Trails
Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal (PR17)
Levada do Norte tunnels and waterfalls from Encumeada to Bica da Cana
The place
Caminho do Pináculo e Folhadal is the official PR17, a one-way route of 15 km from Lombo do Mouro, beside the ER 105 road up to Paul da Serra, to Encumeada. IFCN gives it about 6 hours 30 minutes; heights range from 970 m to 1,490 m. On 4 November 2026 IFCN listed only the stretch from Encumeada by Folhadal and Caramujo to Bica da Cana as passable; the official start, Lombo do Mouro, lies beyond it.
The route runs through high-mountain vegetation and laurissilva, the laurel forest UNESCO listed in 1999, and the Pináculo area at its top looks over the Ribeira Brava valley to Pico Ruivo and Pico do Areeiro. Part of it is a caminho de concelho, a stone-paved public path once used to cross between north and south. Its stretches of the Levada da Serra and the Levada do Norte, with rock-cut tunnels, were built to carry water from north to south, and on the Levada do Norte tunnels and waterfalls come one after another up to Folhadal, where the path enters dense forest before Encumeada. There it meets PR21 Caminho do Norte and PR1.3 Vereda da Encumeada.
Highlights
- On the Levada do Norte, tunnels and waterfalls come one after another as far as Folhadal.
- Before Encumeada the path enters the dense forest of Folhadal.
- Part of the route is a stone-paved caminho de concelho, a public path once used to cross between north and south.
- Bica da Cana, at the far end of the passable stretch, has a mountain shelter, toilets, a picnic area and a viewpoint.
When to come
A settled, dry day with an early start: the route is long, the weather changes often and some stretches are slippery. Check the IFCN list before you set out, as only part of the route is passable.
Getting there
Start at Encumeada, where the panel shows parking, a bus stop, a restaurant and a viewpoint, or at Bica da Cana, which has parking, toilets and a mountain shelter. The official start, Lombo do Mouro beside the ER 105, lies beyond the stretch IFCN lists as passable. Whichever end you choose, plan the return: back the same way, a lift between Encumeada and Bica da Cana, or a taxi from Ribeira Brava, +351 291 952 349, or São Vicente, +351 291 842 238.
Worth knowing
- Status: IFCN lists only the stretch from Encumeada by Folhadal and Caramujo to Bica da Cana as passable on 4 November 2026; check before you go.
- Booking and fee: pay through SIMplifica; €4.50 in 2026 for visitors over 12, with children 12 and under exempt.
- Distance and time: 15 km one way, about 6 hours 30 minutes for the whole route; IFCN gives no separate figure for the passable stretch.
- Heights: between 970 m and 1,490 m.
- Difficulty: hard; Visit Madeira and Ocean Trails rate it difficult.
- Caution: this is a long route, and you need some fitness and stamina for it.
- Caution: the weather changes often, so bring warm clothes and a waterproof.
- Caution: some stretches are slippery, so wear shoes with non-slip soles.
- Tunnels: the panel marks several on the route and says to bring a torch.
