Trails
Caminho da Degolada
Steps from the Funduras forest down to the Larano cliff road
The place
Caminho da Degolada is a short, steep link between two well-known walks in the east of the island. It leaves the PR 5 Vereda das Funduras at a picnic spot in the Funduras forest, at about 595 m, and drops to the Caminho do Cabo de Larano at about 300 m, the lane that leads towards the start of the Vereda do Larano cliff path.
Most of its 1.1 km is steps: some 730 m of the path are flights cut into the hillside, about 70 cm wide, with earth between the treads. On the way down it passes the Cabeço da Lapa and two viewpoints over the Larano coast, one of them called Teleférico. Going up from Larano means about 290 m of climbing, which takes about an hour; going down is quicker but hard on the knees, and the earth steps are slippery after rain.
Highlights
- Flights of steps make up about two thirds of the path, which drops some 290 m in just over a kilometre.
- It joins the PR 5 Vereda das Funduras at a picnic spot in the Funduras forest.
- The bottom end is on the lane towards the Vereda do Larano, the cliff path to Boca do Risco.
- Two viewpoints on the way down look over the Larano coast.
When to come
A dry day, since the earth steps turn slippery in rain; the morning is cooler for the climb up from Larano.
Getting there
From the top, walk the PR 5 Vereda das Funduras about 4.7 km from the Portela viewpoint to the signposted junction; from the bottom, drive or walk up the Caminho do Cabo de Larano from Machico.
Worth knowing
- Distance and time: about 1.1 km one way; about an hour up from Larano, less on the way down.
- Climb: about 290 m between the lane at Larano and the forest at the top, mostly on steps.
- Difficulty: hard, for the steepness and the long flights of narrow steps.
- Fee: the path itself is free, but the PR 5 at the top is an official trail: pay on SIMplifica (simplifica.madeira.gov.pt): €4.50 in 2026 for visitors over 12, children 12 and under exempt.
- Footwear: boots with a good grip, as the earth steps are slippery when wet.
- Longer day: combine it with the PR 5 to Maroços or Portela, or with the Vereda do Larano.