Route: Jardim do Mar to Paul do Mar
Area: Madeira
Date of walk: 25th April 2022
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 3.2 miles
Ascent: 1,900 feet
Weather: Mostly sunny and very warm
On the first day of our first visit to Madeira we awoke to heavy rain and grey skies. This was not the start we’d hoped for but the weather was forecast to improve later and so at midday, with signs of clearing skies, we drove to the coastal village of Jardim do Mar. This was an adventure in itself as we negotiated rockfalls caused by the downpour, innumerable hairpin bends and a couple of old and poorly lit tunnels
Our planned route (thanks to Inntravel) links the villages of Jardim do Mar and our destination, Paul do Mar, by following two old footpaths which were once the only means the reaching them by land. The paths negotiate almost sheer cliff faces, but the early route finders have somehow found a safe way down and up, by weaving in and out of gullies and using countless zig zags. The walk is only three miles in length but thanks to the relentless ascent and descent it feels at least twice as long and can be considered as challenging
After parking in the market square at Jardim do Mar we walked out of the village past Joe’s Bar and passed by a hammock which is framed and boxed into a wall. This is an example of a hammock which was used to carry the sick, as well as the rich and important people of the village to the top of the cliff. The carriers of the hammocks were known as ‘Redeiros’. In the 1930’s they became aggrieved about carrying the local priest up the path, a portly gentleman who liked to give organ recitals in other parishes. We kept this in mind as we started the steep slog up the rocky path to the top of the cliff
Before long we were enjoying spectacular views back down to Jardim do Mar and out to sea. There were sharp drops to the side for much of the way, but thanks to a fence there was no real sense of exposure and the going was perfectly safe. The path was mostly up rocky steps which were steeply pitched at times, and I’m glad we weren’t descending this way. Eventually we arrived, huffing and puffing, at a stone picnic bench near the top. From here we climbed up an access road to reach a quiet road passing through a sleepy village. We soon arrived at the Hotel Jardim Atlantico and just beyond it we started the descent to Paul do Mar. This way down to the village seems impossible seen from on high. We were surrounded by sheer cliffs and intimidating rock formations and there appears to be no safe way down. As with the ascent, our worries were groundless and the descent was relatively straightforward. The drops were all well protected by a fence and the gradient was less steep than the ascent had been. The stony path was lined with wildflowers and teeming with bees and butterflies, and the views were sensational almost every step of the way
Eventually we arrived at our destination, the fishing village of Paul do Mar. Depending on tide times it’s possible to walk back to the start along the rocky beach but we’d heard that this is not recommended so from here we took a local taxi back to Jardim do Mar. It had been a fantastic walk – one of the best
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The start of the walk from the village of Jardim do Mar, population 250. Although the village is located by the sea, it's not a fishing village and relies on agriculture
Joe's Bar, but it's a little too early in the walk for refreshments
Here we go - the start of a steep ascent to the cliff top
The path we're now following was once the only land access to the village
Early views back to Jardim do Mar...
There are a few slightly exposed sections but they are protected by fencing
Looking up to the top of the cliff
A view back to Jardim do Mar
Onwards and upwards - it's a relentless ascent
Views over the Atlantic Ocean as we gain height...
The end of the ascent is in sight
A public water tap - we noticed several of these on of our later walks
A place to rest weary legs at the end of a steep climb
Deserted buildings as the path levels out...
We follow a lane below the outskirts of Prazeres
Madeira´s signature flower, the Bird of Paradise
We head towards the sea, passing by the Hotel Jardim Atlantico...
A sign indicates the start of the descent to our destination, Paul do Mar, only 1.8km but a steep gradient for most of the way
We leave the road just around this corner
Here we go...
Looking across to Jardim do Mar, where we'd started our walk
We're now following an ancient path which was once the only land access to Paul do Mar
The delightful path manages to maintain a safe gradient by heading in and out of the gully
The terracing on the hillside enables parts of these steep slopes to be cultivated
Paul do Mar below as we follow the zig zags downhill
It seems impossible that there is a safe way down, but the early path finders have somehow found a route...
Paul do Mar below
Innumerable twists and turns in the path take some of the sting out of the gradient
Looking back up our path, and we wonder how we safely got to this point
Paul do Mar is just around the corner
Looking along the cliffs to Jardim do Mar - depending on tide times it's possible to return via the rocky beach, but we preferred to take a taxi back to the start
Paul do Mar below
Journey's end, and a wonderful start to our stay on Madeira, as we arrive in Paul do Mar where there is a bronze statue erected as a tribute to fishermen past and present
