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Tell me about the Machico - Terreiros hike in Madeira
💭 Thinking
The user is asking about the "Machico - Terreiros" hike in Madeira. This is a hike question, so I should use the `find_hikes` tool to get official information about this trail. Let me search for it. The trail is likely PR 8 - Machico - Terreiros. Let me search for it.The search didn't return results for "Machico Terreiros". Let me try a broader search or use the PR code. This trail is likely PR 10 - Levada do Caniçal (Machico - Terreiros) or it could be another PR trail. Let me search differently.The user asked about the "Machico - Terreiros" hike. Let me search the results for anything matching "Terreiros". I don't see a trail specifically named "Machico - Terreiros" in the official PR trails. Let me check the community trails too - none of them match "Terreiros" either. Let me search more specifically for this trail name.The user is asking about the "Machico - Terreiros" hike in Madeira. Let me analyze what I've found: 1. My first two searches for "Machico Terreiros" and "PR 10 Machico" returned no results from the hikes database. 2. My search near Machico returned trails around Machico, but none specifically named "Machico - Terreiros." 3. My web search found information about PR10 - Levada do Furado, which is Ribeiro Frio to Portela, not "Machico - Terreiros." The search results also mention a hike that "tem o seu início em Machico, junto do túnel antigo que liga Machico ao Caniçal" — this sounds like it could be related to the Machico area but it's described as going to Porto da Cruz or Caniçal, not specifically "Terreiros." Looking at the locality list from the Machico municipality, I don't see "Terreiros" listed as a locality. The closest names might be "Terça" or similar. Let me look more carefully. "Terreiros" isn't a common Madeira trail name I'm familiar with. Let me search more specifically for this.The user is asking about the "Machico - Terreiros" hike in Madeira. I've searched extensively but cannot find an official PR trail with that exact name. Let me look more carefully at what I found. From the web search, I found a reference to "Chão dos Terreiros" on the tripmadeira.com page - it mentions it as a hiking location near Boca da Corrida (Jardim da Serra), not near Machico. That's a different area. The search results closest to "Machico - Terreiros" seem to point to the Vereda do Larano/Levada do Caniçal area, which starts near Machico. But I don't see an exact match for "Machico - Terreiros" as a named trail. Let me also check - "Terreiros" could refer to a place name. From the Machico municipality locale list, I don't see a "Terreiros" listed. However, I see "Terça" which is close but different. Looking at the web results more carefully, the tripmadeira.com page mentions "Chão dos Terreiros" as a separate hike near Boca da Corrida (Jardim da Serra), which is in Câmara de Lobos, not Machico. But the user specifically said "Machico - Terreiros." This doesn't match any official IFCN PR trail I can find, and it's not in the hike database either. It could be a local/unofficial route name. Let me check one more thing - "Terreiros" might also refer to "Lamaceiros" which I see in the Machico freguesia list, but that's also different. I should be honest that I can't find this exact trail in our official sources. The closest match seems to be either: 1. The Levada dos Maroços (near Machico, mentioned in multiple sources) 2. The Vereda do Larano / Boca do Risco (starting near the old Machico-Caniçal tunnel) 3. The Vereda das Funduras (PR 5, Portela to Maroços, near Machico) But none of these are specifically called "Machico - Terreiros." Let me search more specifically.The user is asking about the "Machico - Terreiros" hike. After searching extensively through both our official trail database (IFCN/PR trails) and the community trails (AllTrails), as well as web searches, I can now piece together what this trail is. The "Machico - Terreiros" route is not an official PR (Percurso Recomendado) trail managed by IFCN. It doesn't appear in our official trail database. However, from the web search results, I found: 1. From the blog post "Boca da Corrida to Terreiros, Madeira" - this describes a walk from Boca da Corrida to Terreiros, which is a ridge walk near Jardim da Serra/Câmara de Lobos area. This is NOT from Machico. 2. From another result about the MIUT route, someone mentions "Day 1 – to Terreiros" starting from Machico, going along the Boca do Risco trail, then up to Portela, then along PR10 towards Ribeiro Frio before diverting to the Terreiros campsite. This is part of the MIUT ultra-trail route. 3. "Chão dos Terreiros" appears in the Outdooractive result - "From Fontes via Chão dos Terreiros" - a circular route around Pico da Cruz. 4. "Terreiros" is actually a campsite/location in the central mountain area of Madeira, not in Machico itself. It's at high altitude (around 1,436m) accessible from Boca da Corrida. The Komoot/Outdooractive result mentions "Pico da Cruz e Chão dos Terreiros starting from Fontes — circular route on the Island of Madeira" - 10.5km, 480m, moderate, 4.3 rating, 847 reviews. So "Machico - Terreiros" likely refers to either: - A route that starts in Machico and goes to the Terreiros campsite area (which would be a very long hike, going through the Machico valley up to the central mountains) - The MIUT stage that goes from Machico to Terreiros This is NOT an official IFCN PR trail. Let me be honest about this. The Terreiros area is a campsite/refuge in the central mountains of Madeira. The route from Machico to Terreiros would be a very long trek through various paths (possibly combining PR5 Vereda das Funduras, PR10 Levada do Furado, and unmarked paths). Let me provide the user with what I know and be clear that this isn't an official PR trail, and instead point them to the official trails near Machico. From the blog post about "Boca da Corrida to Terreiros": - Distance: 5.9 km, ~271m elevation gain - Starts at Boca da Corrida (Jardim da Serra area) - Goes to the Terreiros summit at 1,436m - Can be done as a loop via Eira do Ribeiro The "Chão dos Terreiros" route from Outdooractive: - Starts from Fontes - Circular route around Pico da Cruz - 10.5 km, ~480m elevation, moderate, ~3.5 hours - 4.3 rating from 847 reviews on Komoot The "Machico to Terreiros" would be a much longer trek, likely following the MIUT route from Machico through Porto da Cruz/Boca do Risco, then up to the central mountains. Let me provide a clear, helpful answer.
How this was derived · 3 steps
Trails near MachicoMap & photos
6 photos
Vereda das FundurasVereda das FundurasVereda das FundurasVereda das FundurasVereda das FundurasVereda das Funduras
Official PR trail (IFCN) Community route (AllTrails — not official)
Photos: walkmeguide.com · green = official IFCN PR trail · amber = community route (AllTrails)

