PR 20 · Madeira
Vereda do Jardim do Mar
Closed. The tourism board and the IFCN both say so; the Calheta council page still describes it as though it were open.
The neighbouring descent to Paul do Mar's, this one down to Jardim do Mar. Closed at the moment.
- Distance 1.9 km
- Walking time 1 h 30
- Highest point 530 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
Another old way down the cliff, 1.9 km from Prazeres to the church square in Jardim do Mar, dropping nearly 500 m.
It is closed, and has been for a while. The tourism board lists it as closed and the IFCN has said it does not meet the conditions to be open. The Calheta council page still reads as though nothing were wrong, which is a good example of why one source is never enough.
The two official sources also disagree about how hard it is — easy from the tourism board, medium from the council. For a 500 m descent on irregular ground, medium sounds closer.
If it reopens, the same weekend trap applies as at Paul do Mar: no bus out of Jardim do Mar on Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.
Before you go
Getting back
When open: buses out of Jardim do Mar run twice on weekdays and not at all at weekends.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PR 20
- 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.
- 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 20 open today?
No. The IFCN lists PR 20 (Vereda do Jardim do Mar) as closed. Closed. The tourism board and the IFCN both say so; the Calheta council page still describes it as though it were open.
How long does PR 20 take?
The official walking time is 1 h 30 for 1.9 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 20?
When open: buses out of Jardim do Mar run twice on weekdays and not at all at weekends.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet and status list PR 20 (1.9 km, 1:30, easy, 35–530 m): closed
- IFCN notices: does not yet meet conditions to open
- Câmara Municipal da Calheta: grades it medium, irregular and steep, and carries no closure notice
- Rodoeste timetable for Jardim do Mar: no weekend or holiday service
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.
Trails nearby
All 43 trailsCaminho Real do Paul do Mar
The old royal road down the cliff from Prazeres to the fishing village of Paul do Mar. All descent, 534 metres of it.
- 1.8 km
- 1 h 20
- Moderate
- One way
Vereda do Túnel do Cavalo
Into Rabaçal through an 800-metre tunnel cut between 1863 and 1877, from the Caldeira side.
- 2.3 km
- 45 min
- One way
Levada Velha do Rabaçal
The old channel above Rabaçal, from Pico Gordo down to the forestry house.
- 5 km
- 2 h
- One way