São Jorge 2 Hard Madeira Trail Tour

Starting this Hard Madeira Trail Tour in Calhau de S. Jorge by the road toward the old bridge coming into a dirt road to start the ascent in a path of endless steps to the parish of Ilha. Here we follow the road until entering a path always ascending crossing a few times some dirt roads, through the Laurens Forest of Madeira, passing in Vale da Lapa where we find the Levada do Caldeirão Verde and continue climbing some stone and wood steps surrounded by Heather (Erica arborea) until you reach the path that leads to the highest point of the island, Pico Ruivo (1861m) following next the path along the Central mountain massif climbing after through an opening in the vegetation that later turns into a technical track, passing through the Pico do Milhafre, and climbing after to Pico Canário, where we can have a unique perspective of the Pico Ruivo.

From here the trail is always descending between centenary Heathers (Erica arborea), until we find a dirt road going through it until we reach the viewpoint of Voltas, where we have a view of the village of Boaventura. Following again a dirt road, we reach the forest house of Cascalho. From here we descend an dirt staircase to the Levada do Rei going through it in the direction of the water current of the Levada. Arriving the road we follow a few tens of meters to go into tracks and footpaths through agricultural plantations on the place of Jogo da Bola and descending after through the Fio stone path steeped in the hillside with a top view on the sea, to return again to Calhau de São Jorge.

Trail Route: Calhau S. Jorge – Ilha – Vale da Lapa – Pico Ruivo – Pico Canário – Miradouro dasVoltas – Levada do Rei – Jogo da Bola – Fio – Calhau S. Jorge