Ponta de Sao Lourenço

Ponta de Sao Lourenço is the cape furthest south of Madeira, from where on a sunny day you can see the neighbor island of Porto Santo. We visited this place one afternoon during our routes by car in Madeira.

Most of the island is surprising for the amount of dense and wet tropical vegetation. However, the area of Ponta de Sao Lourenço remembers much more the volcanic origins of the island, and it seems like a desert where barely grow some palms between large areas of dried grass. It’s also a very windy place, because it lacks the protection of the highest peaks.

The road doesn’t arrive to the cape, but it ends a few kilometers before, at the parking area of Baia d’Abra, from where a path around Sao Lourenço Peninsula starts. It’s an excursion of 5 km that goes to Ponta do Forado. You’ll find it explained in this trekking website (Entre Montañas).

We just walked a bit around the parking area and admired the sea views from the top. We also built our own inuksuk in a place with lots of them.

After a while we continued our route to another point with views of the Peninsula, which name I don’t know. There is a food and drinks stand with a barbecue and you can also admire the amazing view of the cliffs, the islets and the lighthouse far away.

That same morning we walked along a levada that we’ll talk about later, so we were tired. After a while looking at the cliffs, the sea and the gulls, we went back to the hotel to rest.