PR8: Miradouros da Ponta de São Lourenço e do Rosto

A great alternative to the famous Ponta de São Lourenço hike. This route starts away from the main PR 8 trail and offers impressive views of Madeira’s rugged eastern tip — with significantly fewer crowds. The hike begins at Miradouro da Pedra Furada, where parking is available. From here, the path first leads counterclockwise around the military area. Early on, wide views open up over the dramatic coastal landscape. The trail then passes through a small gorge before climbing more steeply up to Miradouro do Abismo, a viewpoint with spectacular views over the striking rock formations along the eastern coast. From here, the trail descends again towards PR 8 – Vereda da Ponta de São Lourenço. Following this well-known path, you continue to the Miradouro de São Lourenço, the famous viewing platform overlooking spectacular rock formations rising from the sea. This section overlaps with the start and end of the classic PR 8 hike. It makes up roughly one third of this alternative route and can therefore be quite busy, especially on sunny days. From the large São Lourenço parking area, the trail turns right and climbs back up the hills towards the military buildings, returning to the starting point at Miradouro da Pedra Furada. The hike is slightly shorter than the classic PR 8, but includes some steeper and more demanding sections. In return, large parts of the route remain away from the main crowds: both the first and the last third of the hike are usually much quieter, while only the middle section overlaps with the busy PR 8 trail.