PR13
A misty forest of thousand-year laurels
Vereda do Fanal walks 10.8 km through Madeira's most atmospheric piece of UNESCO Laurisilva. Gnarled ancient laurel trees, hanging moss, near-permanent mist. No fee, no permit - one of the island's best free experiences.
Curated by
Filipe Pereira
Founder & Lead Curator
Issued 2026-05-16
Valid through June 2026
01 · At a glance
The vitals
What you need to know about Vereda do Fanal before you book or set out.
Distance
10.8 km
Duration
3.5-4.5 h
Elevation gain
350 m
Difficulty
Moderate
Exposure
1/5
Type
Vereda/Levada mix
Status, May 2026
Open
Open year-round 2026. No fee. No restrictions. The trail crosses some private grazing land - respect the gates and stiles.
Best season
Year-round - the fog is the feature
Fanal is most atmospheric in winter (December-March) with persistent fog and dramatic light through the trees. Spring brings spring growth and bird activity. Summer has the clearest weather but the lowest atmosphere. Autumn is the photographer's month.
“The Fanal forest exists in a different weather system than the rest of the island. Embrace the fog.”
02 · Getting to the trailhead
How to reach the start
Map placeholder
Start: Fanal area · End: Laurisilva viewpoints
By car from Funchal
About 1 hour 15 minutes via VR1 west then ER209 through Paúl da Serra to the Fanal area. The final 8 km is winding mountain road.
Parking
Free parking at the Fanal forest area. Small clearing; fills 10:00-14:00 on weekends.
Public transport
No bus to Fanal. Operator or taxi only.
Operator pickup
Most "west Madeira tour" operators include a Fanal stop. Standalone half-day pickup is uncommon - the location is far.
Taxi or transfer
Funchal to Fanal one-way is €50-60. Worth pairing with PR14 or PR15 to amortise the drive.
Tip from Filipe
Bring rain gear regardless of forecast - the Fanal microclimate is wet. The fog burns off later than predicted and returns earlier. Embrace it; the photos are better in mist than in sunshine.
Driving yourself
Madeira rental from Funchal Airport, around €25-40/day in May
We use DiscoverCars to compare local agencies. Trailhead access on most PR routes is easier with a car.
https://www.discovercars.com/portugal/funchal?a_aid=Madeirahiking¤cy=eur&utm_source=Madeirahiking&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=pdf-pr13
03 · Route walkthrough
Section by section
Distances, landmarks, and what to expect underfoot.
0.0 - 1.5 km
0:30
Fanal parking to the first laurel grove
Trail leaves the parking area on a forest path. Almost immediately enters dense laurel - til, vinhático, and the Madeira laurel proper. Tree shapes become more dramatic as you go deeper.
1.5 - 4.0 km
0:50
The iconic laurel grove section
The Instagram-famous gnarled trees with bare twisted branches and hanging moss. Mist drifts between trunks. Several photo stops; the path is wide enough for tripods.
4.0 - 5.4 km
0:30
Open clearings to the turnaround
Forest gives way to open volcanic clearings. Cows graze here in summer. The trail reaches a marked viewpoint where Laurisilva canopy is visible below in clear weather.
Return
1:30
Same path back
Out-and-back. Light changes through the day; afternoon mist often returns earlier than it lifted. The forest looks different on the way back.
04 · Gear and safety
What to bring and when to bail
Required
- Waterproof shoes - mud is constant in the forest
- Warm layer - 8-12°C cooler than the coast
- Light rain jacket
- Water: 1.5 L
Recommended
- Microfibre cloth for camera lenses (humidity)
- Sit pad - the mossy forest floor is wet
- Headlamp if hiking late afternoon in winter
- Cash for the small Paúl da Serra cafes on the drive back
Visibility can drop to 20 m
In thick fog you can lose the trail. Follow blazes carefully and stay on the marked path. Pre-download offline maps.
Mud and slippery roots
The path stays wet most of the year. Tree roots become slick. Trekking pole helps. Watch for puddle camouflage on the trail.
Cattle present in summer
Open clearings are grazing land. Most cattle are calm but give them space. Close gates behind you - active farming.
Signal poor under canopy
Cell coverage drops to one bar or less inside the laurel forest. Pre-download offline maps. 112 works on fallback at the clearings.
Emergency: 112
Coverage along this route is patchy. Walk-out point: back to the Fanal parking area (km 0). No mid-route exit.
05 · Fees and booking
Two paths to the trailhead
Path A · DIY
Book on SIMplifica
Free
per person
- No permit required - PR13 is free.
- No SIMplifica booking.
- Just show up at Fanal and start walking.
Path B · Protocol operator
Skip the portal
Free
per person, fee included in tour
PR13 is most often a stop on west-Madeira full-day operator tours. The drive there from Funchal is long enough that standalone bookings are unusual.
Protocol operators running this trail
Madeira Local Guide - Paulo Jesus
PT/EN · Private only · €66-114
+351 XXX XXX XXX
tripadvisor.com/madeira-local-guide
Up Mountain Madeira
PT/EN/DE · Max 8 people · €40-120
+351 925 964 335
upmountainmadeira.com
Explore Nature
PT/EN · Small groups · €27-80
+351 964 851 693
explorenature.pt
Path C · Marketplace listing
Fanal Forest & Laurisilva Guided Walk
From €45 · 4-5 hours · ⭐ 4.7
If you cannot reach a protocol partner, GetYourGuide aggregates tours from multiple operators with free 24h cancellation. Independent listing - not a preferred channel for this trail.
https://www.getyourguide.com/madeira-l67/hiking-tc71/?partner_id=2VCHGBU&utm_medium=online_publisher&cmp=pdf-pr13
06 · After the hike
What to do with the rest of the day
Pair it with
PR14 Levada dos Cedros
Starts from the same Fanal area. Pair them as a full-morning Laurisilva immersion.
Porto Moniz natural pools
Twenty-five minutes down the north-coast road. Volcanic rock pools - the obvious afternoon stop after a damp morning in Fanal.
Bica da Cana viewpoint
On the drive back across Paúl da Serra. High-altitude plateau with cloud-sea panorama.
Common questions
Is the fog always there?
Most days but not all. Clear sunny mornings in summer can happen. The forest is photogenic regardless.
How old are the laurel trees?
The oldest specimens are estimated at 800-1,200 years. Most of the dramatic gnarled ones are 400+ years.
Are dogs allowed?
Yes on lead. Be aware of grazing cattle in summer.
Live trail status
madeirahiking.org/trails/pr13
Conditions change. The live page is verified against ICNF announcements and re-checked on a rolling cadence. Refresh before you set out.
May 2026 edition · issued 2026-05-16 · MadeiraHiking.org · Curated by Filipe Pereira
Scan for live status