Madeira Ativa › Levada trails › PR 3.1
Caminho Real do Monte (PR 3.1) is a moderate 4.2 km walking trail on Madeira, running from Ribeira das Cales to Monte. It climbs about 6 m and descends about 578 m along the way. That is close to level walking for most of the way, about 1 m of climb per kilometre. The route loses far more height than it gains (578 m down against 6 m up), so walked in this direction it is mostly descent — hard on the knees rather than the lungs. It runs between 580 m and 1152 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 2 h. Access status is currently open. There is no entry fee. The trail is waymarked in yellow.
Official walking time and difficulty from Visit Madeira, as on the trailhead board.
Of the surveyed sections, 30% are half a metre wide or less and 0% have no railing. If exposure is a problem for you, this is one to think about rather than one to improvise. 2% of the route is classed as demanding mountain terrain. These figures come from OpenStreetMap surveys covering 42% of the route, so the unsurveyed remainder may differ.
OpenStreetMap, where surveyed; mapped on 42% of the route.
Both ends are on a bus route (103, 138, 20, 21, 22, 48, 56), so the walk can be done without a car. 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 3.1 is 2 h over 4.2 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.
Yes — lines 103, 138, 20, 21, 22, 48, 56 serve the trail. Timetables are linked above.
It runs between 580 m and 1152 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.