I love Paul da Serra in wintertime! On a clear day, with the bluest of skies, and the plateau strewn with yellow gorse, it is breathtaking. And you don't have to venture far from the road to find some gorgeous walks with quite startling views; the wild interior of Madeira has it all.
We decided to venture up there and walk the PR13, from Assobiadores to Fanal; after a glorious two weeks in December, with day after day of blue skies and sunshine, we were eager to squeeze in one more walk before returning home for Christmas.
The PR13, also known as the Vereda do Fanal, offers a moderately strenuous hike across a wide green area of the indigenous Laurissilva forest, with a naturally exuberant scenery throughout Its length. There are also many 'miradouras', spectacular viewpoints along the way, that draw your eyeline deep into green valleys, across to distant peaks and sometimes down to the ocean and 'baixos' below.
It is, however, a walk of two halves.
The first part of the trail starts at the ER209, where there is a small carpark, immediately plunging you straight into the wide green plain, which feels like a wilderness despite never being more than about a kilometer from the road.
The rough dirt path twists and turns between the foliage, often up and down steep stone or wooden steps. Occasionally, it opens out providing natural viewpoints: over to Rabaçal, the sunlight glinting on the windows of the cars of walkers exploring the '25 Fontes' or 'Vereda do Alecrim', down and along dense green valleys, or upwards towards waterfalls spilling over dramatic escarpments .
The track continues for several kilometers, relentlessly undulating and today, slick and greasy after the heavy rainfall a couple of days ago, demanding a certain level of stamina and a good pair of knees.
Eventually, the path crosses a rickety wooden bridge and ford's a stream, before climbing steeply up a wooden staircase back to the road.
Rejoining the path on the other side, the feel of the walk changes. Very quickly we descend a steep set of stone steps, often crumbled and broken; this requires some concentration. Finally, the path levels and follows the contour of the hillside before leading us to a miradoura with beautiful views over the valley towards Seixal, although it isn't quite a sea view yet.
We continued, through thick undergrowth - no glimpses of the view beyond on this path, mainly on the level, but gradually getting lower in the valley, the low winter sun obscured by the hill behind us. Along this path I noticed several strange looking plants; low to the ground and silvery grey in colour with spiky leaves. My plant identification app could not tell me what they were so I will have do some further investigation.
Emerging from the cool of the woods, the path opened out again and we enjoyed another miradoura, this time our eyes drawn down to Viveiro des Trutas (the trout farm) in the Cháo da Ribiera.
We followed the path, which was at first muddy but then had been covered with a gravel of volcanic rock, until it widened into a grassy area which has been well maintained. We were now in the Fanal Forest area, very popular because of its ancient Til trees and winding pathways.
We gradually wound our way down to the viewpoint over the North Coast, enjoying amazing clear views all the way down to Ponta Delgada further down the coastline, and that elusive seaview.
Being an in-and-out route, we retraced our steps, back along the grassy paths of Fanal, taking a look at the old camping huts on our way. We continued, back along the winding paths and up and down the undulating staircases of the Vereda do Fanal, enjoying the views in reverse.
A great day out!
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