Viewpoints · 1400 m above the sea
Paul da Serra
Madeira's high, flat, wind-scoured plateau, where nearly all its wind power spins.
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The place
At roughly 24 square kilometres and averaging 1,500m, Paul da Serra is Madeira's largest and strangest landscape: a bare, sponge-like moorland utterly unlike the terraced valleys below, dotted with wind turbines that supply most of the island's wind energy. Its highest point, Pico do Paul at 1,640m, gives a rare 360-degree view to both the north and south coasts at once.
When to come
Clear mornings; the plateau is prone to fast-moving fog and can turn cold and windy in minutes.
Worth knowing
- Fanal forest and Rabaçal both branch off this plateau
- No shelter or services on the open plateau, bring layers
- Fog rolls in fast, drive slowly on the mountain roads
- Starting point for several PR trails, including 25 Fontes