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- Vereda da Ribeira da Janela 4.4 Directions
The trail you're asking about — Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela Viewpoint – Old ER1 — doesn't appear as a named route in our database of official PR trails or the AllTrails community catalogue. However, the area around Ribeira da Janela on Madeira's stunning north coast has two closely related trails, and the "Old ER1" you mention likely refers to the old Estrada Regional 101 (formerly ER1), the historic coastal road whose disused sections near Ribeira da Janela now serve as walking paths overlooking the famous Ilhéus rock stacks.
Here are the trails in that area:
This is the closest official trail, ending right at Ribeira da Janela and its iconic viewpoint over the Ilhéus:
| Route | Curral Falso → Ribeira da Janela |
| Distance | 2.7 km |
| Duration | ~1 h 30 min |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Altitude | 400 m (min) → 820 m (max) |
| Access fee | €4.50 (visitors > 12 years; ≤ 12 free) via SIMplifica portal |
| Managing entity | IFCN |
| Community rating | ⭐ 4.4 / 5 (119 reviews on AllTrails) |
| Trailhead drive | ~1 minute from Ribeira da Janela |
Visit Madeira page ↗ · AllTrails ↗ · Directions to trailhead ↗
The trail descends through laurel forest from Curral Falso on the ER-209 down to the village of Ribeira da Janela, where you emerge at the viewpoint over the dramatic Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela — the towering sea stacks rising from the Atlantic — exactly the landscape you're looking for.
This unofficial route (mapped on AllTrails — not part of Madeira's official PR trail network managed by IFCN, the regional government's forests & nature authority, so it has no official open/closed status and no maintenance/signage guarantee) also passes through the Ribeira da Janela area, connecting the village to the Eira da Achada viewpoint with panoramic north-coast views:
| Distance | 4.0 km (loop) |
| Duration | ~1.5–2 hr |
| Difficulty | Moderate |
| Community rating | ⭐ 3.5 / 5 (25 reviews on AllTrails) |
| Route type | Loop |
The description notes it climbs through Laurissilva forest patches on a traditional mountain path, culminating at the Eira da Achada viewpoint overlooking the entire north coast and the Atlantic.
The old ER-101 (formerly ER-1) is the historic coastal road that runs along Madeira's north coast. Several disused or bypassed sections near Porto Moniz and Ribeira da Janela have become de facto walking paths offering dramatic clifftop views — including the viewpoint over the Ilhéus da Ribeira da Janela sea stacks that you're interested in. These aren't signed or maintained as official PR trails, so there's no official open/closed status; check conditions locally before walking them.
Would you like me to check the mountain weather forecast and IPMA warnings for the Ribeira da Janela area before you head out?





