PR 3.1 · Madeira

Caminho Real do Monte

Open

No licence needed for this trail.

The old royal road from Ribeira das Cales down to Monte, cobbled for long stretches, under trees most of the way.

Distance 4.2 km
Walking time 2 h
Highest point 1,130 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

600 m 800 m 1,000 m 1,200 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.

Before you go

When to go

Joins PR 3 to make a full descent from Pico do Areeiro to Monte, and the cable car down to Funchal.

In the app

Everything for the day you walk PR 3.1

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.

Download on the App Store

Free. Scan with your phone.

Questions people ask

Is PR 3.1 open today?

Yes. The IFCN lists PR 3.1 (Caminho Real do Monte) as open.

How long does PR 3.1 take?

The official walking time is 2 h for 4.2 km, one way. It is a moving time that assumes you never stop, so allow more for photographs, food and rests.

Checked against

IFCN, classified trails table (distance, status)
OpenStreetMap contributors (path)

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

Places to see Monte, Funchal: Cable Car, Monte Palace Garden and Toboggans A half day in Monte above Funchal: cable car up, Monte Palace garden, the church and the wicker toboggan down. 2026 prices and hours. Read 8 min Hiking and levadas Free Levada Walks in Madeira: What Still Costs Nothing in 2026 Since January 2026 most classified trails in Madeira cost €4.50. These walks are still free, with no booking, and here is what you give up. Read 9 min Places to see Funchal Old Town (Zona Velha): What to See, Street by Street A walker's guide to Funchal's old town, the Zona Velha: the market, the painted doors of Rua de Santa Maria, the yellow fort, and when to go. Read 8 min

Trails nearby

All 43 trails

PR 4 Partly open

Levada do Barreiro

A high levada from Poço da Neve, near the Areeiro road, down to the Casa do Barreiro. Partly passable at the moment; check the IFCN.

6.7 km
Easy
One way

PR 10 Open

Levada do Furado

Eleven kilometres of levada from Ribeiro Frio to Portela, through some of the oldest laurel forest on the island.

11 km
5 h
Moderate
One way

PR 3 Open

Vereda do Burro

Down from the Pico do Areeiro car park to Ribeira das Cales, mostly through heather and then laurel forest. A descent, not a climb.

7.2 km
Easy
One way