Before you pick a trail
Fear of heights in Madeira: where the exposure is and where it is not
A trail's difficulty tells you how much effort it costs. It does not tell you whether you will be walking above a drop. Those are two different things, and confusing them is the most common reason someone turns back halfway or walks the whole route staring at their boots. Below we sort the PR trails by exposure, meaning what is beside the path rather than under your feet.
How we work it out, so you can disagree with us
Exposure cannot be derived from an elevation profile: a flat levada cut into a cliff face is more exposed than a steep climb through forest. We also do not rate trails one by one, because then you get our opinion with no way to check it. Instead every trail gets a TERRAIN TYPE, and the exposure level follows from the type. Here is the whole rule:
- High exposure
- Ridge: drops on both sides of the path, sections cut into the rock.
- High exposure
- An old path along a cliff face, running from the top down to the ocean.
- Moderate exposure
- A levada on a rock ledge: a narrow path with a drop on one side, a cable or railing in places.
- Moderate exposure
- A mountain crossing with individual exposed passages between calmer stretches.
- Moderate exposure
- A wide, mostly paved path to the summit; exposure appears near the top.
- Moderate exposure
- A steep descent and climb back, without long stretches above a drop.
- Low exposure
- A levada with a wide path and no significant drops along the edge.
- Low exposure
- A path through forest or a valley, with the view closed in by trees and slope.
- Low exposure
- A route from the Um Caminho para Todos series, designed without terrain obstacles.
Low exposure
Height is not the issue here. The path is wide or the view is closed in by trees and slope, so there is no point where you have to talk yourself through it.
Moderate exposure
Exposure comes in passages, between calmer stretches. You can usually walk them watching the path, and some have a cable or a railing.
High exposure
Exposure is a feature of the whole route, not an episode. If heights genuinely block you, choose something else; this is not a matter of pushing through five minutes.
Trails not on this list are ones we have not rated. A missing entry does not mean safe, only that the character was not clear-cut to us and we would rather not guess.
What actually helps on an exposed stretch
- Start early. Not for the light, but for the passing: on a narrow ledge, letting an oncoming group through is often harder than the ledge itself.
- Look at the path two or three steps ahead. Do not look down fails because it says what not to do; giving your eyes a specific job works.
- Keep to the inner side of the path and do not stop on bends, which are the tightest spots anyway.
- Check the wind, not just the rain. In strong gusts an exposed route becomes a different route; the five-region forecast is on our homepage.
- Trekking poles occupy your hands. They help on climbs, but on sections with a cable or chain they are better stowed.
- Do not open your trip with the most exposed trail. Two days on calmer ground tell you more about your tolerance than any description can.
Turning back is not a failure, but on PR 1 it has an expiry date
- On an out-and-back route you can turn around at any moment and lose nothing but a piece of the view.
- PR 1 is one-way, and that changes the maths: the further you are, the longer the return along your own steps and the more people are coming at you. Make the decision on the first section, not halfway.
- If your legs stiffen and your breathing goes shallow, stop somewhere wide and wait it out. It passes more often than you would think, and forcing yourself onwards in that state is genuinely more dangerous than the terrain.
Common questions
Can you walk PR 1 with a fear of heights?
With a mild fear, usually yes, because much of the route runs through cut passages and stairways with rock on one side. With a fear that stops you moving, PR 1 is a poor place to test yourself: it is one-way, long and exposed along its whole length. A better test is PR 1.2 to Pico Ruivo, where a wide path leads almost to the summit.
Are levadas safe for people afraid of heights?
It depends on the levada, and the difference is enormous. Levada dos Cedros or Levada do Rei run on a wide path through forest with no exposure. Levada das 25 Fontes, Caldeirão Verde and Fajã do Rodrigues have stretches on a rock ledge with a drop on one side and a cable in places. The word levada on its own tells you nothing about it.
Which trail is the most exposed?
The ridges are felt most strongly: PR 1 from Areeiro to Ruivo, PR 1.3 from Ruivo to Encumeada and PR 8 on the São Lourenço peninsula, where in several places the drop is on both sides of the path. A category of their own are the old cliff-face paths, PR 19 and PR 20, which take you from the top down to the ocean.
I want the views without the drops. What should I pick?
Vereda dos Balcões gives you a panorama of the central mountains from a wide path, with a railing at the terrace itself. Vereda do Fanal crosses a plateau among old laurel trees. Both routes in the Um Caminho para Todos series are designed without terrain obstacles. A view in Madeira rarely requires standing over an abyss.
Related on this site
This grouping is indicative and describes the character of the terrain, not your own tolerance, which varies from day to day. Exposure grows with wind, wet rock and fog. Before setting out, check the trail status with the IFCN and the regional forecast; terrain and weather outrank any classification.