Caminho Real da Encumeada (PR 12)

Landlords once rode this path on horseback while men carried their wives along it in hammocks, and the cobbles from those crossings are still underfoot. It was one of the main routes in the region, with a grocery store as a stopping point for people crossing the island.

Then the views open out. Curral das Freiras lies among the mountains, the village where the nuns of Santa Clara Convent took refuge during the pirate raids on Funchal in 1566. Water courses cut through slopes covered in Laurissilva forest, and the highest peaks in the archipelago stand close by.

Even with the car park nearly full, the path does not feel crowded.

At the Boca da Corrida viewpoint a PR 12 map board stands by the car park. The old cobbled path sets off from here, with Curral das Freiras in view among the mountains and water courses cutting through the Laurissilva forest.

At about kilometre 3.5, an hour and a half in, a path branches right and climbs to the summit of Pico Grande. It is very steep and finishes with a rock scramble on a hand rope. Closures have stopped the main line at this point, and then you turn back the same way.

Beyond that point the path rounds Pico Grande. When Serra d'Água and Encumeada come into view you are close to the end, on the ER 228 at Encumeada. The line does not loop, so the way back is the lift or second car you arranged beforehand.

• Check first: closures have stopped the line at kilometre 3.5 from Boca da Corrida. Look at the IFCN status page before planning the full crossing.
• One way: there and back in a day is not realistic, so arrange a second car or a pick-up at Encumeada for the full line.
• Effort: the official grade is moderate, but the up and down on old cobbles walks hard.
• Water and toilets: none at the start and none nearby, so fill up before you come.
• Refunds: rain earns no refund. A refund or new date comes only when the trail is officially closed or restricted on your date.

You arrive at the Boca da Corrida viewpoint, where the car park sits right by the trail's map board. A 9.30 start finds a space. By mid-afternoon the bays are almost full, and cars also line the road.

The Corrida stop is about 970 m away in a straight line, so the last stretch is on foot and runs longer on the ground. Check the route and its times before you rely on it.

The walk ends on the ER 228 at Encumeada, 12.5 km of trail from your car. Settle the return before you set out, with a second car or a pick-up. An out-and-back from Boca da Corrida needs neither: an hour out and an hour back still gets you the views.

Best: a dry, clear day, with a morning start if you mean to walk the whole line. It takes 4 to 5 hours, and the end at Encumeada is a long way from your car.

Avoid: rain and low cloud. The cobbles turn slick, the views over Curral das Freiras close in, and bad weather earns no refund, so book as close to the day as slots allow.

PR 12 is a classified trail managed by IFCN, and it sits inside the island's booking system. Registration and a booking for a specific entry slot are compulsory for everyone, including walkers who pay nothing. Bookings go through the SIMplifica Portal only, and IFCN's offices do not take them.

Entry slots have a tolerance of around 15 minutes, and a slot blocks automatically once it is full. A 1-, 3- or 7-day fee is only a cheaper rate: each trail still needs its own booking.

Exempt from the fee, with booking still required: residents of the Autonomous Region of Madeira with their resident card and citizen card, children aged 12 or under, and people with a disability of 60% or more, plus one legal guardian accompanying them, with documentary proof.