PR 5 · Madeira
Vereda das Funduras
Through the Funduras forest from the Portela viewpoint down to Maroços, in the quiet east of the island.
- Distance 8.7 km
- Walking time 3 h
- Highest point 624 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
Eight and a half kilometres from the Portela viewpoint through laurel forest and down to the village of Maroços above Machico, losing about 440 m along the way.
This is one of the least walked classified trails, which on an island with the crowd problems Madeira has is a reason in itself. The forest here is real forest rather than a strip beside a levada.
Three hours is the official figure. Some walkers report closer to four, and the descent at the end is the slow part.
Wooded and damp underfoot, and the descent is long. No exposure worth worrying about.
Before you go
Getting back
It ends at Maroços, not at Portela. Buses run through the Machico area but arrange the return before you set off.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PR 5
- 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 5 open today?
Yes. The IFCN lists PR 5 (Vereda das Funduras) as open.
Do I need a licence for PR 5?
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 5 take?
The official walking time is 3 h for 8.7 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 5?
It ends at Maroços, not at Portela. Buses run through the Machico area but arrange the return before you set off.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PR 5 (8.7 km, 3 h, moderate, 186–624 m)
- Longer walker-reported times noted for context; the official figure is the one shown
- 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.
Trails nearby
All 43 trails
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 11 Open Vereda dos Balcões
A flat half-hour through the laurel forest to a balcony looking straight at the island's highest peaks.
- 1.5 km
- 1 h 30
- Easy
- There and back
PR 9.1 Open Queimadas
Um Caminho para Todos
The accessible stretch of the Caldeirão Verde levada, between Queimadas and Pico das Pedras — built for wheelchairs and for anyone who cannot manage the long version.
- 1.9 km
- 45 min
- Easy
- One way