São Lourenço Madeira: A Complete Guide to Hiking PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço

Stretching out like an arm from the east side of the Madeira, São Lourenço is a long, desert peninsula surrounded by bright pool water and volcanic-looking rocks. Locals and tourists alike can walk along the peninsula almost to the very end, where little rocky outcrops jut out of the water.

The official name for this trail is PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço, or simply PR8 Madeira (all of the major hiking trails in Madeira are numbered). I hiked this route one hot and sunny afternoon in August, halfway through my two-week trip in Madeira.

In this blog post, I’ll give you all of the information that could be useful for planning your hike to São Lourenço Madeira and some tips to make it the best it can be!

Overview

Here is a quick overview of the trail:

• Trailhead: PR8 Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço Trailhead
• Distance: 7.6 km
• Difficulty: Moderate – Hard
• Elevation Gain: 448 m
• Map: AllTrails

Logistics of Hiking São Lourenço Madeira

Getting to the Trailhead

São Lourenço is in the far east of the island, about 30-40 minutes from downtown Funchal and primarily on winding paved roads. It’s very easy to navigate to the trailhead.

Parking

There are two very small parking lots, one that is right at the trailhead and another that is about 50 meters before. I would estimate they can hold 40 vehicles between them. If you want to get a spot in the parking lot, you’ll either need to arrive very early (like… 6 am) or get very lucky and arrive as someone else is leaving.

You’ll know whether the parking lot is full based on when you start seeing cars parked on the side of the road leading up to the trailhead. This was the case for us. About 500 m from the trailhead, we saw a line of cars along the side of the road. We parked behind the last car.

Note: If parking on the side of the road, ensure you are pulled over as close to the curb as possible. Coach buses go to the trailhead and they are wide – you don’t want your side view mirror getting knocked.

Permits and Fees

When you arrive at the trailhead, there is a sign asking you to scan a QR code and pay 1 euro per person to hike the São Lourenço Penisula. The fee goes towards trail maintenance.

Madeira PR8 Trailhead Facilities

There are essentially no facilities at the trailhead; we were surprised to learn that there isn’t even a restroom. There was a porta-potty, but it was locked. There is a restroom at Caso do Sardinha, about 3/4 down the trail.

Starting mid-morning, there are usually food trucks at the trailhead selling water, ice cream and other snacks.

What to Pack for São Lourenço Madeira

• Water – At least 1L though preferably more.
• Sun Protection – This hike is completely exposed. Bring a hat, sunscreen and something to cover your shoulders.
• Sturdy Shoes – Hiking boots are not necessary, but at least wear running shoes. I saw a few people in sandals and they looked like they were struggling.

I think it’s unnecessary to pack all the 10 Essentials on this hike, but here is a more comprehensive list of what to pack for a hike if you’d like.

Hiking Madeira PR8: São Lourenço Penisula

I consider there to be four sections to Madeira PR8, from the trailhead to the summit.

Miradouro Trailhead to Praia da Baia D’Abra

This section is about 0.7 km and has a mix of gradual up and gradual down. There are rocky steps for the first part of this trail that are easy to navigate – just watch your step as they are uneven and occasionally missing a chunk.

There are three places to turn off to get a viewpoint, one at 0.4 km and two at 0.7 km. The first one is where I saw a bunch of lizards. Had I known the views to come, I would not have made this little detour.

The second two turn offs are at the end of the section. One goes down to the beach – I didn’t go down, but my friends did and they said it was very rocky and not a swimming beach, but still nice to be by the water. The other had a view of some sea stacks (rocks sticking tall out of the ocean).

Praia da Baia D’Abra to the Land Bridge

After the two turn-offs, the trail ascents for 0.3 km and stays elevated for another 0.5 km. During this section you’ll reach the highest point on the trail (a few meters higher than the summit at the end of the trail).

