Machico
PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço, the treeless end of the island
The short answer
PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço runs out along the arid volcanic peninsula at the eastern end of Madeira, where the north and south coasts are visible at the same time. It sits inside a Partial Natural Reserve, needs a booked IFCN timeslot, and has essentially no shade anywhere.
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, 2026Length each way, per the IFCN register
4 km
A round trip of eight kilometres. Conflicts with the tourism board.
IFCN · check it · read August 26, 2026Round trip, per Visit Madeira
6 km
Conflicts with the IFCN register.
Visit Madeira · check it · read August 26, 2026The facts
| Where | Machico |
|---|---|
| Type | Walks and levadas |
| How long | 2 hours 30 minutes |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Cost | €4.50 |
| Best season | Spring and autumn. The middle of a summer day is the wrong time. |
| Permit | Yes — book before you go |
What makes it different
Everything else worth walking on Madeira is green. This is not. The peninsula east of Caniçal is dry volcanic rock in red and ochre, low enough that the route only moves between 23 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 and 126 m, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026, and narrow enough that both coasts are in view at once.
The whole area is a Partial Natural Reserve. The path starts at Baía d’Abra, at the end of the road, and runs out to Casa do Sardinha.
The fee and the length nobody agrees on
Entry costs €4.50, source: IFCN, 2026, read August 26, 2026, booked and paid through SIMplifica as a dated timeslot. Children twelve and under pay nothing and still have to be on the booking.
On distance, IFCN’s register gives 4 km, source: IFCN, read August 26, 2026 each way. Visit Madeira’s peninsula page describes 6 km, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 for the round trip. Those two figures cannot both be right, and neither authority has corrected the other.
Heat, wind and timing
The tourism board gives 2 hours 30 minutes, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 for the walk. In practice the constraint is not fitness but exposure: no shade, no shelter from the wind, and rock that holds heat.
The compensation is that this corner is the driest and lowest on the island. When the mountains are in cloud and the north coast is wet, São Lourenço is often the only walk still working.
What is not perfect about it
There is no shade and there are no trees anywhere on the peninsula. This is the hottest, most exposed walk on the island and it is relentlessly windy, which is the only thing making the heat bearable. The two official sources also disagree on how long it is.
Questions people actually ask
How long is the São Lourenço walk?
The two official sources disagree. IFCN’s register gives 4 km, source: IFCN, read August 26, 2026 each way; Visit Madeira describes 6 km, source: Visit Madeira, read August 26, 2026 as a round trip. Both were read on the same day.
Is there any shade on Ponta de São Lourenço?
No. There are no trees on the peninsula at all. Everything about the walk assumes full sun and constant wind.
Is it a good option when the weather is bad elsewhere?
It is the driest, lowest corner of Madeira, so it often stays clear when the peaks are clouded. In actual rain and wind it is miserable, because there is nowhere to shelter.
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.
- IFCN: Percursos Pedestres Recomendados — registo e estado dos percursos. ifcn.madeira.gov.pt/pt/atividades-de-natureza/percursos-pedes Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: Ponta de São Lourenço. visitmadeira.com/en/where-to-go/madeira/east-coast/machico Read August 26, 2026.
- Visit Madeira: PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço. visitmadeira.com/en/what-to-do/nature-seekers/activities/h Read August 26, 2026.