Vereda das Funduras (PR 5)

Penha d'Águia holds your eye from the first step: from the Portela viewpoint the great rock stands over the parishes of Porto da Cruz and Faial on the north coast. Then the footpath enters the Laurissilva and the horizon goes. This is indigenous forest, green and jungly enough for a scene from Jurassic Park, and a Natura 2000 site that is the main support for the island's endemic fauna and flora.

Views are few once you are inside; the forest is the walk. At Casa das Funduras you can choose to go to the Larano viewpoint for a wide look over the bay of Machico. The last stretch crosses the traditional terraced fields of Madeira's farmland into Maroços.

At the Portela viewpoint, look for the map board and the guidepost, then take the Serra das Funduras forest road. About the first 6 km stay at more or less the same altitude.

Off the forest road, the route continues on a footpath into the Laurissilva. After rain this stretch is muddy.

At Casa das Funduras, a building that supports forestry work, you can choose to go to the Larano viewpoint for a wide view over the bay of Machico.

Past the forest, the trail crosses terraced fields and gets harder: a steep descent, with many steps towards the end, drops into Maroços, where the trail ends.

At Maroços there is no loop back. Walking back to Portela starts with a steep 2 km climb. Walked from the Machico side instead, the day opens with that tough climb and the Portela view comes last.

• Mud: after a rainy night or a few wet days the path turns mucky; wear sturdy boots with grip and bring poles.
• Food: carry your own; do not count on the restaurant at the Portela end or a café at Maroços.
• Water and toilets: a free water point sits about 147 m away at Portela, so fill up there. No toilets at the start, and none nearby.
• The return: the trail ends at Maroços, so settle how you get back before you set off.
• Views: few once you are in the forest; the wide ones are at Portela and the Larano viewpoint.

The walk starts at the Portela viewpoint. Public transport stops at Portela, about 125 m away, and a car park sits at about the same distance. A second car park lies about 2,350 m away in a straight line.

The trail ends at Maroços, so a car left at Portela is at the other end when you finish. Walking back means the same path again, starting with a steep 2 km climb out of Maroços. Work out your return before you set off.

Best: a dry spell with a clear sky. March is quiet on the path, though rain leaves it muddy.

Avoid: the day after a rainy night or a run of wet days, unless you have boots with grip and poles.

Rain turns the forest path to mud above a steep final descent, and the views at Portela and over the bay of Machico need the cloud off the hills.

PR 5 is a classified trail managed by IFCN, and part of it runs through a Natura 2000 site. Entry works by time slot: you book the slot in which you enter, and once a slot reaches capacity it blocks automatically. The tolerance around your slot is about 15 minutes, a little more for walkers doing trails in sequence. Children 12 and under, Madeira residents with proof of status and people with a disability of 60% or more, plus one accompanying guardian, pay nothing but still book. Booking several trails applies a cheaper combined rate automatically.

Rescheduling or a refund comes only when the trail is officially closed or restricted on your booking date. Rain, a wrong date or a change of plan loses what you paid. The official IFCN trails page shows whether each PR is open.