Based on my search through the official IFCN trail register and the wider AllTrails community catalogue, "Machico – Terreiros" is not an official Madeira PR trail — there's no PR-numbered route by that name managed by IFCN. Here's what I found instead:


Terreiros — what it actually is

Terreiros (or Chão dos Terreiros) is a high-altitude plateau and campsite at around 1,436 m in Madeira's central mountains, located above Jardim da Serra / Câmara de Lobos — not in Machico itself. It's best known as a waypoint on the MIUT (Madeira Island Ultra Trail) route and as a free camping refuge. The campsite has a water tap and barbecue area, but you need a permit from madeiracamping.com to stay overnight.

The two Terreiros walks

There are two common hiking routes to Terreiros, neither of which starts in Machico:

1. Boca da Corrida → Terreiros (ridge walk)

This is the classic short walk to Terreiros, starting at Boca da Corrida (Jardim da Serra viewpoint, ~1,220 m). You climb along a ridge to the Terreiros summit (1,436 m) and can loop back via Eira do Ribeiro (1,410 m).

  • Distance: ~5.9 km (loop) · Elevation gain: ~271 m · Time: ~2–2.5 hours
  • Difficulty: Moderate — the car does most of the climbing up to Boca da Corrida; the trail itself gains relatively little
  • Highlights: Spectacular 360° ridge views from the summit; peaceful, uncrowded ridge path
  • Not an official PR trail — no IFCN open/closed status, no timed ticket required, and no guaranteed signage. Follow painted arrows on rocks
  • Described in detail in Paddy Dillon's Walking on Madeira (Cicerone), Walk 37
2. Fontes → Chão dos Terreiros (circular via Pico da Cruz)

A longer circular route starting from Fontes, going around Pico da Cruz and through Chão dos Terreiros.

  • Distance: ~10.5 km · Elevation gain: ~480 m · Time: ~3.5 hours · Difficulty: Moderate
  • Community rating: 4.3★ (847 reviews on Komoot)
  • Also not an official PR trail — same caveats on signage and maintenance
What about "Machico – Terreiros"?

Some online references (especially MIUT ultra-trail reports) describe a Machico → Terreiros stage, but this combines multiple trails (Boca do Risco / Larano coastal path, then PR5 Vereda das Funduras or PR10 Levada do Furado, plus unmarked paths) into a ~20 km, 1,370 m+ mountain traverse. This is a serious undertaking and not a single waymarked trail — it's essentially a DIY route linking several official and unofficial paths.


Official trails near Machico

If you're based in Machico and looking for a proper waymarked hike, here are the closest official PR trails:

TrailDistanceDifficultyStart → EndFee
PR 5 Vereda das Funduras8.7 kmModeratePortela → Maroços€4.50
PR 8 Vereda da Ponta de S. Lourenço4 km (+ 4 km return)ModerateBaía d'Abra → Casa do Sardinha€4.50

PR 5 (3.9★, 184 reviews on AllTrails) is especially nice if you're in the Machico area — it descends from the Portela viewpoint through laurel forest down to Maroços, with great views of Penha d'Águia.


Bottom line: If you want the Terreiros ridge walk, start from Boca da Corrida (a 30-min drive from Funchal), not Machico. And if you're after an official waymarked trail from Machico itself, go for PR 5 or PR 8.

Would you like me to check the trail status for PR 5 or PR 8, or look up how to get to Boca da Corrida by bus?

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