What it’s like to hike Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8), Madeira
During my trip to Madeira, I hiked the Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço (PR8), arguably the island’s most popular coastal trail. I was not disappointed! The coast path winds around cliff faces with seemingly little difficulty, providing gorgeous views as a result.
After my trip, I figured I’d write a guide to hiking this trail. It contains practical information on some of the top questions you may have about the hike, such as how to get there and how difficult it is, as well as a bit on my personal experience of the trail. I hope it assists your Madeira holiday planning!
About hiking in Madeira
If there’s one thing that people know about Madeira – beyond the wine or cake, of course – it’s its hiking. Madeira is a volcanic island in the Atlantic, with tall mountains for such a small island. As such, Madeira is home to some great trails. You’ll find a range of routes all across the island, labelled “PR” (Pequena Rota, or Small Route), which are well-constructed and well-visited.
What strikes me most about hiking in Madeira is its variety. Mountains, forest or coast? They’re all here; take your pick!
Where can you hike in Madeira?
If you’re a mountain kind of person, you’re in luck. The centre of Madeira is mountainous, giving away to peaks such as Pico de Ruivo, which at 1862 m is the highest on Madeira, and one of the highest in all of Portugal. As a relatively small island, I was surprised how high these peaks get! Possibly the most popular trail, PR1 (or Vereda do Areeiro) crosses three of the tallest peaks in the island, as you move between Pico de Ruivo and Pico de Areeiro up steep staircases and along cliff faces.
Elsewhere in the centre of the island, there’s lush native forest which is popular to visit. Several trails pass through the Laurissilva Forest, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which contains trees which are endemic to Madeira and are considered ‘living fossils’ due to them having similar characteristics to trees long gone extinct.
Meanwhile, Madeira is home to many artificial waterways, known as levadas, which were historically used to transport water around the island. As these levadas cut through and around mountains and provide a generally level surface, they’ve ended up being incorporated into some of the best hiking routes on the island, such as PR8, or Levada das 25 Fontes.
And of course, Madeira is an island, so it has many coastal trails too.
Choosing to hike PR8
I visited Madeira for a week in late September / early October 2024. I was on a relaxing family holiday, so major hiking wasn’t on the cards – and honestly I didn’t want it to be! I’m not a major hiker; I enjoy it in moderation.
However, my sister, Lou, is a much bigger hiker than I am, and was craving a bit of hill-climbing. Therefore, in between a day diving, exploring Funchal, and difficult sunbathing times, we figured we’d go for a day hike.
Our initial thought was PR1, walking from Pico Ruivo to Pico de Areeiro. The pictures looked stunning and it made the most sense – if we’re going to do one hike, we may as well make it the most famous on the island. However, PR1 was partially shut during our trip due to forest fires, so we thought it probably wasn’t worth it.
Deciding which walk to do instead was hard. I’d seen enough forest during last year’s backpacking trip, so a levada walk, nice as it sounds, wasn’t really what I was after. So when Lou suggested PR8, Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço, it seemed like a good fit.
What is PR8: Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço?
PR8 is a coastal trail in the far north-eastern corner of Madeira. It’s 7 km long and takes around 3 hours to walk. There are several spots where you can swim, a couple of viewpoints, and a cafe at the end for a rest stop. There’s also a hill at the end (for those of you who crave a climb like Lou did!).
My experience of walking PR8
To make things easiest, Lou and I booked a sunrise transfer to PR8, costing €25 ($27 / £21) per person. I wasn’t crazy about going for sunrise – I like my sleep, particularly whilst on holiday – but seeing as sunrise is around 8 am in October in Madeira, this wasn’t as bad as it initially sounded.
Our pick up time was 6:30 am, but it was closer to 7 am when we boarded the minibus taking us to the trailhead. It was fully dark at 7:30 am when we reached the car park, and it felt much earlier than it actually was!
