PR13.1 Vereda da Palha Carga

A short but steep mountain footpath that branches off the PR13 Fanal route and drops through high-altitude heath toward the 25 Fontes area on the edge of the Rabaçal valley. It follows an old track once used to carry firewood down the slope, so the walk is mostly a continuous descent with natural openings that look out over the Ribeira da Janela and the Laurissilva forest below. The path is named after the endemic Palha-carga grass (Festuca donax) found in the clearings, and it works as a quieter alternative to the busier main trails into 25 Fontes.

Vereda da Palha Carga (PR13.1) is a one way route of about 1.8 km in Madeira.

Along the way you'll find endemic Madeiran flora, a deep valley, waterfalls, panoramic viewpoints and laurel forest (laurisilva).

The path runs between roughly 970 m and 1,328 m above sea level, so conditions can change with altitude.

Vereda da Palha Carga rates as easy on our objective scale, based on 1.8 km, 50 m of ascent and low exposure.

This grade is an estimate from distance, ascent and exposure, not an official IFCN rating.

Allow about 45m one way, a point-to-point route.

The app's live 0-100 score also flags the latest safe start time for the day. See it in the app.

Starts at Louro da Gota. Ends at 25 Fontes. This is a one-way route, so you finish where your car is not: plan a second car, a taxi from the far end, or the walk back before you set off. No car park is mapped at the start, so plan to leave the car on the road nearby.

One drinking-water point is mapped on the route. Fill up if you pass it, but carry enough to finish without it.

Apr to Oct; the deep valley stays damp and the path gets very muddy, so winter and wet spells are best avoided

This route is mostly open to the sun, so it bites on a hot, clear day. Start early and carry more water than you think you need.

The sun and shade reading comes from the slope's aspect and steepness, so it describes terrain shading and not tree cover.

A live 0-100 score picks the best 30-minute window for the day. See today's window in the app.

Vereda da Palha Carga is a regulated trail with a daily visitor cap, so you must reserve a timed slot in advance through SIMplifica before you go. The official fee is around €4.50 per person. Levadas does not sell tickets or make the reservation for you.

According to IFCN, as of 20 Aug 2026, this trail is currently officially open.

IFCN's own status page is dated 24 Jul 2026. The date above (20 Aug 2026) is ours: it records when we last read that page, not when IFCN wrote it.

Official status can change, so always check the latest before you go.

Fire and other live hazards near this trail are tracked on the Madeira trail alerts page