OpenMadeira
Tell me about the Pico do Facho - Machico Beach - Nossa Senhora do Amparo Fort hike in Madeira
💭 Thinking
The user is asking about a specific hike in Madeira: "Pico do Facho - Machico Beach - Nossa Senhora do Amparo Fort". Let me search for this trail using the find_hikestool.The user asked about the "Pico do Facho - Machico Beach - Nossa Senhora do Amparo Fort" hike. I found it in the community_trails section — it's NOT an official IFCN PR trail, but a community route mapped on AllTrails. Let me present the details from the data I have. Key details: - Name: Pico do Facho - Machico Beach - Nossa Senhora do Amparo Fort - Community route (not official IFCN PR trail) - Rating: 4.4★ from 171 reviews on AllTrails - Difficulty: hard - Length: 4.2 km - Route type: loop - Estimated time: 2.5–3 hr - Area: Madeira Natural Park - Lat/Lng: 32.724, -16.75866 - Description: Fantastic loop trail starting at Miradouro do Pico do Facho's picnic area provides a wide view over the Machico valley, peaks of the central part of the island, the Deserted Islands, and Ponta de São Lourenço. Miradouro do Pico do Facho is located north of Machico, accessible via a path leading to the summit of Pico do Facho before reaching the Caniçal tunnel. In the past, large bonfires were lit here to alert the population to the arrival of enemy vessels. Descend along paths near the... - Notice: Community route mapped on AllTrails — NOT part of Madeira's official PR trail network managed by IFCN, so no official open/closed status Let me also check the terrain/elevation for Pico do Facho to give morecontext.The user asked about the "Pico do Facho - Machico Beach - Nossa Senhora do Amparo Fort" hike. This trail appears in the community_trails section of the find_hikes result — it's NOT an official IFCN PR trail, but a community route mapped on AllTrails. Let me compile the information from the result and present it properly with the required caveats. Key details from the data: - Name: Pico do Facho - Machico Beach - Nossa Senhora do Amparo Fort - Rating: 4.4 stars from 171 reviews on AllTrails - Difficulty: Hard - Length: 4.2 km - Route type: Loop - Estimated time: 2.5–3 hr - Area: Madeira Natural Park - Coordinates: 32.724, -16.75866 - Description: "Fantastic loop trail starting at Miradouro do Pico do Facho's picnic area provides a wide view over the Machico valley, peaks of the central part of the island, the Deserted Islands, and Ponta de São Lourenço. Miradouro do Pico do Facho is located north of Machico, accessible via a path leading to the summit of Pico do Facho before reaching the Caniçal tunnel. In the past, large bonfires were lit here to alert the population to the arrival of enemy vessels. Descend along paths near the..." The Pico do Facho viewpoint is at 273 m elevation. I need to present this with the proper caveat that it's a community route, not an official IFCN PR trail, so it has no official open/closed status. Also, it's near Machico — the nearest official PR trails are PR 5 and PR 8.
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)
Pico do Facho – Machico Beach – Nossa Senhora do Amparo Fort

Community route (mapped on AllTrails) — not part of Madeira's official PR trail network managed by IFCN, the regional government's forests and nature-conservation authority, so it has no official open/closed status and no maintenance/signage guarantee. Check access and conditions locally before going.

DifficultyHard
Length4.2 km (loop)
Estimated time2.5 – 3 hours
AreaMadeira Natural Park
Community rating★ 4.4 from 171 hiker reviews on AllTrails ↗
Trailhead elevation~273 m (Pico do Facho viewpoint)
What to expect

The loop starts at the Miradouro do Pico do Facho picnic area, north of Machico, which gives sweeping views over the Machico valley, the central peaks of the island, the Desertas Islands, and Ponta de São Lourenço.

Pico do Facho itself has historical significance — in the past, large bonfires (facho = beacon/torch) were lit here to alert the population to the approach of enemy ships.

From the summit, the trail descends through paths leading down toward Machico beach and the Forte de Nossa Senhora do Amparo, a small triangular fort whose seaward angle faces the ocean, with a Baroque pediment over its landward gatehouse. The route then loops back along the Machico stream and seafront.

Getting to the trailhead
  • By car: Directions to the trailhead ↗
  • The nearest official PR trailhead is PR 5 – Vereda das Funduras (Portela → Maroços), about 11 minutes' drive away.
Nearby official PR trails (for comparison)
TrailDistance from MachicoDifficultyLength
PR 5 – Vereda das Funduras~7 km / 11 min driveModerate8.7 km
PR 8 – Vereda da Ponta de S. Lourenço~11 km / 15 min driveModerate4 km (+ 4 km return)

Since this is a community route with no IFCN open/closed status, it's wise to check conditions locally. Want me to check the mountain weather forecast and IPMA warnings for the day you're planning to go?

OpenMadeira can make mistakes — check the sources.