PR 15 · Madeira

Vereda da Ribeira da Janela

Open

Licence needed · €4.50 a person Book on SIMplifica Which slots are free right now? The app shows every half hour, live.

A short, steep descent from the ER 209 down to the village of Ribeira da Janela.

Distance 2.7 km
Walking time 1 h 30
Highest point 820 m
Difficulty Moderate
Route One way

Official figures. Walking times are moving times: they assume you never stop.

The route

The whole trail, with you on it The full line, where you are on it and the way back, in the app. It keeps working with no signal.

Open it in the app

Start Line © OpenStreetMap contributors, for orientation, not navigation

400 m 500 m 600 m 700 m 800 m

The profile shows the shape of the walk; the figures above are the official ones.

One way. The trail ends somewhere else from where it starts, so plan how you get back before you set off.

The walk

Two point seven kilometres, mostly downhill, from Curral Falso at 820 m to Ribeira da Janela at around 400 m. An hour and a half.

The Porto Moniz council, whose trail this is, is blunt about the surface: irregular and slippery in places, and it wants proper footwear. It also points out something the tourism board leaves out — the path crosses the ER 209 twice, and that road carries fast traffic in fog.

Most people pair it with the PR 14, leaving a car at the bottom and walking down from Fanal.

There is a picnic area with toilets on the route, and restaurants and bus stops near the bottom, which for a trail this far out is unusual.

Take care

Slippery, uneven, and it crosses a main road twice — in fog, treat both crossings seriously.

Before you go

Getting back

It ends in Ribeira da Janela, at the bottom. Walking back up is 400 m of climb — most people arrange a car or a bus.

What to bring

Footwear with grip. The council asks for it specifically.

Toilets, water and food

A picnic area with toilets, fireplaces and tables on the route. Restaurants and toilets near the finish at Eira da Achada.

In the app

Everything for the day you walk PR 15

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.

Download on the App Store

Free. Scan with your phone.

Questions people ask

Is PR 15 open today?

Yes. The IFCN lists PR 15 (Vereda da Ribeira da Janela) as open.

Do I need a licence for PR 15?

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 15 take?

The official walking time is 1 h 30 for 2.7 km, one way. It is a moving time that assumes you never stop, so allow more for photographs, food and rests.

How do I get back after PR 15?

It ends in Ribeira da Janela, at the bottom. Walking back up is 400 m of climb — most people arrange a car or a bus.

Checked against

Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 15 (2.7 km, 1:30, moderate, 400–820 m)
Câmara Municipal do Porto Moniz, PR 15 page (2.6 km, 1–1.5 h, 451–848 m; surface warning, road crossings, picnic area and facilities)
The two official sources differ on distance and altitude; the tourism board figures are the ones shown

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.