From here, you’ll descend onto what I am calling the ‘land bridge’ – a low and narrow pathway connecting the end of the peninsula with the mainland. This section is very narrow, only two people wide, so passing slower hikers isn’t really feasible here. There is a rope only the end to hold onto.

As we were descending, the three people I had been hiking with decided they’d see enough good views (and enough blazing sun) to turn around. They turned around here and I carried on solo.

The Land Bridge to Caso do Sardinha

This section starts at KM 2.1, the lowest part of the trail and the center of the ‘land bridge’.

If only my friends had known the wonders that existing just a few hundreds more meters at Caso do Sardinha! There is a ton going on here!

For starters, there is a very small campground for those that want to camp on the peninsula. There is a restaurant with cold drinks, burgers and pastries. There is a spot to rent kayaks and go swimming. AND there is a boat service to take you back to town (though this won’t get you to your car so it’s not a great option for hikers).

I took a short break here to eat some chocolate before tackling the fourth and final section: The Summit.

Caso do Sardinha to the Summit

This is by far the most challenging section. There is a lot of elevation gain (basically natural stairs up) and without very secure footing.

I also found it the most confusing section to start – right after Casa do Sardinha, there are a few paths going to viewpoints that are not the summit, so I went the wrong way for a hundred meters or so. Check the map here to make sure you’re walking in the right direction.

Once on the right trail, the stair master started. You may look at my photos below and think “oh, well at least there’s a rope to hold onto.” Nope – this is old, metal wire that’s degraded to the point where little metal spikes are sticking out in some sections (I learned this the hard way).

The nice part is that this section is short – it’s only about 0.4 km – and the views are well worth the effort.

Tip: Take this section as slow as you need to and leave lots of space between you and other hikers.

After the short climb, I was excited to finally reach the Summit! I call it the summit because it’s the highest point at the end of the peninsula, but it’s actually slightly lower than the highest point of the trail. But still, after all that climbing I’m calling it a summit.

This is where you can take a photo of the islands beyond the edge of the peninsula. It’s a really beautiful spot!

Note: The map on AllTrails includes a section that goes beyond the summit. This section is marked “No Access” and looks really sketchy, so don’t try climbing beyond the photo location.

Summit to the Trailhead

After I was satisfied with the summit, I began retracing my steps back. I did make a quick stop back at Casa do Sardhina to grab some Coke Zeros for my patient friends waiting at the car. Now that I wasn’t taking photos, I hiked the trail back very quickly, not stopping at all.

It took me less than 40 minutes to get back, but I was really moving (anxious about my friends waiting for me at the car) – according to Strava, at one point I was doing 11:25 min per kilometer, which is faster than my regular walk!

Overall I would say to budget 1 – 1.5 hours for the return.

FAQs about Hiking São Lourenço

Q: Is São Lourenço a good spot for sunrise?

Given that the peninsula is facing east, it’s a beautiful spot for sunrise. If you Google “São Lourenço sunrise” and browse the images, you’ll get an idea for how nice it is. That said, in order to catch the sunrise, you’d have to do the hike to the summit in the dark. It’s an easy trail to follow, but the footing isn’t great, so I would only recommend this to advanced hikers. Plus, there are way easier sunrise spots along the east coast that don’t require two hours of hiking to reach.

Q: How busy is PR8 Madeira?

Busy. Very busy. If you like isolated, people-free trails like me, this one will feel chaotic. But it’s busy for a reason; it’s a really nice hike in a beautiful area. I also found people to be quite respectful – stepping to the side to the let me pass, not hogging the viewpoints, etc. Given how many people where there, I don’t think this is an absolute must-do activity in Madeira, but I thoroughly enjoyed it and do recommend it!

Conclusion: São Lourenço Madeira

I hope you’ve found this blog post helpful and you’re ready to hike Madeira PR8. If you’re still in the inspiration or planning stages of your Madeira trip, I’m very excited for you (Madeira is wonderful!) and if you’re already here, I hope you’ve been loving your trip so far!