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Tell me about the PR 13.1 Vereda da Palha Carga hike in Madeira
💭 Thinking
The user is asking about a specific hiking trail - PR 13.1 Vereda da Palha Carga in Madeira. I should use the find_hikes tool to look up this trail's details.The search returned 0 results. Let me try a broader search - maybe with just "Palha Carga" or "PR 13.1".I got the trail info. Let me compile a nice answer about PR 13.1 Vereda da Palha Carga. Key facts from the result: - PR code: PR 13.1 - Name: Vereda da Palha Carga - Route: Louro da Gota – 25 Fontes - Distance: 1.8 km - Managing entity: IFCN - Region: Madeira - Access fee: €4.50 for visitors > 12 years, free for ≤ 12 years, via SIMplifica portal - AllTrails rating: 4.4★ from 129 reviews - Difficulty: hard (AllTrails community rating) - Route type: out and back - Estimated time: 2–2.5 hr - Features: forest, views, waterfall - Photo gallery from walkmeguide.com - Webcam available at Rabaçal - Directions URL available There's also a community trail variant (25 Fountains Waterfall via Vereda da Palha Carga) that's 4.2 km, but I should focus on the official PR 13.1 first, then mention the community variant. The note says not to state open/closed/restricted status since it's an evergreen page. But I should tell the reader to check current status before going. Let me also check if there's a video I could suggest. The follow-up could offer to find a video or check weather. Let me compose the answer in English since the question wasin English.
How this was derived · 3 steps
TrailsMap & photos
Vereda da Palha Carga6 photos
Vereda da Palha CargaVereda da Palha CargaVereda da Palha CargaVereda da Palha CargaVereda da Palha CargaVereda da Palha Carga
Photos: walkmeguide.com ↗
Official PR trail (IFCN) Community route (AllTrails — not official)
Photos: walkmeguide.com · green = official IFCN PR trail · amber = community route (AllTrails)
PR 13.1 — Vereda da Palha Carga

The Vereda da Palha Carga is an official IFCN-managed levada trail in the Rabaçal area of Madeira Natural Park. It's a quieter alternative route to the famous 25 Fontes waterfall, following an old path once used for transporting firewood — hence the name Palha Carga ("straw load").

Key details
PR codePR 13.1
RouteLouro da Gota → 25 Fontes
Distance1.8 km (official)
Duration~2–2.5 hours
DifficultyHard
Route typeOut and back
Managed byIFCN
HighlightsLaurissilva forest, waterfall, panoramic views
Access fee

Entry requires payment via the SIMplifica portal:

  • €4.50 — visitors over 12 years
  • Free — visitors 12 years and under
The trail

The path starts next to the ER105 regional road near Rabaçal and descends through dense Laurissilva forest along a relatively steep route. It passes through lush vegetation before reaching the stunning Cascata das 25 Fontes waterfall — the same destination as the popular PR 6.1 Levada das 25 Fontes, but via a less crowded path.

⭐ 4.4 / 5 from 129 hiker reviews on AllTrails — see on AllTrails

▸ Directions to the trailhead ↗

ℹ️ Check the current trail status (open / closed / restricted) on OpenMadeira before setting out, as conditions can change.

📷 Photos from walkmeguide.com

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