Boca da Corrida viewpoint

The road ends at a pass, and the interior of Madeira opens on both sides at once. At 1,007 m, Boca da Corrida looks over the deep valleys and ridgelines at the centre of the island, and the view is there from the parking area — you do not have to walk to earn it.

Most of what happens here, though, happens on foot. The signboard for PR 12 Caminho Real stands about 25 m from the viewpoint, and the first hour of that path is easy going, with the ground falling away on either side of the ridge. Beyond it the route runs mainly downhill towards Encumeada. A small technical path branches off and climbs Pico Grande in about another hour; from the summit the view drops into both valleys and runs along the main ridge.

• No toilets or water — nothing at the viewpoint and nothing within reach of it; fill bottles before the drive up.
• The car park fills up — it sits at the viewpoint and is free, and when it is full cars park along the road on the approach.
• Closures — the last stretch to Encumeada was shut in August 2024, with a detour to Serra de Água, and the main route again in December 2025.
• Sun on the trail — long sections of PR 12 have no shade, so carry more water than the walk looks like it needs.

You drive here. The road up from Estreito de Câmara de Lobos ends at the pass, and the car park is at the viewpoint itself, so there is no walk in from anywhere. It fills up, and when it does, cars park along the road on the approach without trouble. The PR 12 Caminho Real signboard stands about 25 m from the viewpoint, which puts the trailhead a few paces from the tarmac.

Better: sunrise or sunset. Low light across the ridges and valleys is the reason to be up here early or late, and an early start also puts the exposed stretches of PR 12 behind you before the heat builds.

Avoid: the middle of the day if you intend to walk. Long sections of the path lie open to the sun, and there is no shade to sit out the worst of it.