I woke up around 8:30 in Caramujo, in the middle of that ancient forest. Little did I know that today I would walk around 10.8km. I was very lucky to have taken the paper map, it helped me a lot to save my phone’s battery. Imagine going on a camping adventure for more than a week and having no battery on your phone to guide you. Paper maps have their function and that’s what I thought when preparing mine. All the routes I’ve taken in Madeira so far have turned out very well, and they were all very well represented on the Alltrails maps.

Bica da Cana

I packed my things, ate some bread, sardines and bananas that Dona Eduarda gave me. I headed towards PR17 again, but this time going south, towards Bica da Cana. I walked about 3km from Caramujo to Bico da Cana. Walking 3km seems little, but try doing it in the middle of the forest, with ups and downs on a trail full of obstacles, rocks and slippery. I stopped at some interesting points to take photos, I also found a small waterfall on this route along PR17, and also some interesting points to camp at the next opportunity. Along PR17, we can see São Vicente on the left below.

From Caramujo to Bica da Cana there is a difference in level of approximately 380 meters over a 3km length, that is, it is a relatively easy route compared to the previous parts of this trail, such as from Pico Ruivo to Encumeada. Don’t worry, there are 2 or 3 viewpoints from which you can see the São Vicente Valley from very different angles.

Bica da Cana is west of the central part of Madeira. It is a tourist spot with approximately 1580 meters of altitude. In this place, in the middle of a forest of trees, you will find a leisure area, with picnic tables. It also has a barbecue area, with a structure to receive people, bathroom, running water and everything else. I felt all that abandoned, that’s what it seemed to me. A little neglected, literally abandoned. It is right in front of the ER105, every now and then some cars passed on the road.

A little behind the forest of trees, there is a trail that goes to a higher part, it is the Miradoudo de Bica da Cana. I went there and flew the drone, took incredible images from up there. From there it is possible to see São Vicente, Pico Ruivo, Pico do Areeiro, Paúl da Serra and other points on the island.

The Great Plain Glacier

Following the trail, I entered an area with unique characteristics, the vegetation is sparse and low, with an arid appearance. There were a lot of wind turbines there. It was the area of ​​the Great Glacier of Planalto do Paul da Serra. There I traveled about 5.4km towards Paul da Serra. It was a long walk under the summer sun, very hot that day.

This area is also where the ancient great glacier was located, where thousands of years ago this area was covered by ice. It is also called the Plateau Glacier. This glacier melted over time, giving way.

Paul da Serra

This region also faces a major fire problem, whether arson, accidental or natural. There is great concern with local authorities in controlling this region in relation to careless camping with fire. They also say that there is an invasive species that facilitates fires, cherry and broom, which facilitate the spread of ignition and intensify fires, and the authorities are considering removing this species from the site. Local authorities are also working to reestablish the biological balance of Paul da Serra, a region of Madeira that is partly home to drier and thinner vegetation, as well as the famous Laurissilva forest.

Camping at Levada do Alecrim

Arriving further, I passed the ER105 and walked a little until I took the next right. I went to a place called Ovil and there I started going down towards the famous PR6.2 – Levada do Alecrim. There the vegetation changes again, it is a wetter environment, with more water. Ribeira do Lajeado runs right next to it. I flew the drone there, which helped me find a place to pitch the tent. The environment is beautiful and very calm. It was approaching 7pm and I needed to find somewhere to pitch a tent, after all, around 8:30pm the sun starts to set in summer and I didn’t want to have that kind of problem walking on the trails at night.

I crossed the stream and on the other side, going up on the right side, I headed towards that point that I saw with the drone a little while ago. A little below Pico Fernandes, in a high place, above the stream, with an incredible view of the sunset and the Pico da Urze Dam. There I pitched my tent, left everything ready and went back down to the stream, stayed there for a few minutes, took photos, dived a little more, took a shower, ate my meal of pasta with meat that I had prepared at Dona Eduarda’s house.

Some people passed by heading towards Levada do Alecrim. Night approached and I went to the tent. There was a rock on which I sat for a moment thinking about my life, how privileged I was to be there doing what I did, visiting Madeira Island alone, with the courage to face long walking distances, mountains, nights of cold, danger on the trails and much more, and how overwhelming it all was for me. I thought about my last night in Caramujo, where I spent a not so good night, sleeping little. But that night I would be able to sleep better and regain my energy.

In the Next Chapter

I went to bed satisfied with the day I had, the long walk, the entire route I had taken on the island so far, and I had no idea what was to come the next day, one of the most beautiful waterfalls I have ever seen in my life, if not the most beautiful of all I’ve ever seen. The next day would be the day that I would visit Cascata do Risco, Levada do Alecrim, Levada do Risco and other hidden wonders in this region of Madeira.