PS PR 2 · Porto Santo
Vereda do Pico do Castelo
Up Porto Santo's wooded peak from Moledo, through the pines planted to hold the hillside together.
- Distance 4.6 km
- Walking time 2 h 15
- Highest point 435 m
- Difficulty Easy
Official figures. Walking times are moving times: they assume you never stop.
The route
The walk
Pico do Castelo is the green hill you see from Vila Baleira, and it is green because it was planted that way — a deliberate reforestation of a hill that had been stripped bare.
The official sheet gives two ways up, one either side of Pico do Facho: 3.2 km taking about an hour and a half, or 4.6 km taking about two and a quarter. Graded easy.
The name is not decorative. This hill was where islanders retreated when pirates landed, which on Porto Santo happened often enough to matter.
Before you go
By bus
None of the island's bus routes is documented as stopping at Moledo. Taxi from Vila Baleira.
In the app
Everything for the day you walk PS PR 2
- 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 PS PR 2 open today?
Yes. The IFCN lists PS PR 2 (Vereda do Pico do Castelo) as open.
Do I need a licence for PS PR 2?
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 PS PR 2 take?
The official walking time is 2 h 15 for 4.6 km. It is a moving time that assumes you never stop, so allow more for photographs, food and rests.
Can I get to PS PR 2 by bus?
None of the island's bus routes is documented as stopping at Moledo. Taxi from Vila Baleira.
Checked against
- Visit Madeira, official trail sheet PS PR 2 (3.2 km or 4.6 km, 1:30 or 2:15, easy, 225–435 m)
- IFCN classified list (route given as Moledo – Pico do Castelo)
- IFCN / SIMplifica (licence €4.50 over 12, free at 12 and under)
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.
