Caminho Real da Encumeada Trail (PR12)

PR12 follows an old royal road, the route used to cross the mountains between the south of Madeira and Encumeada. From the Boca da Corrida side the path traverses high open ground with the interior of the island below. It is hard walking. The trail climbs and drops repeatedly, and the return is the same ground in reverse. About an hour and a half in, the through-route stops at a closure. A branch turns off there and climbs to the summit of Pico Grande, very steep, ending in a rock scramble with a fixed rope. From the top the view reaches across to Pico do Areeiro. The car park fills, but the trail does not.

• Parking fills: the bays at the trailhead are close to full by mid-afternoon, and cars park along the road instead.
• No water or toilets: there is nothing at the trailhead and nothing on the trail. Carry all the water you need.
• Not a loop: the trail climbs and drops hard in both directions, and you return the way you came in.
• Closure: the through-route to Encumeada is closed partway along. Check the official trail status before you set out.
• Time: allow about five hours there and back if you climb Pico Grande.

The road ends at the Boca da Corrida viewpoint, and that is where the walking starts. The car park sits about 40 metres from the trailhead, and an information board marks the start of the path. When the bays are full, cars line the road nearby. Everything beyond is on foot, and the climbing begins straight away: the path rises and drops the whole way in to the closure point.

Better: a morning start.

Avoid: setting off in the afternoon if you plan to climb Pico Grande.

The round trip to the summit takes about five hours, so a late start means finishing in the dark. Parking is straightforward early in the day. Crowds are not the problem here: even with a full car park, walkers spread out and the path stays quiet.