Madeira Ativa › Levada trails › PR 21
Caminho do Norte (PR 21) is a moderate 3.2 km walking trail on Madeira, running from Encumeada to Ribeira Grande. It climbs about 0 m and descends about 673 m along the way. That is close to level walking for most of the way, about 0 m of climb per kilometre. The route loses far more height than it gains (673 m down against 0 m up), so walked in this direction it is mostly descent — hard on the knees rather than the lungs. It runs between 312 m and 987 m above sea level. Mid-altitude on Madeira means cloud is common even on a clear day at sea level. It is a point-to-point route. The official walking time is 1 h 30. Access status is currently open. The trail is waymarked in yellow.
Official walking time and difficulty from Visit Madeira, as on the trailhead board.
OpenStreetMap, where surveyed; mapped on 0% of the route.
Only one end is served by a bus (6); the other needs a car, a taxi or a lift. It is point-to-point, not a loop, so a car left at the start is a car you have to walk back to — most people arrange a drop-off, a taxi, or the bus.
Official route page (visitmadeira.com) ↗
The official walking time for PR 21 is 1 h 30 over 3.2 km. That is the signed estimate at the trailhead, walking steadily and without long stops.
No. This trail is free to walk; some other marked trails on Madeira are not.
Partly. Line 6 reach one end only; the other needs a car, a taxi or a lift.
It runs between 312 m and 987 m above sea level. Mid-altitude on Madeira means cloud is common even on a clear day at sea level.
The last published status is open. Closures on Madeira follow storms and landslides and change without much warning, so check the official status on the day.