Hiking trails with Laurissilva traces, views of Madeira’s north coast and a rose garden give Arco de São Jorge several distinct facets. Viticulture is also part of what the area has to offer: a hiking trail leads to a museum in an old winery. This lets you focus on nature and views, learn about viticulture or explore the diversity of roses.
Hiking trails with different durations
The Vereda da Ribeira Funda – Terras de Fora is 1.3 kilometres long, takes one hour and is rated moderate. It ends in Terras de Fora in Arco de São Jorge. Along the way, it passes traces of the Laurissilva forest and ends at the sea. The route thus combines a specific time estimate with a trail that takes in both forest traces and the coast.
The Vereda do Museu do Vinho e da Vinha is also rated moderate, but at 2.6 kilometres and one hour and 20 minutes, it is longer. It starts at the Miradouro da Beira da Quinta and ends at the Museu do Vinho e da Vinha. Both routes are described as moderate; their stated distances and times set them apart. If you want to gauge the hiking time, you can compare one hour for the shorter trail with one hour and 20 minutes for the route to the museum.
The route to the wine museum changes character along the way: at first, you can observe several Laurissilva species, and later the trail passes agricultural land. At the destination, visitors can learn about the grape harvest process. The Caminho da Entrosa offers another route option with a different course: it starts on the ER 101 in Arco de São Jorge and ends on the Caminho da Barreira in São Cristóvão in Boaventura. The Caminho da Entrosa offers coastal views of Madeira’s north coast towards São Cristóvão.
Viewpoints on the north coast
The Miradouro da Beira da Quinta is located between São Jorge and Arco de São Jorge. The viewpoint offers expansive views, particularly of Arco de São Jorge. From there, you can also see much of Madeira’s northwest coast towards Porto Moniz. Cliffs about 500 metres high are among the coastal features in view. The viewpoint itself is at an altitude of 469 metres; on a clear day, Porto Santo is also visible from there. The elevation, coastal views and conditional visibility of the island are distinct aspects of the same place.
The Miradouro do Cabo Aéreo in Arco de São Jorge offers a different perspective. It has a picnic area and a privileged view of the crystal-clear sea. The two viewpoints described here differ in the views they offer: at Beira da Quinta, the focus is on Arco de São Jorge and the northwest coast, while at Cabo Aéreo, it is on the sea.
Viticulture and rose garden
The Museu do Vinho e da Vinha is housed in a restored old winery. The exhibition mainly displays viticulture equipment donated by local residents. The museum also has a tasting area for regional products such as bolo de mel and Broas da Madeira. Combined with the trail that ends at the museum, it makes for a clear option for anyone wanting to link hiking with viticulture.
More than 1,500 varieties of roses can be seen at the Roseiral da Quinta do Arco. These include old and contemporary climbing roses as well as non-climbing roses. Rare varieties are labelled with their name and class, making it possible to distinguish between different types of roses. The World Federation of Rose Societies has awarded the rose garden its “Garden of Excellence” designation. The variety of roses, their labels and the award offer three specific points to consider if you would like to include a garden in your plans alongside hiking trails and viewpoints.
Discover more destinations: Sao Jorge, Vila Baleira, Campanário, Campo De Cima, Boaventura, Câmara De Lobos, Gaula, Curral Das Freiras
Return to the main travel overview: Madeira.
