Vereda do Larano

This walk connects Machico to Porto da Cruz through an old footpath once used by the local people to move from one place to another to do exchange business. The walk starts in the Levada dos Maroc?os, so the first part of the route is easy walking along a Levada followed with Mimosa trees and agricultural lands. After enjoying the fantastic views over Machico city, we go up a trail to reach the viewpoint of Boca do Risco, where a superb view awaits us over the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Ponta de Sa?o Lourenc?o, the Penha d’Aguia and, if the weather permits, The Porto Santo Island. Stunning, don’t you think so? After a short stop to refresh, we continue our walk towards Porto da Cruz, by a coastal path with fascinating views and where you can observe some endemic specimens of Madeira. The route is quite narrow and vertiginous, being slippery during the wetter months, that’s why this trail is recommended for people used to walk on the mountain. On our way to Porto da Cruz you can see one of the most iconic rock formations of Madeira, Penha D’Aguia, prepare your camera for sure you will want to immortalize this moment in a photograph. After our walk we will stop in the center of Porto da Cruz, here you can see the famous sugar cane mill, where they extract the juice of the sugar cane for the confection of the brandy “aguardente” or of the honey cane that will lead to our typical honey cake. Duration: approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes Distance: 12 km Highest point: 350 m Lowest point: 100 m Location: Porto da Cruz | Machico Difficulty: Moderate/Difficult Days: Saturdays Includes: Official Mountain Guide, transport and insurance (Required by Portuguese law)