The minibus driver showed us a map of the trail; essentially, it’s an in-and-out trail for much of its route, before there’s a turnaround section at the end. He advised us to stop early along the trail to see sunrise and gave us a pick up time of 12 pm. Then we headed off.
On the way
Lou and I initially stopped around 15 minutes into the walk for sunrise. We chose slightly off the trail and had an okay view of where the sun would rise from. However, today was not the day for a good sunrise; it was cloudy and it got lighter without any pretty colours. Well, we tried!
We set off in earnest after a little bit. The trail was relatively quiet and of course, most people walking out from the car park (rather than turning back), so we didn’t have to give way to many people. There was a lot of space at the viewpoints.
Throughout the trail, there were gorgeous views of the coastline on either side: a fish farm and fancy boats on one side; rugged cliffs with inaccessible beaches on the other. We could see the Desertas islands – islands which I am so curious about – in the distance later in the day, as the clouds cleared. There was a lot of rubbish on the northern coast which I wasn’t expecting; it must just collect on the shore, with no one able to clear it up. They say that the monk seal, a rare mammal species, can be seen off Ponta de São Lourenço, but frankly I wouldn’t blame them for giving that particular area a miss.
I kept getting distracted by the rocks, with the path taking us over intrusions with super obvious basalt dykes. It’s not normal that I go somewhere with such an obvious geological history, so that was fun.
The middle
When the path split into two, we headed in an anti-clockwise direction. There are two beaches you can visit on the way, and we visited one of these as we went past, but we didn’t have enough time to swim. We had a quick break at the rest stop, Casa do Sardinha, which has a cafe and toilets. Unfortunately, these aren’t open until 10 am, but we made use of their benches anyway.
After this was the hill. Now, I did not know this hill existed – it had been roped off so I didn’t even know it was part of the walk. I assume it’s closed now, or maybe it wasn’t supposed to be part of the trail in the first place? However, everyone heads up there, so we did too.
This part of the trail is clearly no longer part of the official route. Although there were ‘steps’, they were little more than logs on the hillside. There was a metal rope barrier next to the walkway, but it was fraying and looked barbed. Lou cut herself on the rope and we had much worry whilst we tried to remember if she was vaccinated against tetanus (she was). After that, we avoided touching it as much as we could; if we needed to, the posts connecting the bits of rope seemed to be in better shape.
Ponta do Furado viewpoint
The hill was a bit of a hike for me, long and steep. However, at the top there was another viewpoint which arguably made the climb worth it.
At the top of the hill at Ponta do Furado viewpoint, we could see along the remainder of Ponta de São Lourenço, with several more inaccessible islets and little coves a little way out. Far out in the distance, we could see the São Lourenço Lighthouse on the Farol islet (literally “lighthouse islet”). And looking back, we could see Madeira’s long coastline, with the airport runway taking centre stage.
At the viewpoint, we waited a while to get our photo with the view. As it wasn’t even that busy, I can’t imagine how long that’d be during the day…
The way back
After climbing the hill, we made our way back towards the car park. We were beginning to run out of time so, although there was still time to take breaks and look at the view, we also knew there wouldn’t be enough time for a final swim at São Lourenço Beach (sigh).
The way back was not as nice as walking out, namely because so many people were on the outbound way of the walk. We passed various tour groups on a guided hike, as well as lots of smaller groups. I was surprised by how discourteous the hikers generally were. I normally gave way to other groups so they could pass, but hikers rarely said thank you or extended the same courtesy for us. You’d think people would be a little bit more considerate, but I guess that’s what happens when you’re on holiday…
Still, the views were as gorgeous as before when walking in this direction.
We arrived back at the car park and had a sneaky look at the viewpoint by the car park, before heading back in the minibus to our hotel. All in all, it was a good morning!
What you need to know about hiking PR8
Is there an entry fee?
There’s an entry fee of €1 ($1.10 / £0.85) for adults to walk the Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço. You’ll see a smallish sign about this at the start of the walk, with a QR code for you to pay online.
