ample parking, washrooms, well marked trails, and an efficient route to the site they are promoting. We have yet to find an official trail that’s done us wrong – and even the bonus of a gelato stand midway on one of them!
Hike offerings in Madeira:
Hike offerings on São Miguel island of the Azores:
- GoGirlfriend Hike Recommendations on São Miguel Island of the Azores
- Azores Hiking (São Miguel of the Azores)
- Best Trails in the Azores (Alltrails)
So many hiking choices, here’s what we chose.
A trip only allows so many opportunities to add a hike to broaden sight-seeing explorations, but what getting off the grid and into the back-country offers is a whole added depth of appreciation for the destination.
Of the wide selection of hikes available, we narrowed our hikes to incorporate the features we truly wanted to see on a deeper level – the Levada’s, the hidden waterfalls, the volcanic caldera’s, views from the highest points and optimal sunrise-viewing opportunities – the perspectives we simply couldn’t get from a car’s access.
From our Madeira 7-day itinerary, these are the hikes we chose (and why).
Visit our Madeira 7-day itinerary for more detail.
PR8 - Footpath of Ponta de São Lourenço
6.3 km (3.9 mi) there and back with 326 m (1070 ft) elevation gain - Moderate
We always prioritize the opportunity to see a glorious sunrise from the easternmost point of a destination. The Miradouro de São Lourenco was the easternmost point of the island and offered a great sunrise experience. Give yourself 1 ½ hrs from the trailhead to reach a sunrise opportunity, but this was a great adventurous trail. The hike traversed plummeting cliffs 100 m (330ft) above the pounding surf and delivered a rocky outpost to view the day’s glorious sunrise.
Official PR Hike Amenities – simple washrooms and food trucks after 8am
PR1 Pico Areeiro - Pico Ruivo
10.8 km (6.7 mi) there and back with 1114 m (3650 ft) elevation gain – Hard
… if you do the entire hike - not for the faint of heart or fear of heights. Lots of stairs, lots of people, but WOW – probably our best overall hiking experience EVER! The trailhead starts 1800 m (almost 6000 ft) above sea level and the views … epic. Our timing allowed us about 3km (abt 2 mi) of the total hike before we had to turn around but the mountaintop views of the deep canyons, valleys, and sheer cliffs the like of which we’ve never seen … spectacular! Oh, and the stairs between the mountains … be brave!
Official PR Hike Amenities – washrooms, canteen and visitor center at the trailhead.
This was a seaside to peaks hiking day and how amazing to see what we thought was high on the São Lourenco hike (100 m / 330 ft) … and then to see the point of São Lourenco from atop Pico Areeiro (1800m / 6000 ft) high above. Driving the short distance from São Lourenco to Pico Areeiro was an adrenaline boost to say the least. The incline, the mountainous switchbacks and the busyness of tourists at the peak and their busses make for a crazy driving experience. Note that parking is about 650 m (2100 ft) away from the peak with a good climb (about 150 m / 500 ft) just to get to the trailhead.
Levada do Moinho - Levada Nova
9.4 km (5.8 mi) loop with 700 m (2300 ft) elevation gain - Hard
A levada is a water channel that runs on a gentle slope bringing water from the mountains to the lower elevations. The levada channels generally have an 18” wide water channel with dual cemented sides about 12” wide. This is the extent of the path width in most cases as you are walking.
Starting at the Church of the Lombada, our route took us along the lower Levada do Moinho channel with its gurgling water flow, occasional ponds and small waterfalls - with a walking height about 100m (330 ft) above the valley floor. The far end of the loop offered a 10m (30 ft) cascading waterfall with a small picnic area to enjoy. The return journey took us up to the higher Levada Nova (now 250 m – 820 ft above the valley floor) and engaged us additionally with a crevice waterfall, a 200m (650 ft) tunnel and what felt like precipitous cliff drops edging the levada pathway – exhilarating and not for the faint of heart.
I'd rate the lower Nevada trail a 4 (of 5) and return the upper trail for a 6!! Wow, the waterfalls, the tunnel, the levadas edging the mountain ... loved it. Truly a great experience!
Amenities – washrooms are available beside the parking lot and a picnic area is available at the waterfall.
Fanal - Viewpoint of Fio and Ribeira Funda - Fanal Lagoon
2.3 km (1.4 mi) meandering with 80 m (260 ft) elevation gain - Moderate
A leisurely hike in Fanal Forest to see the ancient, indigenous Laurisilva Forest dating back thousands of years - declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If you’re lucky enough to have the fog roll through, it’s magical. Excluding the hill climb, the forest is pretty low for altitude changes. We hiked up the hills to enjoy the magical Laurasilva and you certainly get better panorama views from the higher vantage. Lots of room for parking, walk the forest and climb the saddleback hill for a great view of the northern coast.
Amenities – washrooms
Mirodoura da Bica Da Cana
1.3 km (0.8 mi) there and back with 30m (100ft) elevation - Easy
While not a formal hike, the Miradouro Bica da Cana is an under-recommended treat! Parking is available and a short 10-minute walk to the Bica da Cana viewpoint reveals a stunning vista of the surrounding mountains and central valley. If you look carefully straight across the valley you can find the Pico Areeiro Observatory where you may have hiked at PR1: Pico Areeiro (above noted) earlier in the week. On our visit the clouds rolled into the valley (Valley of the Nuns) and the effect of being high above the clouds was breath-taking!
Amenities: camping area with basic washrooms
PR6/6.1 Levada das 25 Fontes - Rabaçal - Levada do Risco
11.65 km (7.25 mi) loop with 775m (2550 ft) elevation gained – Hard only by elevation gain.
Except for the last hour with the long return up slope (although gradual and relentless as you can see on tour recording map) the trail was moderate. Conditions were good and the two main waterfalls were a popular attraction.
The trail takes you down an old road and then splits off to the levada trails. There can be lots of people and single file progress occasionally slows you down, but in general this occasional frustration pays off with the waterfall views. Our suggestion, as we did, was to bring some sandwiches for lunch and relax at the 25 Fontes area. At the main trail convergence also note that there is a small concession building with washrooms available to grab a gelato or a drink before beginning the long slow climb back to the car park.
Official PR Hike Amenities – washrooms and concessions midway through the hike.
We love adding a hiking adventure to our travels as a way of exploring a destination to get off the beaten path and see new landscapes and perspectives not available simply by car. Hiking helps us appreciate what an amazing and diverse planet we live on. Hike on, my friends!
Interested in more information on our travels to Madeira and São Miguel of the Azores, check out our other posts offering more detail:
- Jump over to our GoGirlfriend Album on Facebook for a photo stroll
- Madeira 7-day sightseeing itinerary
- Visit Madeira Tourism
- Our comparison of these Atlantic jewels - Madeira and Sao Miguel of the Azores
- Sao Miguel, Azores 6-day itinerary
- Visit Azores Tourism
- Sao Miguel, Azores hiking – calderas, tectonic plates and waterfalls
Drop a comment below if these hikes on the gorgeous island of Madeira intrigue you. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or now Bluesky for more photos and Madeira adventure highlights.
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