Hiking to Ponta de Sao Lourenco.

Madeira is an island with many great hikes. I have taken many over the years, and hiking to Ponta de Sao Lourenco has to be one of my favourite hikes on Madeira.

Where is Ponta de Sao Lourenco?

Ponta de Sao Lourenco is located on the eastern tip of Madeira. It consists of Volcanic rock and forms a narrow peninsula on the island.

The beginning of the hike.

How hard is the hike to Ponta de Sao Lourenco?

The hike is on what I would call a really good hiking path. But there is a lot of up and down on the hike. So even if you do not reach high mountaintops, you should expect some elevation. On a scale from 1 to 5, I would consider this hike to be a 3.

The hike is quite steep, but very nice.

The eastern most point of Madeira.

You first have a hike that lasts for one to two hours. That hike takes you to a little cafe called “Casa da Sardinha”.

At Casa da Sardinha you have a cafe that sells drinks and snacks. They also have a toilet (1€ to use it). Casa da Sardinha is located almost on the tip of the peninsula.

There is a steep hike to the top of the peninsula from there. The hike is not long. But it’s steep. It will probably take most hikers 20 to 30 minutes to get to the top. And then you have to go back the same way to the starting point of the hike.

The little cafe, located right before the final climb.

The views are absolutely stunning. and this is a hike that I would really recommend to people who are reasonably fit, but not seasoned hikers. As you are quite safe on this hike, even if it’s crazy good. Beware though, that it can get quite windy out there. So don’t do this hike if you have strong winds.

How to get to the starting point of the hike.

Getting to the start of the hike to Ponta de Sao Lourenco can be done by public transport quite easily. The place is located just outside the town called Canical. If you are coming from Funchal, then bus #113 goes there. The bus actually goes past the town of Canical and stops beyond the town. Right where the hike begins. The bus runs roughly once an hour. So you do not need your own vehicle in order to get there.

When the hike begins, you will also find a few food trucks, selling food and drinks, in case you need some refreshment before, or after the hike.

Final Bonus info: The 1956 movie Moby Dick was filmed in the waters around Cabo Sao Lourenco 🙂

You can’t beat the views.