Hiking the Vereda de Ponta da São Laurenço Trail

São Laurenço Point is a peninsula at the most eastern point of Madeira. The trail that loops around it is one of Madeira’s most popular hikes due to its epic coastal views and primordial-looking landscapes.

The ride to São Laurenço from Funchal was about an hour by scooter. We arrived at around 9am, just as the morning clouds were starting to clear, and other hikers were trickling into the trailhead parking lot.

This is another one of those hikes where, instead of working for an eventual payoff, you are constantly rewarded with incredible views that appear around every corner and over every hill.

What even is this place? Unreal.

The trail continues over narrow ridges as you make your way toward the tip of the peninsula. For added safety – no doubt due to the popularity of the hike – lots of fencing has been added along the sides of the trail. Clearly we’re not in Montenegro anymore!

There’s a little café not far from the furthest tip of the peninsula, where you can by food and drinks and also book tours. The café has some signs asking hikers to pack out their trash, because everything has to be brought in and out by boat.

The clouds had completely cleared up by early afternoon, giving the peninsula a bright, lush quality.

It was also pretty crowded on the way back. But, that’s to be expected with really popular hikes. The early bird gets the trail to herself!