PR 13 · Madeira
Vereda do Fanal
The high plateau of ancient til trees, bent into shapes by the wind and standing in fog most of the year.
- Distance 10.8 km
- Walking time 4 h
- Highest point 1,420 m
- Difficulty Moderate
- Route One way
Official figures. Walking times are moving times: they assume you never stop.
The route
One way. The trail ends somewhere else from where it starts, so plan how you get back before you set off.
The walk
A plateau at 1400 m with cows on it, fog on it most days, and til trees the wind has been bending for a few hundred years.
The til is a laurisilva tree, and up here it grows out in the open instead of in thick forest. Each one is its own shape against the grass. In fog they appear one at a time as you walk towards them, which is why every photographer on the island has been here and why it looks nothing like the pictures on a clear day.
It is a long drive on slow roads, which is the main reason most visitors never make it.
The practical problem: the trail runs between two different points on the ER 209, several kilometres apart, so you finish a long way from your car. A lot of people drive to the Fanal end, walk in as far as they fancy, and turn round.
Take a coat. It is cold up there in August.
The fog is the reason to come and the reason people get lost. Visibility drops to a few metres with no warning. Stay on the marked path.
Before you go
Where to park
Roadside on the ER 209, at either end. There is a proper car park at the Fanal end, by the forestry house.
Getting back
Starts and ends at different points on the ER 209, several kilometres apart. Two cars, a taxi, or walk in and back out.
By bus
No useful bus. This is a car trip, and a slow one.
What to bring
A coat. It is 1400 m up and the damp goes through anything thin.
When to go
Four hours end to end. The trees look best in fog, which usually means the morning.
Toilets, water and food
Toilets at the Fanal forestry house when it is open. Otherwise nothing.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PR 13
- You, on the line The whole trail on the map with your position on it, from the car park to the end.
- No signal needed Kept on your phone for the valleys and tunnels where the network goes.
- Today's free slots Every half hour of the day, live from SIMplifica, and booking in a tap.
- A timer for the walk Private, it counts from the trailhead and stops by itself at the end.
- To do, and done Mark the walks you want to do and the ones you have walked.
- Open or closed, every morning The IFCN status on every trail, read again each day.
Questions people ask
Is PR 13 open today?
Yes. The IFCN lists PR 13 (Vereda do Fanal) as open.
Do I need a licence for PR 13?
Yes. Every visitor over twelve books an entry slot on SIMplifica, the regional government's portal, before walking, and pays €4.50. Madeira residents, children aged twelve and under and people with a disability of 60% or more do not pay, but still register.
How long does PR 13 take?
The official walking time is 4 h for 10.8 km, one way. It is a moving time that assumes you never stop, so allow more for photographs, food and rests.
Where do I park for PR 13?
Roadside on the ER 209, at either end. There is a proper car park at the Fanal end, by the forestry house.
How do I get back after PR 13?
Starts and ends at different points on the ER 209, several kilometres apart. Two cars, a taxi, or walk in and back out.
Can I get to PR 13 by bus?
No useful bus. This is a car trip, and a slow one.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 13 (10.8 km, 4 h, moderate, 1130–1420 m)
- IFCN / SIMplifica (licence and fee)
Status as the IFCN publishes it. This page was last rebuilt on 15 October at 07:00, Madeira time. Trails close without warning after storms: check again on the morning you walk.
Guides that mention this trail
Trails nearby
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