Porto Moniz
PR13 Vereda do Fanal, and the fog that makes or ruins it
The short answer
PR13 Vereda do Fanal crosses the high ground from Paúl da Serra down to the Fanal forestry station and its stand of ancient wind-sculpted til laurel. It is point to point along ER 209, needs a booked IFCN timeslot, and the atmosphere it is famous for depends entirely on fog.
Trail fee, per person over twelve
€4.50
Booked as a dated timeslot on the SIMplifica portal. Free for ages twelve and under, who still have to be on the booking.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026Two or more trails in one day
€9.00
SIMplifica applies whichever rate is cheapest at checkout. PR1 is excluded.
IFCN, 2026 · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Porto Moniz |
|---|---|
| Type | Walks and levadas |
| How long | 4 hours |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Cost | €4.50 |
| Best season | Autumn and winter mornings, when the mist that makes the trees photogenic is most likely |
| Permit | Yes — book before you go |
The route
PR13 runs 10.8 km, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 between two points on ER 209, from Assobiadores down to Fanal, and the tourism board gives 4 hours, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026. It stays high, between 1,130 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 and 1,420 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026, crossing open plateau before dropping into the forestry station.
Fanal is classified as a Rest and Quiet Reserve inside the Madeira Natural Park and sits within the Natura 2000 network.
The fog trade-off
Every photograph of Fanal that anyone has ever seen was taken in fog. The til laurels are centuries old, some of them older than the settlement of the island, and mist is what turns them into silhouettes.
The same fog makes ER 209 across Paúl da Serra a serious drive, with no lighting and long unlit stretches. There is no version of this walk that gets the pictures without the driving conditions.
Booking and pairing
The fee is €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 with a dated timeslot on SIMplifica. PR14 Levada dos Cedros starts from the same road, so the two are commonly done in a day at the combined rate of €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 rather than €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 each.
What is not perfect about it
The famous version of Fanal depends on fog. Fog also means nothing else is visible, and the plateau road on ER 209 is genuinely dangerous in it. Clear weather gives a pleasant walk to a field of old trees, which is not what anyone came for. It is also point to point, so transport has to be arranged at both ends.
Questions people actually ask
When is Fanal foggy?
The tourism board points to autumn and winter mornings for the mist. Summer is more often clear, and a clear Fanal is a field with old trees in it.
Is PR13 a loop?
No. It runs point to point between two places on ER 209, so transport has to be arranged at both ends.
Can PR13 and PR14 be done on the same day?
They share the same road and the combined rate of €9.00, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026 covers two or more trails in a day. Each still needs its own timeslot.
Where this came from
- IFCN: Percursos Pedestres Classificados — taxas e reservas (FAQ). ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/pt/atividades-de-natureza/percursos-pedes Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: Fanal. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/north-coast/porto- Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: PR13 Vereda do Fanal. visitmadeira.com/en/what-to-do/nature-seekers/activities/h Read August 26, 2026.