Cabo de Larano Viewpoint

At the end of the dirt track the cliffs fall straight into the sea, and two viewpoints look out over them. Few people come this far, and the quiet holds along the path beyond.

That path is the real draw. The Larano path (Vereda do Larano) follows the cliffs to Boca do Risco, a notch in the ridge, with the sea beside you the whole way. It is mostly flat and well kept, and the round trip comes to about 10 km — a long afternoon of cliff views for very little climbing.

• The road up is narrow and runs close to the drop in places; drive it slowly.
• The free car park at the road's end has room for about six cars.
• There are no toilets and no drinking water at the viewpoint or nearby — fill up before you come.
• The walk to Boca do Risco and back takes about three hours; fast walkers manage two. Set off early enough to finish in daylight.
• Neither the car park nor the track is wheelchair accessible.

You arrive by car, up a narrow road that ends at a free car park with space for about six cars. From there a dirt track runs on foot for around 500 m to the two viewpoints, and the Larano path carries on past them towards Boca do Risco.

The nearest bus stop is about 1.8 km away in a straight line, so coming without a car adds a good stretch of walking before the path even starts.

Best: a clear, dry day, with an early enough start to finish the walk in daylight.

Avoid: rain and low cloud.

Cloud on Madeira's north coast can hide the cliffs completely, and both the dirt track and the narrow road up are worse going when wet.