Realistically, I’m not sure how many hikers actually pay this, with no one to take payment. For sure it isn’t well enforced.
What time is best to hike PR8?
I’d recommend setting off to hike PR8 early. We arrived around 7:30 am and the trail was relatively quiet, with space in the car park, but arriving back around 12:00 pm, the car park was full and people were haphazardly parking their cars down the road. The trail was fairly busy after 10 am too and I can only imagine that it would increase in the afternoon.
If you want to be there for sunrise, arrive 30 minutes before sunrise (that’s around 7:30 am for October, falling to 6:30 to 7 am in summer). If you want to be at the end of the trail by this time for some reason, set off 1:30 hours before. A bit later is fine if you don’t mind missing sunrise or if it’s cloudy (like on my visit).
How long does hiking PR8 take?
The official time to walk PR8 is 2.5 hours, round trip. However, it’s unclear if this includes the hill at the end.
I’d personally suggest leaving 3 to 4 hours to do the hike, including rest time. I’d leave even more if you want to swim at one of the beaches or if you want extra stops along the way.
It took us 4 hours to do the walk, without any swimming but including the hill and a few longer breaks along the way.
Does it get cold?
Before hiking PR8, I was a little concerned I didn’t have enough layers to begin a hike at sunrise.
However, Madeira doesn’t get that cold at night, and Ponta de São Lourenço, being coastal, is only a few hundred metres above sea level, so it isn’t at altitude. Therefore, I was never really cold, even when sat around waiting for sunset.
I’d recommend bringing a fleece to keep you warm in the early morning or if you sit down, plus a raincoat if it’s predicted to rain. But otherwise you should be fine.
Do you need hiking boots?
I wouldn’t attempt this hike without wearing good shoes: either hiking boots or trainers. I saw a few people with sneakers or similar struggle, as there are some sandy / dusty sections (particularly at the final hill) where good grip is key. But if you haven’t packed your boots, it’s not the end of the world.
How can you get to Ponta de São Lourenço?
There are several ways to reach Ponta de São Lourenço.
Many people online choose to hire a car for easy exploring the island at their own pace, in which case you can arrive at the trailhead whenever you want. Having never driven abroad before, I opted against this, and I’m sure that’s the same for lots of other people too.
It’s possible to take the bus from Funchal to Ponta de São Lourenço, via bus SAM 113. I didn’t try this, so I don’t know how easy it is.
An alternative is to take a tour. We opted for a self-guided tour (in effect, transfers). The trail is easy to follow and with so many people around, there’s no need to hike with a guide; but some might prefer it, given that it makes the logistics easy.
How difficult is PR8?
When reading around this trail, you’ll see that it’s been placed at an easy to moderate difficulty.
Personally, excluding the hill at the end, I’d place it around moderate difficulty. The trail is well-paved and easy to follow, although it is undulating and there are a few small climbs.
The hill at the end is by far the worst bit. It’s a constant upward climb for around fifteen minutes, with poor barriers and not the best steps. I would place it on the more difficult end. Fortunately, though, you can skip this bit easily.
What facilities are there at Ponta de São Lourenço?
You’ll find Casa do Sardinha, a cafe serving refreshments, at the furthest point along the walk. This didn’t open until 10 am during my trip so I didn’t use it; however, as I was walking back it looked fairly busy.
Casa do Sardinha has toilets in case you need to go, which cost €2 per trip. These didn’t open until 10 am so weren’t much use for our sunrise hike.
There were several food trucks parked in the car park, in case you want a drink or snacks after your walk.
Conclusion
I loved hiking the Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço. This coastal trail, in the north-east corner of Madeira, blends ocean views with unique landscapes and geology. It makes a good walk to fit in with a longer hiking itinerary through the island, but also complements holidays like mine, where you’re only heading out on one or two hikes in between sightseeing and relaxing.
What do you want to know about hiking PR8? Let me know in the comments!
More on hiking
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