As I drove down from the island highpoint towards Santana, I saw a lot of cars lining up for this dead-end road. No problem, though—I’d already climbed it earlier that morning. From there, I took the scenic northside route to Ponta Delgada, where the old coast road caught my eye. It’s often closed to cars…
As I drove down from the island highpoint towards Santana, I saw a lot of cars lining up for this dead-end road. No problem, though—I’d already climbed it earlier that morning. From there, I took the scenic northside route to Ponta Delgada, where the old coast road caught my eye. It’s often closed to cars but would make an amazing hiking trail along the dramatic north coast. In Ponta Delgada, I couldn’t resist a detour to check out two miradores. Both stops were totally worth it—I watched massive waves crash into small sea stacks. Quite the spectacle!
Next, I headed to São Vicente, where Google Maps suggested I drive straight up toward my peak. Sounds easy, but there’s a catch: the road is unpaved, and I’d definitely violate my rental car insurance. From experience, I know these twisty forest roads tend to go from bumpy to wrecked real fast. So, I ditched that plan and checked the map, only to find that the road southeast is closed until April 30. Just great. Time to switch gears and explore the rest of the north coast, hit the northernmost tourist spots, then maybe venture to the westernmost points before driving to Pico Ruivo do Paul da Serra.
I drove around the island in an anti-clockwise direction, then climbed by car to the summit plateau, where I found an impressive stretch of road running surprisingly straight. I half-expected to hit a tunnel; roads in the mountains aren’t usually this direct. Oh, and on the way, I spotted Pico do Remal 1319m P147—just begging for a quick hike.
The trail to Pico Ruivo do Paul da Serra winds through a forested landscape that feels more like the Canadian wilderness than a subtropical island in the mid-Atlantic.
Finally, I drove the remaining kilometers to my target, parked in the dedicated roadside lot, and decided not to bother changing into hiking shoes. I just walked toward the summit on one of the trails. The landscape felt more like a Canadian forest at first—but that didn’t last long. Once I got into the open, it was clearly Madeira again. The climb was quick, and I found the trig pillar at the top. I have to say, Portugal is a paradise for trig pillar hunters. I think this was my third or fourth today. With the peak bagged, I checked out the viewpoints in all directions, and the one looking toward São Vicente stood out the most.
The panoramas were partly lost in the clouds.
On the way down, I took a detour to check out P30 to the southeast. I approached from three different directions, but each time, I hit dense, thorny bushes. So, I gave up.
It seems my Portuguese P600 list is nearing the end, maybe with just a couple more peaks left. It’s a shame because I really enjoy this country. I might need to lower my prominence targets to P500 or P300. Back at the car, I started driving toward my hotel, but along the way, I noticed two easier targets: Pico do Galo and Pico da Torre. Looks like my peak-bagging day wasn’t quite over yet.
Download the .gpx file for your GPS device or mapping app
